This document provides instructions for a learning task called "Skip Counting - Dalmatians" where students use picture cards and dice to practice skip counting. Students roll a die and find the matching numeral card, then use picture cards to skip count and make a set with that number of dogs. The task reinforces number sense, counting, and skip counting by 2s, 5s, and 10s for students ages 5-6 years old. Materials needed include laminated picture cards of dalmatians and numerals, cardboard dice, and containers for play dough.

1. ECED4080 Creating Materials for Use by Young Children
Sample Album of Learning Task Documentation Entry
Learning Task: Skip Counting – Dalmatians
Description:
Students work individually using a set of
picture cards and a die to create a set of
cards that has an equal number of dogs to the
number shown on the die. Three different
sets of cards and dice are available; sets of
two, sets of five, and sets of tens. These are Student Learning Outcomes:
used for separate activities. Once the die is
cast the student must find a card with a Number Sense & Numeration:
matching numeral and place it on the
• Identifies number quantities.
surface. Next the student must use the
• Identifies numerals to twenty-five.
picture cards to skip count up to the number
that matches the numeral on the card. This • Sees patterns in counting and skip
process is repeated with several rolls of the counts orally by 2’s, by 5’s and 10’s
die. etc.
Learning task adapted from: Prerequisite Concepts, Skills, & Values:
http://www.ixl.com/math/grade/pre-k/ • Chooses to adopt class routines for
selecting, using and returning
Age Group: individual learning tasks.
5.5 to 6.5 years • Recognizes numerals to twenty-five.
• Counts objects from one to twenty-
Subject Area: five.
Mathematics • Recognizes and names numerals to
twenty-five.
Subject Strand: • Identifies the same number of objects
Number Sense & Numeration in different arrangements as being
named by the same number.
Subject Topic: • Identifies the quantity of objects in a
Recognizing quantities in various set to ten.
arrangements • Differentiates between numerals,
words and sets containing the
Background Information: matching number of objects.
Gaining a firm concept of each number
requires much repetative work. Discovering
how many items are in a set can be
performed more easily using skip counting.
Skip counting by twos, fives, tens, etc. is an
advanced stage of multiplication and
division. Matching a quantity of items
arrange in sets to a numeral helps a child to
better understand the number. It is another
way of ‘naming the number.’ The concept of
division is based upon the idea of making
similar subsets which equal a number. The
student is asked to check his work by skip
countig and is allowed to correct any errors
found.

2. ECED4080 Creating Materials for Use by Young Children
• Ask the child to roll the die himself
Learning Theory & Instructional and find the matching numeral
Strategy: card.
• This activity follows the • Ask the child once again to find the
constructivist theory of learning in cards that will make the same
that the child builds and reinforces number of dalmatians that the
neural links through experimentation numeral represents.
and repetitive arrangements.
• Tell the child to continue this
• The instructional strategy is a game process until all the pictures have
with counting and matching sets. been used.
• The teacher demonstrates the
learning task for the child initially, Making Cardboard Die:
then the child works on it alone. • Make a net of six quares.
• There are sets of cards for one, two, • Ensure that the net will fold up to
five, and ten dalmatians. There are make a cube.
also cards with numerals.
• Place numerals (not dots) on the
• A die is available for each set of faces of the die.
cards.
• All the numerals should be
divisible by the chosen number by
Student Characteristics Accommodated:
which the skip count will be
• accommodating both bodily performed.
kinesthetic, logical mathematical,
• Add gluing tabs where necessary.
and linguistic intelligences underlie
• Cut out the die template with stiff
the design of this activity
card and glue together.
• the activity provides concrete
experience leading to the more
Tools and equipment needed:
abstract concepts of recognition of
• ruler
numerals and matching words.
• stiff card
• children only engage in this activity
when it is developmentally • thick marker
appropriate for them and are not • scissors
forced to move along with the entire • glue
class or through the forced
progression inherent to printed Laminated Letter Sheets:
workbooks • associated files of single, pairs, sets
of five, and sets of ten dalmations.
Introduction of the Learning Task: • computer printout each of the
• Show the child how to remove the pages of the file
activity tray from the shelf noting the • pages glued to card
placement of each item. • picture and numeral cards
• Take the learning task to an open laminated
space at a table.
• Demonstrate how to roll a die and
find the matching numeral.
• Ask the child to skip cound using the
picture cards to match the numeral.

3. ECED4080 Creating Materials for Use by Young Children
Checklist of Tray Items:
• Cards with pictures and numerals
• A cardoard die.
• container of blue play dough
• container of yellow play dough
• laminated sheets of letters
Extension Activities:
1. Students could go on to use skip
count to numbers beyond twenty- Alternate Skip Counting Activities:
five. • Use well washed baisa coins to count by
2. Cards could have numerals that are fives and tens.
not multiples of the skip counting • Use a laminated hundred grid board and
number. The remainder could be a washable marker to have student skip
identified by single dalmatians. count by various numbers other than
3. Students could lay out sets of those on the cards.
dalmations and find the card with the
numeral that matches. Evaluation Rubric:
4. Students could talk about skip 1. Has difficulty skip counting
counting as repeated addition. 2. Makes a matching set plus or minus
one.
Enrichment Activities: 3. Skip counts to make the appropriate
1. Students could use play dough objects number of sets for twos, fives, and tens.
instead of dalmatian cards. 4. Skip counts to make the appropriate
2. Students could read books about dogs. number of sets for threes, sixes, and/or
sevens.
Assessment Techniques:
• Student compares sets of cards with Vocabulary:
dalmatians to the numeral and self- dalmatian, numeral, number, ones, twos, fives,
corrects. ten, and card.
• Instructor observes student while
working and provides formative References:
feedback. http://www.ixl.com/math/grade/pre-k/ &
Mathematics Kindergarten, Interim edition,
• Instructor examines and analyzes
Newfoundland & Labrador Curriculum Guide,
finished product.
September, 2009
Feedback Suggestions:
Comments, Hints, & Suggestions:
• How could you make sure that the
Try not to make too many extra gluing tabs
number of dalmatians matches the
when designing the template for a die because
numeral?
it makes gluing more difficult.
• What is different about this set from
the one above? Key Words:
• Which numeral is not the right place? Die, skip counting, ones, twos, fives, tens,
• Would the numeral have to change if face, multiplication, division, addition, &
you arranged these pictures numeral.
differently.
• What is the word that matches this
numeral?