Kindergarten - MATH
1: Letters
Unit 1: A - A Is for Musk Ox
Lesson 1
Day 1
Students count a stack of alphabet letter cards aloud and are prompted to practice counting to 20 if needed. As they count, an accompanying number card is held up, linking spoken number words to written numerals. An optional activity asks students to place a number card beneath each letter, reinforcing numeral-to-item matching and numeric order up to the available number cards.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students are asked to review numbers on number cards and count the corresponding dots, then flip each card to read the matching numeral (Activity 3). The Getting Started section asks children to practice counting to 20 aloud, supporting number order and oral counting to 20.
Lesson 5
Day 5
The Getting Started section asks the child to practice counting to 20 aloud, and Activity 1 has the child match sets of 1–3 apple die-cuts to number cards laid out from 1–10, then mix the cards and repeat. The activity has the child choose a number of objects while the adult picks the matching number card so the child can check the correspondence between quantity and written numeral; an optional extension suggests using up to 10 objects. Option 1 provides a Student Activity Page for tracing and independently writing the numerals 1, 2, and 3, and Option 2 offers tactile formation of those numerals (yarn or shaving cream).
Unit 2: H - Hondo and Fabian
Lesson 1
Day 1
The Skills section and Activity 2 ask students to say number names in order and pair each object with one number name, supporting one-to-one counting. Activity 2 instructs students to lay out number cards 1–20 in order, point to each number while saying them, count a small stack of die-cut animals by sliding each one as they say a number, and then find the number card that matches the counted cats and dogs.
Lesson 5
Day 5
Students lay out a row of animals, count them, and match a number card to each set, then add one more and recount to find the new numeral, practicing the numbers 4, 5, and 6. Students practice reading the numerals 4, 5, and 6 aloud when asked questions like "What number is one more than 4?" and "What number is one more than 5?". Students complete a Number Writing page with dotted numbers to trace and blank lines for independent writing for 4, 5, and 6, or form the numbers 4, 5, and 6 with pipe cleaners and trace them with a finger.
Unit 3: I - The Little Island
Lesson 1
Day 1
Students count and place island items (one rock, seven trees, seven fireflies, seventeen bushes) by sliding and counting out loud and then gluing the counted items in Activity 1. The activity includes an optional extension that has students use number cards to match the number of each object to the correct number, which connects counted quantities to written numerals. The lesson explicitly uses quantities that include numerals within the 0–20 range (e.g., 1, 7, 17).
Lesson 3
Day 3
Activity 2 has students count 7 die-cut cats using slide-counting and match each cat with a number card. Students trace the number 7 with their finger, form 7, 8, and 9 with playdough, and are offered a "Number Writing 7, 8, 9" sheet with dotted tracing and blank lines for freehand practice. The activity also asks students comparative questions (one more than 7, one more than 8) that engage number recognition around 7–9.
Lesson 4
Day 4
The Getting Started review asks the child to choose a number between 1 and 9 and find the matching number card, and to identify a number card and check it by counting the dots on the back, which has students match written numerals to quantities for numbers 1–9. An optional extension suggests challenging the child with numbers 11–20 if they can easily identify 1–9, indicating some awareness of larger numerals. The activities and student pages focus on number identification up to 9 and on letter-sound work rather than numeral writing practice.
Unit 4: T - What Do You Do With a Tail Like This?
Lesson 1
Day 1
In Activity 1 students fold paper into fourths and are asked to write one number—0, 2, 4, and 6—in the top center of each box. Students are given animal stickers and asked to find animals with no legs, 2 legs, 4 legs, and 6 legs and place each animal in the correct box. This requires students to represent counts of animals with written numerals, including 0 for no objects.
Lesson 2
Day 2
The lesson explicitly instructs students to "Practice counting to 20" during the Getting Started review. The activities include several hands-on tasks (cut-and-paste tail matching, designing tails, and letter-writing) but none explicitly ask students to write or record numerals.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students are instructed in Activity 2 (Counting Tails) to look at each set of tails, count them carefully, and write the number of tails in the box provided. If students are not ready to write, they choose matching number cards from a set labeled 0 to 10, and an adult models writing the correct numeral. The activity therefore has students represent counted objects with written numerals or matching numeral cards.
Unit 5: L - We're Going on a Leaf Hunt
Lesson 1
Day 1
Students are asked to gather and count leaves, make rows of 10 leaves, and touch each leaf while saying the number as they count. The skills list explicitly includes "given a number from 1-20, count out that many objects" and counting to answer "how many?" about as many as 20 things. Optional extensions ask students to choose 10 or 20 leaves and to recount leaves arranged in different patterns.
