Counting Collections

 "Yes! I can't wait to count!" is what I have been hearing this week.  My kinders come into my room and get straight to work.  

"What is their task?" you ask.  Counting Collections in the answer.

I have a variety of jars and containers of objects.  Some are filled to the brim and others are half full.  The goal is to figure out how many objects there are all together.  

 

My students are counting in a variety of ways, tens, twenties, fifties, fives, etc.  They are learning to label, organize their thinking, check their work, and they are trying to figure out the total number of objects in all the jars combined.  

We are working into the thousands at this point and my little guys are determined to solve this counting collections mystery.  

I have learned a lot about my new friends.  Some already know the algorithm to carry and others are fabulous at manipulating numbers, re-combining them, and problem solving in different ways.  We are learning to compare answers, check with each other, check our own work, and try to understand someone else's thinking. 

It's fun to ask the kinders, "Look at M.'s work. How do you think they solved this problem?" And then they have to walk through someone else's steps and try to explain.  I am pretty sure they have never done this before, and watching them interact with each other in kind ways has been entertaining.  

I have a regular little counting business happening on my back carpet and I love it.  Tomorrow we will be over 1,100.  The look on the kids faces will be priceless. 

If you're interested in the counting collections lesson plans, you can click here.