Daily Calendar Math
If I had to choose one teaching method for math that I thought was the most effective and important to my kindergarten students, I would say it was our daily calendar math time.
In case you are not familiar, calendar math is a time set aside to go over calendar skills during the primary classroom day. Calendar math can be as simple as reviewing the months, days of the week, and holidays. With a little creativity, MANY other skills can be introduced and reviewed on a daily basis.
I was first introduced to the concept of calendar math through the Everyday Counts Math program when I was a first grade student teacher. When I got a job at another school, they did not use the Everyday Counts program, so I looked for resources to help me set up my kindergarten calendar. The best resource I've found for calendar math ideas and activities is The Calendar and Beyond by Kimberly Jordano. It has tons of activites that integrate language arts and math concepts into calendar time. It also has awesome suggestions for setting up your calendar area.
 
The Calendar and Beyond
by Kimberly Jordano
Here are some of the skills that we cover each month during calendar math:
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Calendar Skills:
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Weekdays/Weekends |
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Days of the Week |
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Today
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Yesterday and Tomorrow |
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Counting: |
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One to One Correspondence |
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Quantities and Numerals |
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Counting 2 Digit Numbers |
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Counting to 100 |
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Counting On |
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Patterns: |
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AB |
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AAB |
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ABB |
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AAAB |
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AABB |
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ABC |
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AABC |
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ABBC |
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ABCC |
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AABBCC |
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Place Value: |
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Ones |
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Tens |
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Hundreds |
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Graphing: |
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Weather Graph |
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2 Column Preference Graph |
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3 Column Preference Graph |
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Yes/No Graph |
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Data/Fact Collection Graph |
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2 Row Preference Graph |
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Heads and Tails Graph |
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3 Row Preference Graph |
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Sorting Graph |
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Dice Probability Graph |
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Here are some pictures of past calendar math walls.
2005-2006 - My streamlined calendar. :o)
2004-2005 - I had very limited space during this year!
2003-2004
Calendar Activities
- Monthly Calendar Patterns: Each month, use a couple different sets of calendar number cards to form different types of patterns. For example, in October use pumpkin and scarecrow cards to make an AB pattern (pumpkin, scarecrow, pumpkin, scarecrow, etc.). See the skill matrix above to find a list of different types of patterns.
Songs and Poems
Zero the Hero 1
(tune: "Fishes in the Deep Blue Sea")
Zero the Hero came to school.
Zero the Hero is so cool.
Zero the Hero saves the space -
So all the other numbers can stay
In their place.
Bop, bop, didum, didum, wontum, chew!
Bop, bop, didum, didum, wontum, chew!
Bop, bop, didum, didum, wontum, chew!
Yeah!
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Zero the Hero 2
(tune: "She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain")
When you see a zero on the number line,
Better watch out for a visit or a sign,
From our friendly super hero,
Who loves to see a zero.
Oh, he always comes to visit right on time!
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Calendar Math Ideas from Other Teachers
These ideas are from teachers who shared their ideas on MrsNelsonsGroup.
100’s Pocket Chart Activity and Song from Mrs. Buwalda
The calendar helper gets to switch around 2 or more numbers in our 100's pocket chart after adding the number for the day. My 100's pocket chart is on a moveable stand. We turn it around so the other students don't see the numbers being switched. The teacher selects a student or the calendar helper gets to call on a friend to see if they can put the numbers back in the correct order. This is a great activity to help with number identification and numerical order.
(This is the little song I made up! The students LOVE doing this activity)
Oh where, oh where,
Have our numbers gone?
Oh where, oh where, could they be?
1,2,3,4,5
1,2,3,4,5
1,2,3,4,5
Take a look and see!
Try it with your students! Mine ask to do the activity even when we are not doing calendar!
Resource Links
Calendar Ideas
Calendar Activities - from Center for Innovation in Education
Calendar Ideas including Printable Calendar Binder Activity Pages - from Mrs. Meacham
List Celebration Days throughout the School Year - from Virtual Vine
Graphing Ideas
Yes/No Graphing Ideas - from CanTeach
Graphing Ideas - from abc123kindergarten |
