Materials
poster board or thin cardboard
felt
glue, if floor protectors are not already gummed
scissors (adult only)
thick permanent marker
Instructions
l Cut poster board or thin cardboard into 5" x 7" pieces of various shapes.
l Cut several smaller matching shapes out of the felt.
l On half of each 5" x 7" shape, write a large numeral from 1 to 10.
l On the other half of the shape, glue a matching number felt circles.
l Cut a wavy or zigzag line through the middle of each card to make a simple,
two-piece puzzle.
What to Do
1. Mix up the various halves of the cards and set them out before the children.
2. Pick up two non-matching halves of cards and try to join them together, ask
the children why they do not join.
3. Point out the numeral on one side of the card, the number of smaller felt
shapes on the back, as well as the shape of the card itself. Explain that there
are several ways to determine if the card halves match one another.
4. Challenge the children to sort through and match the halves of the various
cards.
Teacher - to - Teacher Tip
l Challenge the children further by making the dividing line identical for each
card. Children may not be able to match both puzzle halves correctly by sight
alone. This increases both the difficulty and cognition levels a bit higher.
Assessment
To assess the children's learning, consider the following:
l Can the child use the numeral on the front of the cards to match like halves?
l Can the child use the number of shapes on the back of the card to match
like halves?
l Can the child use the shapes of the cards themselves to match like halves?