Lesson 2
Day 2
Activity 1 has students sort a collection of leaves into groups (e.g., small, medium, large) and count the number of leaves in each group. The activity repeats counting after a second sort (by color), prompting students to determine and state how many items are in each category.
Lesson 3
Day 3
In Activity 2, students are shown a number card and asked to count out the corresponding number of leaves, with numbers suggested from 1–10 and optionally 11–20. The map image and its labels (#1–#5) present written numerals that students can use to match locations in order.
Lesson 4
Day 4
The Getting Started section asks to review numbers from 1-20. Activity 2 directs students to count each group of leaves and match the count to a number card, using numbers 1-10 or, for a challenge, 11-20. The optional extension has students reason about how many more objects the smaller group would need to equal the larger group.
Unit 6: F - Fireflies
Lesson 1
Day 1
The Skills section explicitly asks students to count to answer "how many?" questions about as many as 20 things and to, given a number from 1-20, count out that many objects. The Skills also note that students should understand each successive number name refers to a quantity one larger, which supports understanding quantities up to 20. Activity 1 has students count out pennies and group them into tens, practicing counting sequences and counting objects.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students count out 10 "fireflies" and practice counting by tens to 100, showing they can count quantities. Students receive a number card and are asked to count out the corresponding number of fireflies, which has them match a written numeral to a set of objects for numbers 1–10 (and optionally 11–20). Students are asked what the number of fireflies would be if they added one more, practicing one-to-one correspondence and number incrementing with written numerals up to 20.
Lesson 5
Day 5
Activity 1 has students physically count pennies as they add 1, then 2, then 3, then 4 more, repeatedly counting how many fireflies they have and continuing until they reach 20. Activity 1 also directs students to start over (putting all pennies back), which creates a situation of having no objects. The optional extension invites students to represent one of these stories with a written equation (for example, writing 1 + 2 = 3).
Unit 7: E - But No Elephants
Lesson 3
Day 3
Activity 3 instructs students to lay out number cards 0, 2, 4, and 6 and to sort animal pictures by the number of legs, using those cards to represent categories. Students are asked to count the number of animals in each category and optionally to count the total number of legs in each category and count by 2s. The presence of the 0 card and counting activities directly involve representing counts with written numerals (at least for 0, 2, 4, and 6).
Lesson 5
Day 5
Students cut out and use pictures of 1–4 elephants, count body parts (ears and feet) for 1, 2, 3, and 4 elephants, and use those pictures as visual cues to count. The lesson has students and parents write equations on scrap paper such as "2+2=4" and "4+4=8," connecting counted objects to written numerals. The Student Activity Page presents four elephant images that students can use to count and color.
Unit 8: C - Millions of Cats
Lesson 1
Day 1
The lesson's Math Skills state that students will "count the numbers of objects in each category," and Activity 1 asks students to sort die-cut cats and "count the number of cats in each group." The Math Skills also require students to "decompose numbers less than or equal to 10... and record each decomposition by drawing an equation (e.g., 5=2+3)," which has students write numerals and equations for numbers up to 10. The skills include "Count to 100 by ones and by tens," showing explicit practice with verbal counting sequences.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Activity 2 has students count 10 die-cut cats, divide them into two groups, count each group, and place a number card above each group to show how many cats are in each. Students are instructed to write equations such as 9 + 1 = 10 and 8 + 2 = 10 and to count the total number of cats after regrouping. The optional extension asks students to be given a number from 1–9 and determine how many more cats are needed to make 10.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students are asked to divide the 10 cats into two groups and count how many are in each group, which gives practice counting and comparing quantities. Students are prompted to talk about whether the poem describes the scene with all the cats from the book, which can lead them to reason about and discuss numbers of cats.
Unit 9: G - The Real Mother Goose
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students are asked to "Number the remaining pages 1-12," which requires them to write numerals for at least 1–12. The months activity has students order months and glue numbered month boxes onto cardstock, which has them associate a position (a number) with each month. The student activity pages list the months in order, supporting the numbering task.
Unit 10: O - Owl Babies
Lesson 1
Day 1
Students are instructed to cut out and sort circles, ovals, and triangles and to "count each category." The lesson asks students to answer a quantity question about a triangle's sides ("How many sides the triangle has? (3)") and to identify and color specific numbers of shapes (e.g., "color the two small circles and the small triangle orange"). These tasks require students to count and recognize small quantities in concrete sets of objects.
