Workjobs for September and early October
*This is a very photo-intensive site. Please be patient.*
My students are in first grade French immersion. While they will have learned their numbers, colours, shapes, etc in English already, they are learning the French vocabulary for the first time. For this reason, the activities for September only go up to 10. Also, because I'm using these workjobs to build independence during the first weeks of school, I tried to choose tasks that they could complete independently.
For the first six weeks of school we`re focusing on: numbers to 10, one-to-one correspondence, simple repeating patterns, names of common shapes, names of colours, using shapes to create pictures or patterns. You`ll notice that the workjobs touch on each of these goals. (Photos are not the highest quality because they were all taken on a cell phone)
First Week - Guided Discoveries
Guided discoveries come from the Responsive Classroom approach. To introduce a new material, you begin by naming it. Children then brainstorm ways that it can be used and explore freely. After some experimentation time, children share their ideas. Finally, you use interactive modeling to show exactly how the materials must be cared for and put away. Since many of my workjobs use these materials, I plan on spending my math block for the first week with a guided discovery every day: pattern blocks, linking cubes, math links and foam dice.
The following week, I`ll introduce workjobs. Some workjobs will be introduced in whole-class meetings, while others will be introduced to a few children at a time. They will not all be available at once; they will switched in and out as the concepts are introduced in a whole group, small group or individual setting.
Counting cards (inspired by - and sometimes copied from - the various counting activities at My Montessori Journey.)
Children put the numbers in order and then count out the corresponding number of counters. Each workjob is self-checking because there are only 55 items (for numbers 1-10) or 45 items (for numbers 1-9) in each basket.
Animals and mats:
In order to keep interest high, I plan on switching out the dinosaurs for horses and then crocodiles:
Number cards and chains:
Fish and bubbles:
Magnetic Shapes
Children use magnetic foam shapes on a cookie tray. Later in the year, one child will create a picture and describe it to another child, who will then try to copy it. For now, their vocabulary isn't large enough, so they'll simply experiment with using the shapes in different ways.
Sorting Tray
Children sort the "junk box" according to their own rules. I set it up with the idea of sorting by colour or by type of manipulative, but I'm sure that someone will come up with completely different ideas while doing it!
Matching Cards
Children lay out the first basket of cards (pictures) on the floor. They then match the pictures with the shapes in the second basket. While this puzzle (which I bought through Scholastic, I think) comes with 30 small puzzles, I`m only going to put out eight to start.
Ladybug Game
This game is to practice one-to-one correspondence. Again, it was inspired by activities on the blog My Montessori Journey. The game boards are just laminated cardstock with ladybug stickers. Children take turns rolling the die and placing that many tiles on their game board. The first child to cover their game board wins.
Pattern Block and Linking Cube patterns
Children copy and extend the patterns on the task cards. The task cards were downloaded from Jessica Meacham`s site. As the weeks progress, I plan on adding different extensions: creating and recording your own patterns, creating a pattern for a friend to copy and extend, etc.
Tall Towers
I downloaded and printed this game from the Public Schools of North Carolina's fantastic Week by Week Essentials for First Grade (well worth checking out it if you're unfamiliar with it!). It`s a game for two children. Each child rolls a die and builds a tower using that many blocks. They then compare their towers and the child with the highest tower puts a counter on his/her half of the game board. The first child to fill up the grid wins. Before putting this game out, I still have to switch the title and instructions to French.
Nim
Again, I downloaded and printed this game from the Public Schools of North Carolina's Week by Week Essentials . I still have to switch the title and instructions to French. It`s a game for two children. Each child takes a turn placing one pattern block on the gameboard. The child to place the very last piece wins.
Matching Cards
Children can match these cards (number, word, picture). They could also choose two of the three and play a memory game with a partner. The cards can be downloaded as a Word Document at the very end of this page.
Find Me...
Two children at a time play this game. One child draws a number from the basket and tells the other child "Find me ____ things". The other child collects the items from around the classroom and then the two check the work together before putting the items away. Then they switch roles. We'll start with numbers, then move on to colours and finally shapes. At the end of the month, both numbers and colours will be on the tray, so children will have to collect (for example) six yellow items. The cards can be downloaded as a Word Document at the very end of the page.
Pattern Block Designs
I downloaded and printed several intricate pattern block designs from Kelly`s Kindergarten. I love these! Children can either cover the picture or copy it. I'll only put out two pictures at a time and switch them every week. As the year progresses, I'll invite the children create and record their own pictures for their classmates to cover or copy.
Face-Off
This is pretty much the card game "War" that we used to play as children, with a more peaceful name. Each child has a pack of foam numbers from 0 to 9. They place them face down and they both flip a card. The child with the highest number takes both cards. If they flip exactly the same number, they flip a second one and the child with the highest card takes all four cards. The game continues until one child runs out of cards.
Numbers to 10 Flip Book
Children use stamps to create a flip book showing numbers to 10. I`m going to switch these stamps out for larger ones that I have at school. I might make some changes to this workjob and make it a summative "must-do" assessment activity. If I decide to do that, children will pull a number card and stamp that number on the first page, and so on until they've done all the numbers in random order. This will show me that they understand what each number represents.
Creating and Recording Patterns
This is another workjob that will probably be a summative "must-do" assessment. Children use the manipulatives to make a variety of different patterns and record their patterns on the worksheet. You can download the recording sheet as a Word Document at the very end of this page. In the picture, I`ve got a cup of plastic animals, but I'm planning on switching them for rubber insect counters I have at school.
Jigsaw Puzzles
While I don`t have any pictures right now, I'm also planning on using some jigsaw puzzles as workjobs. I have about 30 different puzzles, ranging from 20 to 60 pieces. I'll start with a few easier ones and teach jigsaw puzzle strategies to small groups (for more info click here). Then I'll switch out the puzzles on a regular basis and make this a permanent workjob.
Word documents
- Numbers to 10 matching cards: number cards, word cards and picture cards (small stars)
- colours numbers shapes: cards for the "Find me..." game
- hands-on patterns test: recording sheet using a variety of manipulatives
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numbers to 10 matching cards.doc Size : 23 Kb Type : doc |
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colours numbers shapes.doc Size : 24 Kb Type : doc |
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hands-on patterns test.doc Size : 166 Kb Type : doc |
