Materials
cube-shaped tissue boxes (one for each child)
paper
scissors
markers, crayons, and colored pencils
tape
sentence strips
Instructions
1. Ask the children to join you in a circle. Place the three rings on the floor in
the middle of the circle.
2. Explain that you will be setting up a learning center like a three-ring circus.
There will be a large ring for large objects, a medium ring for medium-sized
objects, and a small ring for small objects.
3. Practice at the circle first by giving each child an object. Encourage the
children to make comparisons among themselves to see which items are
small, large, and medium sized.
4. Ask them to place their items, one at a time, in the appropriate rings in the
center of the circle.
5. Briefly discuss and compare the sets of objects as they are placed. Use
comparison words, such as "bigger," "smaller," and "medium" to foster
understanding of this basic concept. You may wish to physically compare the
like items by placing them in order from smallest to largest for the children
to see.
6. Once all children have taken turns matching the object to the ring, set up the
activity at a learning center for children to experiment with.
