Author: GHoffman

Numbers
General Knowledge & Math
School Readiness Kits
This kit was created and assembled by the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives in collaboration with the University of Kentucky Human Development Institute with funding from the School Ready Libraries Grant ; adapted from the work of the Grant County Public Library.

General Knowledge and Math– Numbers
Goals
Demonstrates an understanding of numbers and counting.
Uses nonstandard and/or standard units to measure and describe .1
These goals were taken from: Building a Strong Foundation for School Success: Kentucky’s Early Childhood Standards

January 2018
Page 1

Write
Suggested Activities
Let kids “write” the numbers they choose with something fun and unconventional such as shaving cream, pudding, in sand, etc.
Let children use a variety of writing instruments to practice writing the numbers. They could use crayons, pencils, markers, ink pens, paint brushes, chalk, sidewalk chalk, etc.
Give children some number stickers, have them peel them off the paper. Some children will be able to put the numbers in order, for others just peeling and sticking the stickers is great fine motor practice.
School Readiness Asides to Parents and Caregivers
Allowing children to write in something fun builds the muscles that they will need to grasp a pencil later
It is important to make learning fun and have children be successful

January 2018
Page 3

Read
Suggested Activities
Read books that children can “draw” the illustrations with their finger. They can outline numbers, etc.
Read your favorite number book and go on a number hunt and either find the numerals or that number of items.
Read a number book and give children some old magazines and see if the children can find those numbers in a magazine. Have them cut and the numbers to make a number book.
School Readiness Asides for Parents and Caregivers
Going on a number hunt helps children learn to look for the specific numbers and persist at a task.
Having children cut numbers out of a magazine helps them build fine motor skills.

January 2018
Page 2

Sing
Numbers March Right In!
Sung to: "When the Saints Go Marching In"
Oh, When the numbers march right in, Oh, when the numbers march right in. We will count them one by one, When the numbers march right in. Oh, one-two-three and Four-five-six, And Seven-eight and nine and ten. When we finish all our numbers, We will count them once again.
Show me One
One, One, Show me one, One one, Show me one, One one, Show me one. Show me one right now. Replace with other numbers

January 2018
Page 4

Talk
Suggested Activities
Help children expand their vocabulary by chanting nursery rhymes such as 1, 2 Buckle My Shoe
Play the “Number Game”. Say a number and have the children do movements the number of times you have given them. (e.g. jump, clap, turn, stir, etc.).
Talk about how many people in the child’s family, how old the children are, how many letters in their name, how many pets, etc.
School Readiness Asides for Parents and Caregivers
Singing or reciting nursery rhymes can help children build their language and communication skills by helping them learn about different sounds
By talking about the numbers that are important to the child you are building their self esteem.

January 2018
Page 5

January 2018
Page 7

Play
Suggested Activities
Use number bean bags to throw at a target. For younger children, help them name the numbers. For older children, they can add the numbers together after the bean bags are thrown.
Set up a dramatic play center where the children can play store using fake money (bills and coins). They practice reading the numbers on the money as they make change.
Bring out the playdough. Children can use the playdough to make balls, cookies, snakes, etc. You can also provide numbers and the children can follow the shape of the numbers with their playdough snakes or put the correct number of cookies or balls on the number
Build towers with blocks and count the blocks to see who has the tallest tower.
Measure the children and things in the room with nonstandard units of measure (such as small blocks, shoes, a child’s hand).
School Readiness Asides for Parents and Caregivers
Throwing beanbags helps build gross motor skills.
Using nonstandard units of measure allows the children to measure something without having to read the numbers.

January 2018
Page 6

Citation Page
ALIGNMENT OF STANDARDS AND BENCHMARKS. (2003, October 1). Retrieved March 07, 2017, from https://kidsnow.ky.gov/families/readiness/Documents/early-childhood-standards.pdf

January 2018
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January 2018
Page 9

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January 2018
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March 2017
Page 10

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March 2017
Page 12