Authored by:
TeacherVision Staff
Last edited: November 15, 2019
Use a School Readiness Activity to provide early mathematical thinking experiences for preschool children that will prepare them to do well in the early grades.
Grades:
Subjects:
Marching and Counting 1, 2, 3, 4
Purpose/Skills
- To experience musical rhythm; to march and count to 4
- To associate the names of the numbers with written numerals
Materials
March music; the numerals 1, 2, 3, and 4 displayed in the classroom at children's level
| how many | 1 |
| 2 | 3 |
| count | music |
| march | 4 |
Literature Suggestion
Have children recall Over in the Meadow by Ezra Jack Keats. Ask them to remember the little ratties four. What did they do? "They dived and they burrowed in the reeds on the shore."
Warm-Up
Show children how to clap and count 1, 2, 3, 4. Invite children to join in. Play march music. Clap and count 1, 2, 3, 4 to the music. Invite children to join in.
Procedure
- Model counting 1, 2, 3, 4 while marching. Ask children to join you.
- At the end of marching time, draw children's attention to the numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4 displayed in the classroom.
- Invite children to take turns touching, tracing, and saying the numbers.
At a center, place a circle of construction paper (to represent the drum in a marching band) and some real or play pennies. Have children take turns putting 4 pennies on the drum while counting to 4 aloud.
Observation Assessment
- Proficient - Child can easily march and count to 4.
- In Process - Child can march, but has difficulty counting to 4 in sequence.
- Not Yet Ready - Child has difficulty marching and does not yet count to 4.