Lesson 5
Day 5
Students manipulate a set of 10 owl beans and are asked to count how many owls are in the sky or in the tree (e.g., starting with 10, then 9 after one flies away). Students act out addition and subtraction word problems by moving owls (for example, "Three baby owls flew to the tree. Then two more came." and "Six owls were sitting in the tree. Three owls flew away."). The optional extension has students reason about complementary pairs that total 10 (e.g., 5 and 5, 9 and 1), including situations that produce zero in one location.
Unit 11: S - Seasons of Arnold's Apple Tree
Lesson 1
Day 1
Students manipulate up to 10 apple counters by moving pom-poms from the tree to baskets and are asked to count how many have fallen (e.g., asking "how many apples have fallen?"). Students are shown and read equations such as 1 + 1 = 2 and 2 + 1 = 3, and are encouraged to read the equations aloud. The activity explicitly encourages students who are able to write numbers to write the numbers while the adult adds the plus and equals symbols.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students count and place 10 pom-pom apples on a tree and write equations such as 10 + 0 = 10 and 9 + 1 = 10 as they move apples between trees. The activity asks students to choose a number between 1 and 10 and determine how many apples must be in the other tree to total 10, representing quantities with written numerals. The instruction explicitly models 10 + 0 = 10, showing 0 used to represent a count of no objects within an equation.
Unit 13: P - Harold and the Purple Crayon
Lesson 1
Day 1
In Activity 2 students are given purple squares and rectangles to sort into two groups (squares and rectangles). Students are instructed to "have her count the number of each," which requires students to count numbers of objects. The Skills list also emphasizes identifying and analyzing shapes, which frames the counting activity in a geometric context.
Unit 14: B - Blueberries for Sal
Lesson 1
Day 1
Students draw number cards and place one beside each pail, then place the corresponding number of blue pom‑pom "blueberries" in each pail. Students write equations, count the total number of blueberries, and record the answers (e.g., recording sums and decompositions such as 9 + 1 = 10). The skills list instructs students to compose and decompose numbers 11–19 into ten and ones, indicating work with numerals beyond ten.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Activity 2 directs students to count 10 blueberries and match them to a printed number 10 card. The activity then introduces the printed number cards 11–19, has students add one or more blueberries to a second pail to show 11 = 10 + 1 and 12 = 10 + 2, and asks students to read a number card from 11–19 and count out that many blueberries to match the card.
Lesson 5
Day 5
Activity 1 directs the child to use a number card from 11–19, place 10 blueberries in one pail and the remaining blueberries in a second pail, and then write the matching equation (e.g., 10 + 5 = 15). The optional extension asks the child to practice writing the equation that goes with each number. These tasks require the child to represent a shown number between 11 and 19 with objects and a written numeral within an equation.
Unit 15: R - Rain
Lesson 1
Day 1
The lesson's skills list explicitly states "Write numbers from 0-20." Activity 2 has students use number cards between 1 and 10 to identify larger/smaller and count out that many raindrop die-cuts. Activity 2 also has students read number cards between 11 and 19 and count out corresponding raindrops, including making a group of 10 and counting the remainder to represent numbers over 10.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students are shown the number 14 and asked to describe how it is made (a group of 10 and 4 more), and they are asked to compare the numbers 9 and 7 to identify the smaller. In Activity 2 students write and read simple addition equations with totals of 5 or less and optionally write subtraction equations such as 5 - 1 = 4. Students use raindrop counters to model equations and check their answers, linking physical objects to written equations.
Lesson 5
Day 5
In Activity 1 students are instructed to number raindrop die-cuts from 1-20, which requires them to write the numerals 1 through 20. Students point to and read each number aloud, find a chosen numeral, stand on it, and count aloud from 1 to that number.
Unit 16: N - Night in the Country
Lesson 1
Day 1
Students count and manipulate up to 10 apple pom-poms in Activity 1, removing apples and counting how many remain. Students are guided to write matching subtraction equations using numerals (for example, 10 - 1 = 9 and 10 - 3 = 7). The Skills list explicitly includes representing addition and subtraction with objects and writing expressions or equations.
Lesson 5
Day 5
Students move physical apples to represent how many are falling and then state the matching number sentence (for example, 10 − 3 = 7). Students copy or trace the written equation and are asked to come up with several scenarios and write the matching equation on their own.
