Calendar Math

In Early Years classrooms, from Kindergarten to Grade Three, a great way to begin the day is with calendar time. During calendar time, students learn about time (days of the week, months of the year, and seasons) and about numbers. Routine in learning is very important, especially for younger students, as it helps the students be prepared for what they will learn. Repetition is also important as it solidifies concepts and facts in the students’ minds. Calendar Math should be presented in a similar way each school morning. Having students sit in a carpeted area near the calendar works well.

1. Student Writes Down the Date – Choose one student to come and write the next number on the calendar. Calendars can be made on a white board or on laminated paper. On laminated paper, washable overhead markers work best; the calendar can then be sprayed with water at the end of each month, wiped off, and used again.

2. Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow – For this activity, a pocket chart is ideal, although a magnetic white board may also be used. Have the words “Yesterday was” on one row of the pocket chart. On the subsequent two rows, have the words “Today is” and “Tomorrow will be”. Have days of the week cards set aside for use. Ask students, “What day was it yesterday?” Choose a student to find that day of the week and put it in the top row beside “Yesterday was”. Then have students read with you, “Yesterday was _______ (whatever day of the week it was). Ask the students, “What day is it today?” Choose a student to put that day on the middle row. Have students read that sentence aloud with you. Then ask students, “What day will it be tomorrow?” Choose a student to put that day of the week on the bottom row of the pocket chart. Read that sentence aloud with the students.

3. Days At School – Keeping track of the days spent at school is a fun activity for Early Years children. When the number of days at school reaches 100, the class can celebrate with a 100-Day party. One way to keep track of the days at a school is to take three two-liter milk cartons and cut the tops off them. Then tape them together so they sit with the holes at the top. Cover them with construction or wrapping paper. Write “Ones” on the box that is on the far right when you are facing the boxes. Write “tens” on the middle box and “hundreds” on the box on the far left. Punch a hole near the top of the front side of each box. Make three sets of small square cards with the numbers 0 to 9 on them. Hole punch each set of cards. Run a string through one set of cards and through the hole in the “Ones” box. Tie the string. Do the same for the “Tens” box and the “Hundreds” box. Each school day, a student places a straw in the “Ones” box and flips the cards so the number showing corresponds with the number of straws in the box. When there have been 10 days at school, bundle the 10 straws with an elastic and place in the “Tens” box. Flip the cards so that the card showing on the “Tens” box is 1 and the card showing on the “Ones” box is 0. When there are 10 bundles of ten in the “Tens” box, students have been at school for 100 days. Group the 10 bundles together, place an elastic around them, and put the bundle in the “Hundreds” box.


Calender Math Supporting Activities (WORD Document)