In small groups we practiced counting cubes, one at a time, to help develop our number sense. This skill can only improve if children are given many varied experiences. Practice allows students to come to an understanding about numbers in their own time and in their own way. These small group interactions let students look, find out, notice, ponder, wonder and think about numbers.
What do you know? Taylor Swift wrote a song to help us "shake it off" in our math center. We counted manipulatives into a cup and then shook our little hearts out until the music stopped. The music told us when to shake and when to stop, dump out our blocks and count. Just like every other T. Swift song, it was stuck in our heads all. day. long.
