Letters & reading
KindergartenBeginning Sound Games with Objects You Already Have
Use familiar, safe household objects to listen for beginning sounds, compare spoken words, and adapt a short game to the child.
17 min readFOR THE GROWN-UPS BEHIND THE LITTLE EXPLORERS
Kindergarten
Kindergarten. Practical activities for children ages 5–6: letters, counting, shapes, colors, science, and social learning, with examples and tips for parents.
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102 guides to explore
Letters & reading
KindergartenAlphabet Order without Memorizing a Song
Use an alphabet strip, movable cards, and practical examples to find and compare English letters without relying on a memorized song.
17 min read
Letters & reading
KindergartenRhyming Basket Games for Kindergarten
Use a small basket of pictures or safe objects to listen for rhyming word endings, check choices, and adapt the game to the child.
17 min read
Letters & reading
KindergartenClapping Syllables with Familiar Names
Listen for syllables in a familiar or fictional name, mark each spoken part, and adapt the activity without requiring clapping or public sharing.
17 min readLetters & reading
KindergartenBlending Three Sounds with a Toy Train
Use a toy train and three spaces to blend the spoken sounds in a short English word, then connect the activity to print only if the child wants.
17 min readLetters & reading
KindergartenLetter Reversal Practice without Pressure
Help a beginning reader distinguish b and d through letter features, sound practice, writing, and concrete checks without treating one error as a diagnosis.
18 min read
Letters & reading
KindergartenReading a Picture Book by Predicting and Checking
Make and revise predictions during a picture-book read-aloud using details from the story and illustrations as evidence.
18 min read
Letters & reading
KindergartenAsking Better Questions during Read-Aloud Time
Choose a few useful read-aloud questions that invite observation, explanation, and checking against a story without interrupting every page.
17 min read
Letters & reading
KindergartenMaking a Family Message Center for Early Writers
Set up a family message center where beginning writers can plan, dictate, write, deliver, and read real messages for a real audience.
17 min readLetters & reading
KindergartenWordless Picture Books for Storytelling Practice
Use a wordless picture book to build and revise a story from visual evidence, sequence events, and distinguish observation from invention.
17 min read
Numbers & math
KindergartenComparing More and Fewer without Guessing by Size
Compare two collections by matching or counting their objects, even when one group uses larger pieces or takes up more space.
17 min read
Numbers & math
KindergartenMaking Five in Different Ways
Explore the parts of five with two groups of objects, record each combination, and check that the total remains five.
17 min read
Numbers & math
KindergartenMaking Ten with a Homemade Ten-Frame
Build a ten-frame, fill it with counters, and explore the pairs of numbers that make ten using visual and written checks.
17 min read
Numbers & math
KindergartenAddition Stories with Toy Animals
Act out addition stories with toy animals, connect the groups and total to an equation, and check what changes when a story changes.
17 min readNumbers & math
KindergartenSubtraction as Taking Away with Paper Leaves
Model subtraction by removing paper leaves, counting what remains, and matching each part of the story to a number sentence.
17 min read
Numbers & math
KindergartenOrdering Numbers from Smallest to Largest
Order a small set of numbers from least to greatest using objects, a number line, and checks for common ordering errors.
17 min read
Numbers & math
KindergartenFinding a Missing Number in a Counting Path
Find and check a missing number in a counting path by identifying the step rule and comparing both neighboring positions.
17 min read
Shapes & spatial thinking
KindergartenTriangles That Point in Different Directions
Recognize triangles in different orientations by tracing three straight sides, checking a closed boundary, and comparing nonexamples.
17 min readShapes & spatial thinking
KindergartenShape Sorting with Two Rules
Sort shapes by one property and then another, explain why a shape changes groups, and check the rule against each item.
17 min read
Shapes & spatial thinking
KindergartenFinding Shapes in a Simple House Drawing
Explore triangles, rectangles, squares, and circles in a house drawing by checking their features and explaining each choice.
17 min read
Shapes & spatial thinking
KindergartenBuilding a Picture from Cut-Paper Shapes
Build and revise a picture with paper shapes while exploring how pieces can be moved, turned, combined, and described.
17 min read
Shapes & spatial thinking
KindergartenCounting Corners without Losing Your Place
Count the corners of drawn shapes with a clear starting point, a consistent path, and a way to check for missed or repeated points.
17 min read
Shapes & spatial thinking
KindergartenAn Oval Is Not Just Any Squashed Circle
Explore oval-shaped outlines through tracing, comparison, rotation, and drawing, while distinguishing informal shape names from precise mathematical definitions.
17 min read
Shapes & spatial thinking
KindergartenLeft and Right with a Toy Lineup
Arrange a short toy lineup and practice left and right using an agreed viewpoint, clear reference objects, and a checkable path.
17 min read