I TRY TO TEACH THE USE OF NUMBERS IN MEANINGFUL CONTEXTS AND THEMES TO HAVE GREATER "STICKING" POWER (BETTER INTERNALIZATON).
1) Days of School - Part of my beginning daily routine is to have the children recite in question/answer format what number of day of the school year it is today and how many days are left in the school year. Note: For my beginning second graders, it a prelude to their 100th day celebration. For example, "Es el día número 10. Nos faltan 170 días de escuela."
2) Calendar numbers - I find that children learn very quickly to recite numbers from one to thirty but really have trouble saying them in isolation. So to internalize the numbers to thirty, I use a calendar. I especially like the colorful "Calendar Wipe-Off® Chart" by Trend. However, I have renamed the order of the days of the week, starting with lunes.
By the end of September, my second grade beginners have learned to count to thirty. With the start of October I pull out this calendar and have them recite the date and then count to thirty-one. Then I have them count backwards from twenty. Another student or I point to the numbers as we go. (It is quite difficult for them when we first start.) Then once we reach one, we add "cero" and form a circle with our thumbs and fingers. Then we jump up and shout "¡Despega!" (Blast off!) Then I start from "diez" and go to "cero" again for a second thrilling blast-off. Every few days or so I start counting backwards from a longer starting point. Eventually, then can count backwards from thirty or thirty-one and really know their numbers much better.
3) [Rainforest] Animals - The children select an animal and graph and then discuss comparisons of individual weight and height [as well as the height of the four rainforest layers where each animal lives]. Go to the Rainforest section for more information.
4) Measurement of Body Parts - I am presently creating a mini-unit for 2nd, 3rd, and 4th graders wherein children in same sex teams of two and three members would measure each other using measuring tapes in centimeters. This unit would incorporate using numbers and learning names of body parts (but not the too personal ones like waist, leg, or chest) by measuring individual body parts or the distance between two body parts. I'm targeting the hand, the fingers, the wrist, the knee, the foot, the ankle, the head,
etc.
I plan on recording the measurements in graphs for comparison and discussion. I am also thinking about how I could incorporate information about human body part ratios, but maybe that is best for higher grades.
I credit this idea to Miriam Met, the president of NNELL, for her inspiration at a recent convention where she was the fabulous keynote speaker. ¡Muchas gracias, Miriam!
5) Alto/Bajo Variation - Depending on the unit of study we're on, I ask my older students questions related to the theme --- guessing the altitude of Aconcagua, the highest mountain in the Andes in Argentina and Chile (6,960m); the number of castles in Spain (over 2,000); the wingspan of the condor in centimeters (300), etc.
HOWEVER, NON-CONTEXTUAL GAMES HAVE THEIR PLACE, TOO.
6) Number Cards - I made large 8-1/2x11" number cards of single digits from zero to nine. I used the clip art available from Microsoft for really unique looking numbers which the children enjoy instead of just plain outlines. Depending on how high in numbers you wish to go or what number patterns you wish to stress, make extra digits.
I divide the class into two teams. I sometimes divide the teams into niños/niñas. Some children have just one card; other cards are held by two persons. (This depends on your class size and skill range).
The teacher selects a number. The first time I say it aloud and the children listen. The
second time I say it and the children repeat. The third time I say it alone again. Then I say, "¡Muéstrennos el número!" and begin to count to ten in Spanish. The rest of the class must watch quietly. They can point and gesture, however. The children from each team whose digits form the number come to the front of the room and hold up the cards for the number in the correct order. The team (or teams) who correctly form the numbers gets a point. How many points makes a winner depends on the grade level, skill of class, and number of minutes allotted for this lively game. Please note that we practice forming numbers with the cards in front of class without teams first before we play the game.
6) Number Board - A variation of the above is to arrange four chairs facing the chalkboard or large white board and have two children from each team sit a few feet away. Chalk/markers and erasers remain at the board. The board is divided into two sections. I use the same pattern of repetitions of numbers but the children selected for the chairs must sit until I say "¡Muéstrennos el número!" The children at the board from the same team can then whisper to each other, but the number must be written down clearly in large numerals and they must be seated before I reach "diez." Markers/chalk and erasers must remain at the board once the number is written, too. Teams can lose points for a violation of not being seated, writing small or illegible numbers, or still having the markers/chalk/eraser in hand when I reach "diez." Children have a lot of fun with this fast paced, quiz show format. I even use an inflatable microphone as a prop to make it more realistic.
