Writing Numerals

Summary

Students will practice writing numerals.

Materials

• Television and VCR
• Number Rumba master (pdf)
• Numeral Writing Song (pdf)
• Metro Math Readers
• Writing Worksheets masters (pdf)

Additional Resources

• Math Their Way, by Mary-Baretta Lorton (1995); ISBN:0-201-86150-X
• Metro Math Readers, Metropolitan Teaching and Learning Company, 33 Irving Place, New York, NY 10003, www.metrotlc.com

Background for Teachers

Muffet Reeves once said that writing numerals falls in a "no man's land." Handwriting programs think that math will teach it and math programs assume that it is a handwriting skill, so no program really handles writing numerals effectively. Math Their Way does an excellent job of introducing handwriting to kindergarten students, but doesn't do very much with the paper/pencil part of practicing writing numerals.

Intended Learning Outcomes

1. Demonstrate a positive learning attitude.
4. Develop physical skills and personal hygiene.

Instructional Procedures

Invitation to Learn
You are cordially invited to my kindergarten classroom at Park School during December of last year. This is how I chose to teach numeral writing to my kindergarten students. Here is your chance to be a fly on the wall and see what really happens in a kindergarten classroom. So sit back and enjoy for a few minutes—we will discuss what happened when the video is over.

Instructional Procedures

1. Show a ten-minute segment of the video of class writing lesson.
2. Discuss the Number Rumba master.
3. Discuss the Numeral Writing Song master.
4. Discuss Metro Math Readers. Show the small books. Discuss their value, where they are available, price, etc.
5. Point out the guided practice and independent practice Writing Worksheets.

Extensions

• Have students write numerals whenever sorting, graphing or comparing objects.
• Writing activity prompt: My favorite numeral is _____ because_________. These make great class books.
• Adaptations for special needs: Using markers instead of crayons provides more motivation than just using crayons.
• Refer to Math Their Way for other detailed activities (pages 42-51) to help students learn to write numerals.

Family Connections

• Encourage students to count and write numerals at home using the Family Activity master (pdf).

Assessment Plan

Writing numerals can easily be assessed by having students just write the numerals either in order or as they label sets. Periodically, it is good for the teacher to watch how each individual student forms the numerals because sometimes they will look right, but will have been formed in an unusual way.