Read or listen to a story together called, “Lia & Luis” by Ana Crespo. Then, have the child gather small objects and big objects in bags or bowls the same size. Have the child compare the objects’ quantity, weight, and height.

Families, check out this video for a tutorial on this learning plan.

Materials:

• 2 same sized bags/bowls/containers

• Assorted small objects

• Assorted big objects

• Measuring tape or ruler

• Scale

• Writing tool (crayon, pencil, pen, marker)

• Paper

Before the activity, place the small and big objects around your house for your child to find later on the scavenger hunt.

Start the activity by reading a story together about math. Recommended reading, “Lia & Luis” which can be borrowed from a local library or purchased here. Or, families can play this read aloud video for free online here. During the story, talk about the different ways that Lia and Luis compare their snacks, such as when they compare the height and width, compare the quantity, and finally compare the weight. Talk about which measurement they think means “more” and which sibling they think has more. To help your child develop skills related to retelling stories, you can ask questions while reading the story such as:

What do you predict will happen next?

Wait, who was that person?

What’s happening on this page?

What snack did Luis get? What snack did Lia get? 

After the story, talk to your child about how they are going to go on a scavenger hunt to find different sized objects! Give them the two containers, telling them that one container is for small objects, like Luis’ biscuits in the story, and the other container is for big objects, like Lia’s croquettes from the story. Encourage your child to fill the containers with objects, and join them as they go on a scavenger hunt for some objects. Remind them which size goes into which container. Once both containers are full, talk to your child about how now you are going to compare the objects like they did in the story. You will compare quantity, height, and weight. To record your observations, create a table on your paper.

First, you will work together to compare the quantity. (Hopefully it won’t take 100 biscuits like Luis!) Have your child count the number of small objects and the number of big objects. Then, have your child write the number on the table you created. If they struggle with the numbers, draw the numbers with dots for your child to trace. Compare the numbers and talk about which quantity is more or less.

Next, using the measuring tape or ruler, measure the height of the two piles of objects. Record how many inches tall each pile was. Talk with your child about which pile was taller and which was shorter.

Finally, using the scale, weigh the two containers. Record how many pounds each container was. Talk with your child about which one was heavier and which was lighter.

At the end of the activity, talk to your child about the different ways you compared the two groups. Maybe one container was lighter, but had more objects! Maybe one container was taller, and heavier! Talk about which numbers are bigger than others, explaining the number sequence. For example, you could say, “The small objects weighed 5 pounds, and the big objects weighed 14 pounds. The big objects are heavy and weigh more than the small objects. When we count, we go 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14. Since 5 is before 14, we know that 5 is less than 14, and that 14 is more than 5!”

Learning Standards

Goal P-MATH 1. Child knows number names and the count sequence.

Goal P-MATH 2. Child recognizes the number of objects in a small set.

Goal P-MATH 3. Child understands the relationship between numbers and quantities.

Goal P-MATH 4. Child compares numbers.

Goal P-MATH 5. Child associates a quantity with written numerals up to 5 and begins to write numbers.

Goal P-MATH 8. Child measures objects by their various attributes using standard and non-standard measurement. Uses differences in attributes to make comparisons.

Download the full Math Learning Plan here.