Kindergarten Math: A 13-Week Journey for Finley (Weeks 13-25)

Week 13: The Great Addition Adventure!

Focus of the Week:

This week is all about understanding what "adding" means by combining groups of objects. We will focus on hands-on activities to see how numbers get bigger when we put them together. We will work with small numbers (1-5) to build a strong, confident foundation.

Materials Needed:

• Small countable items (LEGOs, animal figurines, blocks, colorful pom-poms, or snack items like goldfish crackers)
• A small bag or box ("Mystery Bag")
• Paper and crayons or markers
• Two small bowls or plates
• A six-sided die
• "Addition Adventure" worksheet (a simple sheet you can draw: ___ + ___ = ___)

Day 1: What is "Putting Together"?

• Learning Objective: Finley will demonstrate understanding of addition by physically combining two small groups of objects.
• Warm-Up (5 min): "Counting Race." Let's count how many blue things we can find in the room in one minute! Then, let's count the red things. Which group has more?
• Main Activity (15-20 min): "Toy Parade."
  1. Place 2 animal figurines on the table. Ask, "Finley, how many animals are here?" (He should say 2).
  2. Say, "Oh look, 3 more animals are joining the parade!" Place 3 more animals next to the first group.
  3. Ask, "How many animals are in the parade altogether now? Let's count them all!" Count them together to get 5.
  4. Repeat this process with different numbers of toys (e.g., 1 and 4, 3 and 1). Use phrases like "joining," "in total," and "altogether" to build vocabulary. You are the guide, letting Finley do the counting.
• Wrap-Up (5 min): Let's draw a picture of our favorite toy parade from today. We can draw the first group of animals, and then draw the second group joining them.

Day 2: Snack Time Math

• Learning Objective: Finley will be able to state a simple addition problem using the word "plus" after combining two groups of snacks.
• Warm-Up (5 min): "Mystery Bag Counting." Place a secret number of blocks (between 1 and 10) in the Mystery Bag. Have Finley reach in without looking, feel them, and guess how many are inside before taking them out to check.
• Main Activity (15-20 min): "Snack Addition."
  1. Use two small bowls. Say, "In this bowl, let's put 3 goldfish crackers." Have Finley count them into the bowl.
  2. Say, "In this other bowl, let's put 4 grapes." Have him count them in.
  3. Say, "If we combine our snacks, how many will we have to eat? Let's pour the grapes into the goldfish bowl and see!"
  4. Count the combined pile. "Wow! 3 crackers plus 4 grapes makes 7 yummy snacks!"
  5. Repeat with different snack combinations. Let Finley choose the number of items for each bowl.
• Wrap-Up (5 min): Enjoy the snack! While eating, talk about what you did: "Remember when we had 3 and added 4? It was fun to see it become 7!"

Day 3: Introducing Symbols (+ and =)

• Learning Objective: Finley will be able to create and read a simple addition number sentence (e.g., "2 + 1 = 3").
• Warm-Up (5 min): Use your fingers! Hold up 2 fingers on one hand. Ask, "How many?" Hold up 2 on the other. "How many?" Now bring your hands together. "How many altogether?"
• Main Activity (15-20 min): "Number Sentence Builders."
  1. Draw a big plus sign (+) on a piece of paper. Explain, "This is a plus sign. It's a symbol that means 'add' or 'put together'."
  2. Draw a big equals sign (=). Explain, "This is an equals sign. It means 'is the same as' or 'the total is'."
  3. Use your small toys again. Place 2 LEGOs on the table. Then place the plus sign paper next to it. Then place 3 LEGOs. Then the equals sign.
  4. Ask, "How many do we have in total?" Count them to get 5. Place 5 LEGOs after the equals sign.
  5. Read the sentence together: "Two LEGOs plus three LEGOs equals five LEGOs."
  6. Now, translate this to the "Addition Adventure" worksheet. Help Finley write the numbers in the blanks: 2 + 3 = 5. Do several examples together.
• Wrap-Up (5 min): "Plus Sign Hunt!" Can Finley find anything in the room that looks like a plus sign? (Window panes, tile patterns, etc.)

Day 4: Roll and Add Game

• Learning Objective: Finley will independently solve an addition problem generated by rolling a die.
• Warm-Up (5 min): Practice writing numbers 1-10 on a piece of paper or a small whiteboard. Make it fun by using different colors.
• Main Activity (15-20 min): "Dice Addition."
  1. Finley rolls one die. Let's say he rolls a 4. He counts out 4 pom-poms.
  2. He rolls the die a second time. Let's say he rolls a 2. He counts out 2 pom-poms.
  3. He combines the piles and counts the total (6).
  4. On the "Addition Adventure" worksheet, he writes the number sentence: 4 + 2 = 6.
  5. Challenge Mode: Use two dice at once. Roll them, add the numbers, and build the total with blocks.
• Wrap-Up (5 min): Talk about the biggest and smallest total he made today. Was it easier this time than at the start of the week?

Day 5: Addition Story Creator

• Learning Objective: Finley will create and solve a simple addition word problem.
• Warm-Up (5 min): "Mystery Bag" again, but this time you both put a secret number of items in. Pour them out and add them up together.
• Main Activity (15-20 min): "Story Problems."
  1. Start by telling a story: "Once upon a time, there was 1 lonely dinosaur. He was sad. But then, 2 more dinosaurs came to play! How many dinosaurs were there altogether?" Let Finley solve it with his toys.
  2. Now, it's his turn! Say, "Finley, can you make up a story about adding?" He can use his favorite toys, characters, or even family members.
  3. Help him structure it: "First, there were [number] of [things]. Then, [number] more came. How many are there now?"
  4. Let him tell the story, and you can solve it. Or he can tell it and solve it himself. The goal is creativity and connecting math to storytelling. Draw a picture of his story problem.
• Wrap-Up (5 min): Share Finley's math story with another family member. Let him be the teacher and explain how he figured out the answer. This builds immense confidence!

Weeks 14-25: Thematic Overview for Future Fun

Here is a guide to keep the math journey exciting and build on what Finley has learned. Each week focuses on one main idea through games and real-world exploration.