One of the Early Childhood Standards for Quality created for the state of Michigan includes the following learning expectation: Counting and Cardinality. Children extend their understanding of numbers and their relationship to one another and things in their environment. The full copy of the Standards can be found at the following link: https://www.michigan.gov/documents/mde/ECSQ_OK_Approved_422339_7.pdf
Children may demonstrate they are working on this expectation by showing an awareness of numbers to determine the quantity of items, label amounts, and moving beyond rote counting. I have created an activity to use with preschool age children to practice this math learning expectation.
Cardinality is the ability to tell how many are in a set. The last word in the counting sequence names the quantity for the set. Prior to moving to cardinality, children focus on one-to-one correspondence. Children demonstrate one-to-one correspondence by giving a number name to each object in a sequence.
Begin with presenting the book “Monsters Don’t Eat Broccoli” by Barbara Jean Hicks. You may purchase the book at the following affiliate link Monsters Don’t Eat Broccoli. A read-a-loud version can be found on YouTube. The read-a-loud version would be useful for a virtual circle time.
Once you have read the book, present the counting activity. Children will count the monsters and then determine how many of each item they need to feed the monsters. This activity presents concrete items for children to count and then recounts the items a second time. Additionally, the activity provides the written number for children to begin to connect the verbal words with the written symbol. This activity teaches children cardinality by having them count the monsters using one-to-one correspondence. The next step asks them to name the number of monsters that must be fed. This number is the final number of the counting sequence and therefore the name of the set.
The following video demonstrates the full activity.
You can find the Feed the Monster Activity for download at the following link for a nominal fee. https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Feed-the-Monster-Math-5903295. The activity uses PowerPoint and is fully functional upon download. This activity can be used in a virtual circle time or as an independent activity.
Please print the following activity to use with individual children to practice cardinality. Children will count the number of monsters in each box. Have the children point to each one as they count. Focus on the last number said to label the set.
