Working Together to Support Georgia's Kindergarten Students

The Georgia Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills (GKIDS) is one way to document and communicate your child's progress on the concepts in Georgia's kindergarten standards during his or her kindergarten year. GKIDS 2.0 is one measure of a student's readiness for first grade.

Mathematics

This area of learning includes big ideas about students’ understanding of mathematical reasoning and their ability to solve problems using learned strategies. We have developed activities to help you better support your child at home. You may access the activities by clicking on any of the progressions below. Should you wish to print the activities for quick reference, click on the printer icon included with each progression.

Big Idea

A kindergarten student will explain the relationship between numbers and quantities; count forward and backward in sequence; compose and decompose numbers; identify, write, represent, and compare numbers; and use the concepts of addition, subtraction, and equality to solve problems.

Progression: Counting & Cardinality

Beginning

Activities

Clean up Time: Ask your child to pick up his or her toys, then ask your child to count each toy as the toy is placed in its proper storage place.

Emerging

Activities

Make a Row: Using small toys in your home, line up a number of objects and ask your child to count them. Ask your child to explain how he or she knows that the last number represents all the objects counted. Use numbers from 1-10.

Show Me How Many: State a number from 1 to 10 and ask your child to place a number of small objects from your home in a line to represent that number. Ask your child how he or she knows that the last number represents all the objects counted.

Treasure Hunt: Move about your house and look for objects where there are up to 10 items of any one thing (e.g., books, socks, dishes, toys) that can be organized in a scattered arrangement. Ask your child to count the number of objects present and explain how he or she knows that the last number represents the total number of objects counted.

Developing

Activities

How Many: Arrange up to 20 beans or other small objects in a structured arrangement (e.g., circle or in a rectangular array—beans in lines with the same number in each line). Ask your child to count the number of objects present and ask your child to explain how he or she knows that the last number represents all the objects counted.

At Quick Glance: Using pictures or objects placed around the house, ask your child to quickly identify a number of objects. For example, in a picture of flowers for the newspaper, ask your child, without directly counting, to identify the number of pink flowers in a picture. Identify the number represented in a die or on a domino.

What’s One More, One Less: When engaged in everyday activities, ask questions of your child about what number is one more or one less. For example, count the number of stop lights or stop signs on the way to school. Once you have a count, ask your child what is one more or one less

Operation Explorer: Take a walk through your neighborhood and ask your child to tell you how many of an object that they see (0-10) without having to count (e.g., number of cars in a driveway, dogs in a yard). Vary the activity by asking your child to state a number of objects with specific attributes (e.g., bushes in a yard instead of all plants/trees).

Give Me Five, Give Me Four: Ask your child to give you a high five, then ask them to give you a high four, a high three, etc. Keep going until you get to one or zero, then get a hug!

The Helper: Ask your child to sort kitchen utensils after they have been washed. Count the number of forks as your child places them in their storage location. Ask how many would we have if we had one more.

Demonstrating

Activities

Exceeding

Activities

More than 30?: In a variety of settings, ask your child to count more than 30 objects. For example, in a walk through the neighborhood, your child might be able to count the number of cars or mailboxes on your street. Ask him to count the number of minute markers on a face clock or the number of days in a month shown on a calendar. Ask your child how he or she knows that the last number represents the total number of objects counted.

On the 10s: State a number or point to a written number, then ask your child what is 10 more or 10 ten less without having to count. For example, in dealing 12 cards for a card game, ask your child what the total number of cards would be if you added 10 or took away 10.

Progression: Count Sequences

Beginning

Activities

Fill it Up: Use 21 cupcake paper liners and write one number from 0-20 on the bottom of each. Have your child arrange the cups in order and then ask your child to count aloud as he or she adds beans, buttons, or pennies to represent the number on the bottom of each cup. Once the cups are filled, dump out the contents and ask your child to count aloud as they drop the objects back into the containers.

