Back to School Math Activities
It’s Back to School time and I want to share how you can use your favorite children’s books with math activities! Yes, that’s right! Books are fun to read but they can also help your students practice counting, number recognition, sorting, and more! Math activities based on the stories you read will be meaningful to your students while they help tie your lesson plans together.
Books You Can Count On for Back to School
There are plenty of great Back to School books to pick from and you’ll probably have a hard time fitting them all in during the first few weeks of school. I actually keep my School themed book basket in the Library Center throughout the entire school year! Books about school are always popular. Kids love to hear them again and again.
It’s fun to incorporate the books you read during large group and the math skills your students need to practice.
The key is having math activities that relate to the characters, setting, and objects in your books. So, for these Back to School math activities you’ll see kids, schools, crayons, backpacks, and lunchboxes just like in the books you’re reading! You can use these resources for small groups at the teacher table, independent centers, or for morning Table Time.
Counting Activities
I like to use playdoh, school themed mini erasers, and math cubes with these Back to School Counting Mats. Students identify the numeral on the card and then count “how many” using balls of playdoh or other math manipulatives. Young learners will benefit from having the little circles on the counting mats when counting one to one. If your students don’t need the extra help, then use the mats with the blank space for counting.
Have you used Count & Clip Cards? My students LOVE them! I’m not sure if it’s the fact they get to play with clothespins or if it’s the instant success they feel when they check the answers. Count & Clip Cards are always a favorite! Put a little sticker or dot on the back of the card where the clothespin will be when they chose the correct number. This makes for easy self-checking.
These cards feature backpacks, buses, and school supplies just like the Back to School books you read during circle time.
See the purple storage box? That’s a photo organization box I found at Michael’s. I’m sure it’s great for holding your pictures but they’re also the perfect size for keeping my math activity cards nicely organized!
Your students will be fascinated by books featuring dinosaurs who go to school! Capture their interest as they match dinosaur number puzzles and count sets with these math activities. I used mini dinosaur erasers and small toy dinosaurs (from the Dollar Tree toy aisle) as counters. My kids didn’t even realize they were practicing math! They were just enjoying school and having fun!
Counting Games
Playing games is a great way to bridge the books you read and your math standards. Preschoolers enjoy fun little games like a simple board game or BINGO. The Path Game helps students learn the basics of playing a game while they match colors, count spaces, and identify numerals. This Mouse at School BINGO Game is a hit from the minute you start playing! Your students will be asking if they can play just one more time!
By taking the characters and objects from cherished Back to School books, your class can have fun with math centers based on those stories.
Lesson planning is easier when you integrate children’s literature to meet mathematics standards. You’ll be able to connect your day together with a basic theme. Books You Can Count On for Back to School gives you low prep, highly engaging math activities to use while your students are Learning at the Teacher Table!
Get ready for Back to School with Books You Can Count On!