Letters & reading
KindergartenBeginning Sound Games with Objects You Already Have
Listen for the first sound in a familiar spoken word. Sock starts with /s/, while mug starts with /m/.
10 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
Find a letter’s neighbors by inspecting an alphabet strip. D comes between C and E.
9 min read
Letters & reading
KindergartenRhyming Basket Games for Kindergarten
Hear a shared ending in two spoken words. Cat and hat share an ending, while cat and sun do not.
10 min read
Letters & reading
KindergartenClapping Syllables with Familiar Names
Notice the spoken beats inside familiar words. Mia has two spoken beats: Mi-a.
9 min readLetters & reading
KindergartenBlending Three Sounds with a Toy Train
Combine separate spoken sounds into a short word. /m/ /a/ /p/ can join into map.
9 min readLetters & reading
KindergartenLetter Reversal Practice without Pressure
Compare orientation by noticing a letter’s specific features. B has its tall line on the left of its round part.
9 min read
Letters & reading
KindergartenReading a Picture Book by Predicting and Checking
Make a prediction and compare it with what the story shows. A character carrying an umbrella might be expecting rain.
9 min read
Letters & reading
KindergartenAsking Better Questions during Read-Aloud Time
Talk about a story without turning every page into a quiz. What do you notice about the character’s face invites observation.
10 min read
Letters & reading
KindergartenMaking a Family Message Center for Early Writers
Use marks, drawings, and words to communicate a real message. A drawing of a cup can ask a grown-up to bring water.
10 min readLetters & reading
KindergartenWordless Picture Books for Storytelling Practice
Build a coherent spoken story from a sequence of illustrations. A dropped mitten can connect two neighboring pictures.
9 min read
Numbers & math
KindergartenComparing More and Fewer without Guessing by Size
Compare two groups by pairing objects. Four spread-out blocks can still be fewer than five close-together blocks.
9 min read
Numbers & math
KindergartenMaking Five in Different Ways
Decompose a small total into two parts. Five can be split into two and three.
9 min read
Numbers & math
KindergartenMaking Ten with a Homemade Ten-Frame
Recognize ten as a full arrangement with two rows of five. Seven filled spaces leave three empty spaces.
9 min read
Numbers & math
KindergartenAddition Stories with Toy Animals
Model addition as joining two groups. Two animals join three animals to make five.
9 min readNumbers & math
KindergartenSubtraction as Taking Away with Paper Leaves
Model subtraction by removing objects from a visible set. Seven leaves with two moved away leaves five.
9 min read
Numbers & math
KindergartenOrdering Numbers from Smallest to Largest
Compare and arrange several quantities consistently. 2, 5, and 8 belong in that increasing order.
9 min read
Numbers & math
KindergartenFinding a Missing Number in a Counting Path
Use neighboring numbers to complete a sequence. 4, 5, blank, 7 needs 6 in the open space.
9 min read
Shapes & spatial thinking
KindergartenTriangles That Point in Different Directions
Recognize a triangle by three straight sides rather than orientation. A triangle still has three sides when its point faces left.
9 min readShapes & spatial thinking
KindergartenShape Sorting with Two Rules
Sort by one property and then change to another. Red circles can be grouped by color first and shape second.
9 min read
Shapes & spatial thinking
KindergartenFinding Shapes in a Simple House Drawing
Identify parts of a drawing by their geometric outlines. A roof may resemble a triangle and a window a square.
9 min read
Shapes & spatial thinking
KindergartenBuilding a Picture from Cut-Paper Shapes
Compose a recognizable picture using separate geometric pieces. A rectangle and two circles can suggest a bus.
9 min read
Shapes & spatial thinking
KindergartenCounting Corners without Losing Your Place
Count each vertex of a polygon exactly once. A pentagon has five places where straight sides meet.
9 min read
Shapes & spatial thinking
KindergartenAn Oval Is Not Just Any Squashed Circle
Compare circular and oval outlines through direct observation. An oval can be longer in one direction than another.
9 min read
Shapes & spatial thinking
KindergartenLeft and Right with a Toy Lineup
Interpret left and right from a shared viewing position. When both people face the row, the bear can be left of the rabbit.
10 min read