Unit Plan 1 (PreK Math): Math Routines & Counting to 5

Focus: Build math community and routines; explore counting objects in songs and play up to 5 using one-to-one strategies and simple models.

Grade Level: PreK

Subject Area: Mathematics (Counting & Cardinality Foundations)

Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 25–35 minutes per session

I. Introduction

This launch week establishes joyful math routines: circle-time counting songs, hands-on counting collections, and quick how many? games with sets to 5. Children learn to touch or move one object for each number word and to say the last number to tell how many (cardinality). We practice classroom norms for tools, partner talk, and clean-up.

Essential Questions

• How do I count objects so I don’t skip or double-count?
• What does the last number I say tell me about the set?
• Which tools (fingers, cubes, five-frame) help me show how many?

II. Objectives and Standards

Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:

1. Say number names in order (at least to 5; many to 10 during songs).
2. Count up to 5 objects with one-to-one correspondence and say the last number to tell how many.
3. Represent up to 5 with fingers, cubes, pictures, or a five-frame.
4. Compare small sets informally with more/fewer/same language.
5. Engage in math talk with partners (listen, point, repeat, add on).

Standards Alignment — Custom CCSS-style Pre-Kindergarten

• PK.CC.1: Count to 10 (rote & meaningful) — focus to 5 in tasks.
• PK.CC.4: One-to-one counting to 10 — focus to 5 this unit.
• Mathematical Practices: MP.1–MP.6 threaded (perseverance, reasoning, modeling, tools, precision).

Success Criteria — Student Language

• I can count my objects one at a time and not skip any.
• The last number I say tells how many.
• I can show 5 with fingers, cubes, or a five-frame.
• I can tell if one group has more, fewer, or the same.