Number of the Day, Te Tau o te Rā

There’s nothing better than a simple classroom routine that’s engaging, requires minimal set up and provides maximum thinking! Print, laminate, and select some challenges to suit your class (or group) before displaying – you could change the challenges daily (after your learners have gained confidence) or simply change the focus number with a whiteboard marker daily. The eye catching challenge cards use simple words and basic illustrations to give your little learners a prompt as to what’s required. (Māori version also included!)

The images below show one way of presenting this activity in class – the Tau o te Rā (number of the day) in this example, is twelve!

Tips:

I’d suggest modelling and completing these activities as whole class warm-ups before attempting to complete the tasks individually (of course showing lots of thinking aloud, using manipulatives if possible and collecting and exploring different ways to complete the challenges).

Introduce a new challenge every couple of days until your class have built up confidence tackling a larger amount of challenges (if appropriate). You could differentiate the tasks by varying the size of the daily focus number, purposely selecting the challenges and changing the quantity of tasks set.

Have a think about how you’d like them to record their learning…. maybe on whiteboards? At the back of their maths books? Verbally with a buddy? Or maybe as a group on large bits of paper (before taking a photo of their working) etc.

This activity makes a great maths session warm up, or additionally could be included as part of your maths rotation (use for set groups or early finishers) There are activities included to appeal to all your little learners….. from all the maths basics, through to rhyming your number words, making connections to your number, drawing the number and using a variety of fun manipulatives!