Child(ren) will interact with toy animals representing the farm animals discussed in Dream Snow by Eric Carle. Child(ren) will make animal sounds, sort, and sequence animals as they were named in the book.

Have several sets of 5 interlocking cubes, legos, or blocks with 2 different colors.  Talk about how you are holding 5 objects, but you can take them apart by color as you count the amounts in each section.  For example, 1 red block and 4 yellow blocks.  When they have all been taken apart, you can put them back together.  Help your child(ren) discover how two different colored objects can be put together to make 5.  

This brief article discusses the importance of young children creating their own informal graphical representations of their mathematical thinking and problem solving. As distinguished from formal recording of a completed process, these early markings and symbols enable children to develop understanding and make meaning as well as communicate their thinking. The article includes a list of references, including the authors' research on which the article is based.

Children will count out objects by touching the objects as they count them. Ask them to answer how many they counted. 

Create a deck of cards with a variety of shapes on them in different colors.  Play memory while looking for matches in shape, matches in color, or matches in both shape and color.

Count as you are carrying out daily routines.While counting, stop often to ask what number comes next.  Ask what number comes after or before a given number.

Children will listen to a song with movements as the adult points out the words in the rhyme. Once your child(ren) knows the song and the motions they will point out the words and control their movements.

Children will listen to Five Little Ducks as the adult points out the words in the rhyme.  Allow children to help point out the words as they are ready.. Once your child(ren) knows the song and the motions, they will sing the song and control their movements by keeping their arms and hands in a space close to their bodies and not in anyone else’s space.

Children will listen to and recite a rhyme as the adult points out the words.  Allow children to help point out the words as they are ready. 

Children will listen to Ten in the Bed as the adult points out the words in the rhyme.  Allow children to help point out the words as they are ready.. Once your child(ren) knows the song and the motions, they will sing the song and control their movements in a defined space. 

Have items ready to complete and extend patterns.  You can use blocks, poker chips, candy, cards created for holidays, etc.  Hand the materials to your child(ren) and ask them to sort them by likeness.  Ask them to create, duplicate, complete, and/or extend a pattern.  For example, you can hand them a handful of colored goldfish crackers or colored cereal rings.  Once they are sorted, count how many you have of each color. Ask them to select at least 2 colors to make patterns with. Allow them to create more complex patterns as they are ready.