Unit 17: M - Marshmallow
Lesson 1
Day 1
Students count and place up to twenty mini marshmallows on a 1–100 number chart to match a chosen number card (e.g., placing 15 marshmallows on numbers 1–15). Students read number cards (for example, 15 and 12) and use the marshmallows to show those quantities. Students write and fill in equations such as 10+5=15 and 10+____=12, linking written numerals within equations to the counted marshmallows for numbers 11–19.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students form a line of marshmallows next to a toy, count the number of marshmallows that indicate the toy's length, and are instructed to write down that length. The review prompt asks students to break the number 16 into two parts, which engages them with a specific number within the 0–20 range. Students repeatedly count objects (marshmallows) as part of Activity 2, reinforcing counting-to-number correspondence.
Lesson 4
Day 4
The Review section asks the child to explain the number 14 in his own words and to explain 14 in terms of ten and four, which addresses understanding of a written number within 0–20. No other parts of the lesson explicitly instruct students to write numerals or match numerals to object sets.
Unit 18: U - Umbrella
Lesson 1
Day 1
Students act out addition and subtraction story problems with umbrellas and then write the matching equations in sidewalk chalk (examples given: 3 + 4 = 7; 3 + 2 = 5; 5 - 1 = 4; 4 - 3 = 1; 5 + 5 = 10). Students are also asked to create their own math story problems, show them with umbrellas, and write the matching equation.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Activity 2 asks students to name pairs that add to 10, record equations such as 9 + 1 = 10 using sidewalk chalk or paper, and use ten die-cut umbrellas to find and model the equations. The optional extension gives students a number and asks them to identify the partner that makes 10, which requires writing and reasoning with numerals. Students physically manipulate and count up to ten objects (umbrellas) and record corresponding written numerals in equations.
Unit 19: J - Jump Frog Jump
Lesson 3
Day 3
In Activity 2, students write the numerals 1 through 9 on paper "lily pads," giving explicit practice forming written numerals. In the same activity, students physically jump to the numeral that pairs with a called number to make 10, practicing recognition and matching of numerals in number-pair contexts. The Review section prompts students to "count as high as she can," supporting verbal counting practice.
Lesson 5
Day 5
Students count out 16 frogs and arrange them in a row of 10 plus extras, then are asked to write an addition expression showing 10+6=16. Students repeat the activity with other numbers between 11 and 19. Students use number cards (11–19) to count the dots on the card and then count out that many frogs.
Unit 20: K - Kindness
Lesson 1
Day 1
The Skills section explicitly lists "Write numbers from 0 to 20. Represent a number of objects with a written numeral 0-20." Activity 1 has students count the animal characters (9 total) and cut out and number animal outlines according to their order in the story. Students also practice pointing to, reading, and sequencing numbers (asking what comes before/after a given number).
Lesson 3
Day 3
In Activity 2, students manipulate ten red pompoms as apples, remove a chosen number, and find the number of apples remaining. Students write the subtraction equation (for example, 10-3=) and write in the numeric answer for the remaining apples. Students are asked to predict the number remaining before counting, which reinforces connecting object counts to written numerals.
Unit 21: V - Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin
Lesson 1
Day 1
Students match instrument pictures with number cards by finding the trombone and choosing the number card 1, then adding the trumpet and changing the number card to 2. Students continue matching instruments to number cards as they progress through the book and identify ensemble names (solo, duet, etc.). Students lay out all 10 instrument pictures with the number 10 card and the label "a chamber group of 10."
Lesson 5
Day 5
Students count and lay out pictures of instruments in groups between 1 and 9 and report how many are present and missing. Students write matching numerical equations using numerals (for example, 3 + 7 = 10 and 10 - 2 = 8) to represent those quantities. Students work with all ten members and compute and record remaining counts when some leave, using written numerals.
Unit 22: Y - Little Blue and Little Yellow
Lesson 3
Day 3
Activity 2 directs students to read a number card (14), build that quantity with stickers (two rows of 5 blue stickers and 4 yellow stickers), and write the equation 14 = 10 + 4. The activity repeats this representational task with the numbers 16 and 19, so students practice matching written numerals to collections of objects and recording numerals in equations.
Lesson 5
Day 5
Students count out 10 stickers, place them in a line, and write the numbers 1–10 under each sticker, directly practicing writing numerals for objects. Students cross off stickers and write equations such as 10-1=9, 10-2=8, continuing until they write 10-10=0, which requires writing the numeral 0 to represent no objects. Students represent the number of remaining objects both with written numerals under items and within subtraction equations.
