M has been proud of his ability to use a number line to estimate sums, but differences were too difficult, and getting “wrong answers,” on his work sheets were very trying for him.

We switched venues by drawing a long number-line on the sidewalk. (This also gave little sister a chance to run around outside!) M practiced adding and subtracting numbers, hopping by twos, and such things. I had to draw a new one today, because Tuesdays has gotten so scuffed. We included negative numbers of course, that makes M feel so grown up.

He solved one of his on-going irritations: he figured out why he often made the “off by one.” mistake. When he was adding a number to another on the number line, he began counting with that first step onto number-line, not the first step in the direction he was going. He also wasn't counting zero as a place on the number-line. When I told him that computers often made that mistake too, he laughed and said, “oh, if the computers make it all the time, of course I make it all the time.”

M has a wonderful grasp of doubling, in fact, the way he used to count was, “one, two, one and two, two and two, two and two and one, Mommy, I can't count that high.” Then he switched to, “One, two, three, two and two, five, three and three, seven, four and four...” Just as I thought he'd tired excessively of number-line hopping, he announced that he did know some differences! If he subtracted 3 from “three and three” he'd land on three. He patiently stepped it out, and was delighted to be correct. He also did it with ten to five and four to two.

Sometimes I think I am teaching calmness as much as I'm teaching mathematics: but then I don't set him a good example of anti-perfectionism by being annoyed that he is not perfectly relaxed!

Peparing Young Children for Math, a book of games Claudia Zaslavsky

Schocken Books 1979

     The last time I made those was in an early (and disastrous) co-op class.  The class was a success, I was a disaster.   But that's a story for another time.

     My actual point was that the notes were on my hard drive and I could find them.  M wanted to make his own pattern cards, so we picked colors from the card stock stash, printed the card templates, and the box template, then he spent B's spelling dictation/other lesson recitation time rolling out die cuts with the new Sizzits Sidekick early Christmas present.  He will use the little stars and snowflakes to make his number patterns on his cards (the cards are like dominoes, only with numerals as well, to cement the numeral/counting connection, and to see how many patterns you can make with a number of things).  Originally I searched out small stickers, but this time we will use the die cuts and a glue stick.

    If anyone does want to make the cards and box, be aware the box is just a hair too tight: print and decorate the cards first, then fold the box around them.  doublesided tape works great, glue stick does too.

     In the Zaslavsky book, you write the numerals on half a 3x5 card, then make the patterns with little stickers or stamps.  I had found a business card kit and printed the cards on that.  Today I printed the numerals and cutting lines on cardstock and cut them on my paper trimmer.

Games to play with Pattern Cards:

Lay Down: This is an “Uno” esk game. Shuffle the cards, deal out 5 per player (with more players you run out of cards, improvise), put the left overs upside down, tum over the top card. If you have a card with a common number with the top card, you can lay it down. If you do not, you can draw one. Numerals can march patterns. The next player plays off the card the first player played. The first player to run out of cards wins.

Pairs: Like “Old Maid” Divide the deck among players. Lay down matches. Numerals can match patterns. Pick cards from each others hand until all matches are laid down. There will be one extra card. The player with the most pairs wins.

Train: Like Dominoes. Deal 5 cards out to players. Leave the rest upside down. Lay down the top card to start with. The youngest player puts a match from his card next to the top card. The next player can put a match on the last card, or the other side of the first card. Doubles can be laid perpendicularly, and both sides can be played on. If a player has no matches in his hand, he may chose the next card form the left overs. The first person to run out of cards wins.

     I feel so gratified: we had a creative morning on a day I didn't know we would be pulling out the craft supplies, spelling happened anyway, the baby only catnapped, and I didn't yell at anyone!