My Owen has been enamored with numbers from the time he was teeny. He’s got a brain for numbers, he’s got a thing number puzzles, and he’s got a way of looking at numbers that I cannot understand.
But I do understand that though his math skeeeels will far surpass mine most likely by the time he’s in ninth grade, that I can help him now by building some early foundational skills–his number writing and number-word spelling.
Seriously, it’s not all that fun (in my opinion), but he digs it, so we run with it.
And really, Maddy’s homework time is much more manageable when Owen and Cora are happy campers.
So we upped the fun factor for Owen this week, by playing with numbers and their names. And we rocked it out M-E-M-O-R-Y style, which makes everything more fun! Woo-hoo!
Playing With Numbers and Names:
I knew this was coming–for weeks now (okay, months) I’ve meant to create number number word matching cards, but I’ve never stopped to do it. So finally when Owen asked me for the sixtieth time how to spell ‘five’, I knew it was time.
So I created several sets of cards in one happy document. Numbers and Number Words 1-10, Numbers and Number Words 11-20, and Numbers and Number Words, by 10’s from 10-100. We only used 1-10 today.
Number and Number Words is here to download as a pdf if you’d like. Just sign up below!
Owen works to match the numbers with their names.
Once we got Maddy settled with her work and Cora with hers, I said to Owen, Okay, big man, meet me on the carpet. We’re going to rock it out with some number games today.
And he like skidded/slid/jumped onto the carpet (no joke).
I said, I know you love numbers, so we’re going to do some number matching today–matching between the numeral, or the number we write, and the word for that number.
Okay? Like here I have a ‘0’ and I want to match the word ‘zero’ to the number ‘0’. Get me?
Yes, I get you. I know. I know. (As he’s rummaging through the pile and trying to throw the numbers next to the correct word.) I can do this.
Numbers are matched with names, so he’s seen how the pairs look.
Now it’s time for Number-Word MEMORY!
And before I knew it, the numbers and words were matched up. Woot!
Okay, so let’s read the words just to make sure you’re correct. He and I read them together, slowly. I pointed to each card as he ‘read’ but he could have just been counting.
Great. You’ve seen the numbers matched to their words. Now let’s match them up Memory-style!
He immediately started flipping and mixing, and I laid the cards out in rows.
We shook hands, gave each other a ‘good luck’ like we always pre-game, and we got rolling. He found the first match, and he said, Mommy, we’re keeping score. Every number we find is how many points we get. Let’s see who wins, okay?
Okay, then. Sure, O.
Any reason to get the big man to write his numbers, I was happy. So sure. We’ll keep score for number Memory.
So we did.
And of course he won because my brain is mush and I stink at Memory, but that’s fine. He added as we went along, writing the score in the margin.
Sure. We’ll keep score in Number Memory–I love it!
And he matches them again so he can write the words.
Of course Owen killed me, with his fresh and uncluttered brain, but that wasn’t the point. He wanted to play again and again and again, which I promised him we would the next day.
In order to buy a little more work time for him, I asked him to match the numbers and the words again and then write them himself. He gave me a little grief–he wasn’t too keen on writing ‘all. those. numbers. and. words.‘
So I said, Hey, listen, there’s tons of cool places you can write your numbers and words–you don’t have to do it on plain paper. Do it on a white board. Do it on a piece of roll paper. Do it with crazy markers. Do it with watercolors. You decide. If you need help, tell me, but otherwise, I’m looking forward to seeing your big guy numbers and number words.
And in the end, he was proud. It took two small white boards, and several attempts at tricky #5, but he did it. And we danced a little happy jig and went on with our day.
My plan is to use 11-20 in the next few days, either with Go Fish! or some sort of something and then the 10’s the next week (or week after). Owen will be happy!
Want the cards to use? Sign up below:
It’s not always that easy. I give these guys lots of love for their hard ‘homework time’ work–stickers, hugs, and genuine, meaningful praise when praise is due.
And if Owen wants to use a Game Time ticket in the afternoon, it has to be after we do our work. Plain and simple. But the biggest key to our homework time success is repetition. We do the same thing every single day, without fail. We walk home from school after playing for a bit at the park. We have a snack. We head over to the craft room for homework time. And we all work. Not for long–maybe 20 minutes max–unless they’re really rolling with something.
Sometimes I totally strike out on what I have planned for Owen and Cora, but it’s always some sort of small activity–and obviously some days are easier than others.
So that’s that. A happy Owen, and a happy mom. And lots of practice with numbers, word recognition, and writing. Yeee-ha!
Want a little more math fun?
Check out:
- 26 puzzle
- sums in a row
- fractions with food
- LEGO baseball
- math and writing
- driveway shuffleboard math
- street sign math
- mind-blowing math tricks
- 3 hands-on totally cool math games
Or follow our rockin math pinterest board:
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Galit Breen
Love it lady! The photos, the wording, the extensions- perfect!
amy
Galit–you are my fave. xo
rachael may
you’re awesome! Thank you…downloading now and going to give it a try tomorrow 🙂
RaisingZ
I will try this today. My little man loves numbers too and I am always looking for reasons to get him to write (he HATES it!!)
katie
hey ame, go owen! that’s pretty high level stuff….watch out kindergarten!! I found a similar activity on a site i found on weteach that I LOVE-a file folder game called “squirrel stash” from http://www.filefolderfun.com/index.html. I also made one myself for children to match numbers to dots & then find the correct number word. Really great for my math-minded boys & girls. Thanks for sharing xoxox
amy
thanks, kates! will def check it out–love you!
xoxo
christine
this is great and i think *my* owen would rock it out too. i don’t know how much number-to-printed-word they have actually done in his K class (haven’t seen anything come home like that yet), but no time like the present. curious question regarding your afternoon schedule: what time are you out of school/back home/snacking and homeworking…and then dinner-ing? my son is off the bus 4pm. after a long full day of K, i’m finding he’s got noooo interest in more “work” and would prefer (and probably mentally needs to) blow off steam/play/veg with a show or some games….and then the next thing I know i’m busy w/dinner (5:30-6:30) and then by the time that is done its approaching bedtime for my younger child and the momentum of the day is past….tips and tricks?!?
amy
Christine. Yes, it’s so hard to find a time that works. Luckily for us, we’re walkers, so I get Maddy at 3, we putz around the school playground for 30-40 minutes, then make our way home for snack around 4. If we start work by 4:05/4:10 and work for 15-30 minutes, we’re good. Then I throw on Sesame (yes, it’s still Sesame–and if they don’t want to watch they don’t have to), for 30-40 min while I make dinner. We eat 5:30/6ish, and then it’s downtime until bath/bed/books.
Can you shoot for a 4:40-5ish ‘work time’ if he has homework? This year’s probably a wash, but next year maybe that will work because you can still eat by 6 and the kids will be older so bed a little teeny bit later? Good luck.
christine
Yes, thanks for the reply! Will adapt for the summer (I sooo don’t want him to atrophy skills/he needs the one-on-one, but time is more flex, especially during daughters nap), but we are moving soon. First grade will involve walking to/fro school (same end time, 3:35, but the 30 minutes after school will be more actively spent – will be a better energy burner). and then he’ll likely have more specific homework which we will need to establish a routine for anyway. And then with everyone a bit older, can likely push out the bedtime, especially for the younger….phew!
amy
you’re welcome! Got it–and hey! next year’s schedule seems a little easier! Good luck with the move, and let’s stay in touch, my friend!
Amy @ A Little Nosh
What a smartie! My 3-year-old is WAY better at Memory than I am. He remembers where cards are from 5 turns ago. It’s amazing to watch.