Numeral Interventions: What You Do When They Still Don't Get It!

Do you have some children in your room that know all of the numerals while others know some, but not all, and yet others know very few? This blog post shares our strategy to tackle just that!

Storage and Management

First, we purchased a hanging file folder box. We created a folder for each numeral by placing tabs at the top.

Then, we labeled a 2 pocket folder and a supply bag for each child. We placed both of them inside a 2 gallon Ziploc bag. Make one for each child.

We collected all of the supplies for each child. These are stored inside the supply bag.

Once we had collected all of the needed items, we assessed each of the children to determine which numerals/numbers needed an intervention.

Using that information, we collected the activities for each child and placed them inside of the 2 pocket folder. We labeled one side with a green dot and one with a red dot.  The children start with all of the activities on the green dot side. As they complete each activity, they move it to the red dot side.

Numeral/Number Activities

We made 10 different activities.  First we use the assessments to decide which numerals (usually 3-5 numerals at a time) we are going to put in the folder. Then, we select which of the 10 activities we are going to use.  We may use 3-4 for each numeral. Here are the 10 activities that we choose from.

Race It! is a favorite of all of your car enthusiasts. The children remove the car from the supply bag. They roll the car along the numeral as they name it.

What children don't like playdough?  For the Roll It! activity, the children roll the playdough into snakes as they form each numeral.

For Bend It! the children use pipe cleaners to  form each numeral. As they are forming the numeral, they repeat the number name.

Pom Pom It! uses the same numeral cards as Roll It! and Bend It!. The children use the pom poms to place on the numeral outline. For extra fun, add a pair of tweezers to manipulate the pom poms!

Find It! (Numerals) helps the children identify the numeral by visually discriminating it from the other numerals.  Invite the children to place a button, or other small object, on the numeral indicated in the large box.  As the children place the buttons on the card, invite them to say the numeral. If they can't remember the name of the numeral, they can count the dots in the tens frames.

If the child can identify the numeral, they may need to practice recognizing the number. Number refers to the quantity while numeral refers to the symbol that represents that quantity. To practice number, the children follow the same rules by placing a button on each number configuration.

Clip It! provides additional practice with number. The children clip the clothes pin on each configuration that matches the numeral on the card.  Clip It! 1 uses dominoes, dice, number bonds and fingers.

Clip It 2! also provides practice with identifying number configurations. It has tens frames, tally marks, linking cubes and rekenreks.

For Trace It! The children use their finger or a pointer to trace the numeral. Repeated practice develops brain memory of the stroke.

One of the last strategies to use is Write It! After laminating the card, the children use the dry erase marker to trace the numeral and then to practice forming the numeral on the lines provided.

All of these activities can be found in our Numeral Intervention Unit.