Materials
transparent container such as a jar or plastic box
Instructions
1. Each week or class session, send home a transparent jar with one child.
Include a note to the parents:
Dear Parents,
We are learning about estimation. Your child has brought home a jar to fill for our
next sharing session. Your child may select a group of things to put into the jar, such
as toy cars, cereal, coins, cotton balls, and so on. Please help your child count the
number of items in the jar and write the number on a piece of paper. Please
return the filled jar and paper with the count for our next sharing session on
__________. The items will be returned to your child at the end of the lesson.
2. When the child brings the jar to class, have him talk about what is inside, but
caution him not to give away the count.
3. Put the jar in a place where children can look at it and estimate the number
of items inside.
4. During circle time (on the same day or at the end of the week), bring the jar
to the circle and ask for the children's estimations. Help the child who brought
in the jar to share the answer (count items together, if appropriate).
5. Transfer the contents of the jar to a plastic bag and send it home with the
child. Give the jar and letter to another child.
More to do Throughout the day, ask estimation questions such as: "How many blocks would
fit on your bed?" "How many balls would fill up a bathtub?" "How many children
can fit in this hula hoop?"
Math: Show a jar with 100 unpopped kernels. Show another jar with 100
popped kernels. Estimate and compare the amount in the jars.
