Early Math Counts

• Mini-motors (Choose sets of 11 mini-motors, including three different types of transportation. If you do not have mini-motors, you can use pictures of various forms of transportation.)
• Small paper bags (to hold the mini-motors—one for each child and one for the teacher)
• A large paper chart with columns to chart ways that the children might take a trip. Use pictures or drawings to divide various types of transportation into three categories: float, fly and drive.
• Index cards (or another type of card or paper object—one for each child, with the child’s name written on it, to be used for charting transportation preferences)
• Paper (for each child to create his/her own chart)

Note: Small parts pose a choking hazard and are not appropriate for children age five or under. Be sure to choose lesson materials that meet safety requirements.

1. Gather the children in a circle or around a table.
2. Ask: “Have you or your family ever taken a trip? How did you get there?” Let the children share transportation memories of all types, such as trips to their grandparents’ houses, a city, a farm, a zoo, a park, a museum, etc. (Talk about the various modes of transportation, such as walking, stroller, bus, train, car, airplane, etc).
3. Look together at the chart to illustrate the ways that we travel.
4. Say: “I wonder how many different ways that we might travel from one place to another? Who can think of vehicles that we might use to drive somewhere? Float somewhere? Fly somewhere?”
5. Ask the children for their ideas. Add pictures or words to the chart to match the category for each child’s suggestion. For example, if a child suggests a helicopter, then either draw or post a picture of a helicopter under the “fly” heading on the chart.
6. Ask: “If you were taking a trip, would it be more fun to float, fly or drive?” Ask the children to predict which mode of transportation that the most children would be likely to pick. All of the children will have a chance to answer the question and then come to the chart and place their name cards in the categories that they choose.
7. Ask questions that the children can answer using the completed chart:
   • “Which category of transportation was chosen the most?”
   • “Which category was chosen the least?”
   • “Was our prediction correct about which category would be picked the most?”

1. Shake one paper bag and empty it onto the center of the table or into the center of the circle.
2. Say: “Let’s look carefully. What kinds of transportation do you see?” Children can list the different types of transportation.
3. Ask: “How are they the same? How are they different? Do any have wheels? Do any fly? Do any float?”
4. Choose one vehicle and ask: “How does this vehicle travel? Are there other vehicles that travel this way? Let’s put them together.”
5. Sort the vehicles into like categories—float, fly, drive—and then count the number of each type of vehicle in each category with the children.
6. Bring out a plain sheet of paper and show the children how to create their own mini-chart for the motors. Draw lines to make three columns. Write float, fly or drive headings at the top of the chart. Then place the actual motors in the columns in which they belong. Finish by asking questions about the chart. “Which column has more motors? Which column has the least motors?”
7. Encourage the children to suggest other ways to sort the vehicles—by color, number of wheels, etc.—and then sort them and count the number in each category.
8. Give the children their own bags full of mini-motors.
9. Say: “Now you are going to get your own bag and choose how you want to sort and label your own mini-motors.”
10.  Monitor the children as they empty their bags, prompting them by asking each child: “How do you plan on sorting your motors?”
11.  Give each child a piece of paper as they complete their sorting and allow them to create their own charts to share with others. Once the charts are completed, ask individual children questions such as: “What categories did you use? Which category had the most motors? Which had the least motors?”

• Sort: Separating the items according to a given attribute (e.g.,”Let’s sort the motors by putting them into groups according to whether they float, fly or drive.”)
• Classify: Putting items in the same group based on similar traits and giving a name to the grouping (e.g.,”We classified this group of motors as the floaters. All of these motors together make another group.”)
• More than, less than, the same: Words used to compare quantity (e.g.,”There are more flying motors than floating motors. There are less red motors than blue motors.”)
• Count: To identify the amount of something by number (e.g.,”Let’s count how many motors we have that drive.”)
• Amount: The total number of an item (e.g.,”What is the total amount of motors that you used?”)
• Same: Identical in kind or quantity (e.g.,”Does the fly group have the same amount as the drive group?”)
• Different: Not similar in size, shape, color or other characteristic (e.g.,”How is this motor different than the other motor?”)
• More than: A value that is higher or greater in number (e.g.,”Which group of motors has more than the float group?”)
• Less: A value that is smaller in number (e.g.,”Does this group have less motors than the fly group?”)

Early Math Glossary

Adapt Lesson for Toddlers

Toddlers may:

• Want to play with the motors instead of sorting them
• Not be able to chart on their own
• May be able to sort but not provide labels for the groupings
• May not be able to count using one-to-one correspondence

Child care providers may:

• Allow time for play before or after the lesson
• Leave the charting steps out of the lesson or assist the children with their charting
• Make suggestions for grouping labels to see which one the child believes is correct
• Provide categories for children to sort by
• Put fewer motors in the bag
• Assist the children in counting the motors in each group

Adapt Lesson for Preschoolers

Preschoolers may:

• Want to play with the motors instead of sort them
• Need assistance in creating columns and writing labels for their own charts
• Need more of a challenge for sorting or charting

Child care providers may:

• Allow time for play after the lesson
• Suggest that children combine their motors to create a larger number for sorting and charting
• Provide a larger number of motors in each bag
• Assist children in writing the labels for the columns on their charts