Foodtastic Counting
Math in Your Meal!
Beginner​
During meals, count food items and move them across the plate as you count.
Tip: Count carrots, blueberries, or pieces of cheese. Ask how many are there?
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Intermediate
When sharing snacks, pass out pieces one at a time.
Tip: Talk about what happens if there is not enough for everyone to have the same amount.
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Experienced
Organize snacks into groups of the same size, then try skip-counting.
Tip: Make groups of 2, 3 or 5, then count by twos, threes or fives. Ask how many are there?
Why is this important?
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Counting out loud helps children understand the connection between number names and visual representations of those numbers.
References: Sornson, R., & Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. (2001). Preventing early learning failure. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. https://ebookcentral-proquest-com.uwinnipeg.idm.oclc.org/lib/uwinnipeg/reader.action?docID=3002065. VandeWalle, J. A. (2011). Elementary and Middle School Mathematics: Teaching Developmentally. Pearson Canada. (p. 191)
Looking for more information?​​
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Check out our 100 chart for a visual reference to this activity!