Module 1 capitalizes on the energy and excitement young students have as they enter their first day of Pre-K by providing a playful and active yet carefully sequenced structure through which children progress.  In this module, we set up a friendly learning environment in which children have sustained interaction with four core ideas, collectively referred to as the number core:  rote counting (the number word list), one-to-one correspondence (one object paired with one number word), cardinality (how many in a set), and written numerals.  Throughout the module, children have experiences that help them make critical connections between these four understandings.

In Module 2, in the context of classroom play, children learn to identify, describe, sort, compare, and create two-dimensional (2-D) and three-dimensional (3-D) shapes and objects. Children develop vocabulary to describe the relative position of objects (e.g., top, bottom, up, down, in front of, behind, over, under, and next to), building foundational spatial reasoning abilities. In Module 1, students developed an understanding of numbers to 5. In Module 2, students practice these counting skills in the context of geometry (counting sides, corners, a group of triangles, etc.).

In this lesson, students will play the roles of banker and consumers as they learn how to use different combinations of coins to make money amounts up to 25 cents. Students will earn money and save it in their piggy banks until they have the exact amount to purchase an item of their choice. Suggestions for questions and assessment options are included.

In this lesson plan students must create their own method for keeping track of rubber ducks found around the classroom. Students are then given an opportunity to share their data collection strategies and discuss the benefits and drawbacks of each one. The lesson plan is written to make an easy tie in to language arts by incorporting discussion of the words "in" or "on" when discussing the ducks location. PDF documents for cut out rubber ducks, data collection assessment, and answer key are provided.

In this unit of five lessons from Illuminations, learners begin with a number-line model and extend it to investigate linear relationships with the Distance, Speed, and Time Simulation from NCTM's E-Examples. Students then progress to plotting points and graphing linear functions while continually learning and reinforcing basic multiplication facts. Instructional plan, questions for the students, assessment options, extensions,and teacher reflections are given for each lesson as well as links to download all student resources.

In this math meets physics lesson, learners encounter the magical effect of reflection as they use a mirror to visually experience the concept of doubling quantities. This experience focuses learners' attention to using doubles as a strategy to make number operations easier, specifically addition. The book "Two of Everything" by Lily Toy Hong is used to introduce learners to these concepts. A game is used for discovery and practice and writing is used as closure to this lesson. This lesson guide includes questions for learners, assessment options, extensions, and reflection questions.

Students will practice counting money up to five dollars using grocery ads from local stores.

In this data analysis lesson students explore various representations, including bar graphs, steam-and-leaf plots, and box-and-whisker plots, to analyze the frequency of letters in the names of the 50 states. Students are encouraged to use a systematic approach to collect their data and are shown various tools to help them gather and display it. The lesson includes a student worksheet (PDF), links to a Decrypting Text website, Bar Grapher tool, and Box Plotter tool, and suggested questions, extension, and assessment ideas.

This lesson is for students who need support counting objects by ones. This would be a helpful lesson for kindergarten students, or first grade students in need of additional practice with this skill.

In this lesson the student will understand the relationship between numbers and quantities. The student will count a variety of objects by ones. 

The four games that can be played with this applet help to develop counting and addition skills using frames of 10.

Thinking about numbers using frames of 10 can be a helpful way to learn basic number facts. The four games that can be played with this applet help to develop counting and addition skills. (This applet works well when used in conjunction with the Five Frame applet.)

The brief video clips on this webpage illustrate the range of number sense exhibited by students in grades Pre K-2. In interviews, Cena and Jonathan, both age 7, and Rudy, age 9, demonstrate different levels of understanding number and place value concepts. The page includes discussion questions for each set of videos as well as concluding reflection questions.

The activities in this Illumination lesson plan deal with patterns and the importance of looking at an object/item from more than a single perspective and reaffirms to learners that numerous reasonable solutions are possible. Students investigate a series of items (a list of class names and a parade of animals) that appear to be ordered in some "obvious" ways and also explore ways of sorting items ( a deck of cards and numbered horses) into two disjoint groups on the basis of some definable characteristic. Activity sheets are included in pdf format.

In this lesson plan students must interpret data from a pictograph and make predictions based on the data displayed. The lesson plan includes an activity worksheet in PDF format and suggested extension activities.

The purpose of this task is for students to explain how they know one quantity is greater or less than another quantity. Students will easily be able to identify which number is greater or less. However, explaining their reasoning will help them solidify their number sense skills.