How do we make remote schooling as developmentally appropriate as possible? The same way we make our instruction in person as developmentally appropriate as possible, look at your student’s abilities, look at their families, their culture, and your resources. This has meant sending home activities for my students to do with a grown-up at home that coordinate with our read-aloud videos, live zoom classes, and match their abilities. It has definitely meant more printables than I would usually use, simply because they are an inexpensive way to get materials into family’s homes. My challenge is to try to make them as hands-on as possible. I would have one giant UFO mural in class, with big foam dice and a bunch of stickers or magnets for children to work together to count and add to the UFO. Unfortunately, this isn’t possible for my class right now, so I’ve adapted. If you teach in-person and require individual tray activities to meet your safety guidelines, this is a great choice for you! With this space math game, students will be working on multiple skills ( counting, subitizing, and fine motor skills), and it’s simple for parents to differentiate. Check out how to play and differentiate below!
Roll & Add Space Math Game
Gather your materials. Print your UFO printable here for free. Grab a die and some stickers. If you are doing this in class, you can use buttons, pom poms, really anything. I used stickers because I am sending them home, and I want the fine motor work with stickers for my students. Oh, and a tray. Whenever you use dice in class, save your sanity, and use a tray to keep things more contained!
Roll
Count/ subitize and add the stickers!
Repeat.
How To Differentiate This Math Game
For children who need a challenge, add another die, and do some basic addition. Even much older children can get great math practice in with this.
For younger children, use bigger stickers like the ones below. Getting frustrated with little stickers will stop children from doing this activity, and that’s not why we want them to do it. Also, taking turns with a grown-up is another wonderful way to scaffold little ones.
Preschool Books About Space
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Mousetronaut by Mark Kelly is such a fun book and it’s even (loosely) based on a true story. It’s all about mice going up in space with the astronauts and when trouble arises it’s not the big strong mice or even the humans who save the day. It’s little Meteor -the smallest but very hardworking mouse- who does.
Our Stars by Anne Rockwell is a fabulous non-fiction book about space for preschoolers. what I love about it is that you can read all or some of it without losing too much. It’s not a short book but it does a great job of simply explaining things like constellations, meteors, comets, moon phases, and more. It’s a must-have for preschool science.
Padma Srinath says
This is so well thought ou!! Thank you
Pat says
I don’t see a link to click on for the free space ship printable.
Allison McDonald says
That’s because I completely forgot to link it -it’s there now and here …https://www.notimeforflashcards.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/ufo-roll-and-add-2.pdf
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