Unit 23: W - George Washington's Birthday
Lesson 1
Day 1
Students use pennies as counters to check addition and subtraction problems (Activity 2) and then write numeric answers on the Student Activity Page using the quill pen; those problems require writing numerals for sums and differences in the range 1–6. Students are also asked in the Skills list to count to answer "How Many?" questions about as many as 20 things and to count out a given number from 1–20, which indicates practice with counting quantities up to 20.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Activity 2 (Tossing a Rock Across the River) has students toss and catch a 'rock' while counting aloud, with the adult saying "one" as they catch and the child saying "two" when tossing back and continuing the count. The activity asks students to see how many times they can toss without dropping the rock and to try counting by 10s as they catch. These directions give students practice with one-to-one counting of actions/objects (tosses) and verbal number sequence.
Lesson 5
Day 5
Students count a pile of up to 20 craft sticks and count out a shown number using number cards from 11–20. Students put sticks in groups of ten and identify how many extras are needed. Students repeat counting with different piles and match quantities to numeral cards.
Unit 25: X - An Extraordinary Egg
Lesson 5
Day 5
Students lay out eggs into 4 rows of 10 and count the eggs by pointing and saying each number, and they also count the eggs by tens. Students divide the eggs into two unequal groups, count each group, and decide which group has the greater number. Students use grouping (laying groups into groups of 10) to compare quantities of objects.
Unit 26: Z - Greedy Zebra
Lesson 1
Day 1
The lesson's Skills section explicitly states students should "Write numbers from 0 to 20. Represent a number of objects with a written numeral 0-20 (with 0 representing a count of no objects)." Activity 1 has students lay out animal cards, count to 20, and identify groups of ten and remaining ones (e.g., showing 20 and then 13 as 10+3=13). Activity prompts also have students create and solve story problems and write an equation (10+3=13), which requires representing a counted quantity with a written numeral.
Lesson 5
Day 5
Students are asked to put a sticky note on each animal card and number the animals from 1 to 20 by writing one number on each sticky note. They may use number cards as a guide to copy, and later identify animals by those written numbers (for example, '#5' and '#18') when comparing pairs. These tasks require students to write numerals in the range 1–20 and use those numerals to label and reference items.
2: Holidays
Unit 27: Halloween
Lesson 1
Day 1
Students are asked to make and "write down" a prediction for how many toilet-paper wraps it will take to make a mummy and then count the actual number of wraps, comparing prediction to outcome. The skills list asks students to record answers (e.g., for finding the number that makes 10) with a drawing or equation, indicating some practice in recording numerical results. Students practice counting objects/groups when comparing numbers of items in the skills section (identify greater than, less than, or equal using matching and counting strategies).
Lesson 5
Day 5
Students line up and count the 10 die-cut stars using a work mat. Students combine groups of stars in scenarios (for example 2 + 3, 4 + 5) and add more stars to the mat to count the new total. Students write the numbers 1 through 10 on the stars and glue them to the paper, linking numerals to objects.
Unit 28: Thanksgiving
Lesson 1
Day 1
The lesson's Skills list explicitly states the mathematical goal: "Write numbers from 0 to 20. Represent a number of objects with a written numeral 0-20 (with 0 representing a count of no objects). (M)" The Skills also include counting to 100 by ones and tens, which relates to numeral knowledge. Activity 1 instructs students to record five facts on separate feathers, which requires producing and organizing a specified number of items.
Lesson 5
Day 5
Activity 1 asks students to look at turkeys labeled with numerals (the page shows 14, 4, and 12), read the number on each turkey's breast, and then count out that number of feathers to glue onto the turkey. Students are instructed to match a written numeral to a set of objects (feathers) representing that quantity. The activity therefore has students use written numerals to represent counts of objects.
Unit 29: Christmas
Lesson 1
Day 1
The lesson's Skills section instructs students to compose and decompose numbers from 11 to 19 and to record each composition or decomposition by a drawing or equation (e.g., 18 = 10 + 8), which requires students to write and use numerals for those numbers. Activity 1 has students place and count foam shapes on a tree as they decorate, providing an opportunity to work with quantities of objects (though it does not explicitly require writing numerals).
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students are asked to count out five bells and string them on a pipe cleaner, and to count each of the remaining bells as they add them to the original five. Students chant the finger play "Five Little Bells" and hold up one to five fingers to match the verses. Students use fingers and physical objects to represent and enumerate quantities up to five.