More with math bags

Over the past four years, I have blogged off and on about our math bags so I thought I would bring a little update to our use of the math bags this year. To begin with, each of our students have their own math bag that they take home each week and fill with five or so small items (called math tokens) that they have found around the house…

More with math bags by Teach Preschool

As a group, the children share what is in their math bags. They talk about what the items are, what they might have been used for, and perhaps what color or shape they are. The discussion is left open ended and can lead in many different directions depending on what the children brought and the interest of the children. The goal of bringing things from home is for the children to relate to the items as something they would see in their real world at home or at the park and so that they would see opportunity for math all around them in their daily, natural, and everyday world…

More with math bags by Teach Preschool

The children bring all kinds of things in their math bags including straws, caps, Q-tips, rocks, acorns, leaves, cotton balls, coke tabs, paper clips, erasers, and the list goes on. We work with whatever shows up unless it is edible and then we most likely share it, count it, then eat it or toss it…

More with math bags by Teach Preschool

I like to keep the math bag sharing and counting process consistent but at the same time, casual, warm, and inviting. In order to keep it interesting, we have to lead the children through the process in a way that is fun and engaging…

More with math bags by Teach Preschool

The math bag tokens are saved all throughout the school year for different math related activities. We eventually sort them into different jars as we get a large enough collection for estimating, patterning, graphing and other processes…

More with math bags by Teach Preschool

We explore the math tokens in a different way each week after our sharing time. The exploring process is always hands on and the children love sifting through the math tokens and remembering which ones they brought or taking a closer look at what their friends brought…

More with math bags by Teach Preschool

Our preschoolers  (3 and 4 year olds) explore the math tokens a little differently than our prekindergarten age (4 and 5 year old) students do which is what I also like about math bags…

More with math bags by Teach Preschool

It is easy to use the same tokens and yet modify the different processes we use them for to meet the interest and readiness of each child…

More with Math Bags by Teach Preschool

After we finish exploring the math tokens, the children put them back in either our large class math bag or in the math jars to use again the next week…

More with Math Bags by Teach Preschool

I have shared past posts to other ways we have used our math bag tokens and to see them, all you need to do is scroll back up to the top of the page (here on the blog) and type in the word “math bag” in google search bar located in the upper right hands side of my blog. It will pop open a window of different posts related to math bags. But I will share a few links below to get you started…

More with Math Bags by Teach Preschool

Links to Grow On

I Spy Math Bags

Exploring the Estimation Station

The Math Box

Making Math Glue Boxes

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Deborah J Stewart

Deborah J Stewart

Every time I think I know everything I need to know about teaching young children, God says, "Hold on a minute!" and gives me a new challenge.

Let me tell ya...

With each new challenge that you overcome, you will find yourself better equipped and more passionate about teaching young children.

God didn't call wimps to lead, teach, or care for His children. Nope, he has high expectations, so get ready. You will have to give your very best but after teaching for over 30 years, I can tell you that it is a wonderful and rewarding journey.

Whenever your calling feels hard, just remember, 'He who began a good work in you (and in the children you serve) will be faithful to complete it.'

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