Emerging

Activities

Calendar Math: Starting with the beginning of each month, have your child circle the date and then count aloud from day one to the present day, touching each number as she counts.

Set the Table: Ask your child to help set the table for dinner. Ask your child to count out the number of objects that are placed on the table (e.g., plates, cups, napkins, salt, and pepper container)

Snack Time: Ask your child to help you distribute the afternoon snack. Have your child count aloud as they place the pretzels, crackers, grapes, or other healthy snacks until your child reaches 30. Extend the activity by asking her to split the 30 into equal parts to share!

What Comes Next?: Identify numbers 30 and below on print in the home or environmental print in the community (e.g., speed limit signs) and ask your child to count forward aloud from that number.

What Comes Next?: Count aloud by 10s with your child and periodically stop counting, asking him to supply the next number. (Parent: 10, 20, 30, Child: 40, 50)

The 10s Have It!: Count aloud by 10s with your child and periodically stop counting, asking him to supply the next number. (Parent: 10 Child: 20 Parent: 30 Child: 40)

Sort and Group: Using a toy your child has with many parts (e.g., Legos, blocks, puzzle pieces) or house-hold objects (e.g., paper clips), ask your child to create groups of 10 and then ask them to count the grouped 10s as high as they can go.

Developing

Activities

Bank Teller: Using pennies and dimes, have your child place pennies in a cup and count aloud until she reaches 50. Show your child how 1 dime equals 10 pennies. Help her count the dimes by 10 until they reach 50. A 10-frame might be a useful tool to use with this activity.

Counting On: As you drive through your neighborhood or community, pick an object to count. Say to your child; I counted three (or another number from 0-50) houses before we turned the block, can you help me count how many more house you see? You can count other things such as trucks, buses, a specific color of the car, stop signs, etc.

What Comes Next?: Count aloud by 10s with your child and periodically stop counting, asking him to supply the next number. (Parent: 10, 20, 30, Child: 40, 50)

The 10s Have It!: Count aloud by 10s with your child and periodically stop counting, asking him to supply the next number. (Parent: 10 Child: 20 Parent: 30 Child: 40)

Laundry Helper: Ask your child to help sort the laundry and count each item by ones or create piles of 10 pieces until you and your child reach 50.

Top Ten Countdown: As your child walks down the stairs, count each step backward from 10. Have your child count out the number of toys he or she puts away as they clean up a play area. As your family completes dinner, have your child count the number of an item (e.g., forks, cup), and then count down to zero as your child helps place the dishes in the sink or dishwasher.

Demonstrating

Activities

Special Days: Create a calendar with a special event(s) 100 or more days away. Each morning, ask your child to add a day and keep track of the number of days that have passed.

You Pick a Number Back and Forth: Ask your child to pick a number from 0-100 and then go back and forth taking turns by saying the next number.

Coin Challenge: Collect change throughout the week. Once you have collected a variety of coins, ask your child to help you count the coins. This task asks your child to count the number of the coins, not the value of the counts (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4 dimes, not 40 cents).

What Comes Next?: Count aloud by 10s with your child and periodically stop counting, asking him to supply the next number. (Parent: 10, 20, 30, Child: 40, 50)

The 10s Have It!: Count aloud by 10s with your child and periodically stop counting, asking him to supply the next number. (Parent: 10 Child: 20 Parent: 30 Child: 40)

I Am Thinking of a Number: Say to your child, "I am thinking of a number between 0 and 100 that is a group of 10. Say your tens until you can guess the number I am thinking!"

Final Countdown Take Turns: Starting with 20, take turns with your child saying the next number as you count down from 20 (parent: 20, child 19, parent 18…). Start again and ask your child to start with 20 while you follow with the number that is one less.

Get Your Steps In!: Ask your child to give you a number between 0 and 20. Pick a place in your house and ask your child to count steps in decreasing order from that number until they reach their destination (e.g., number of steps from the couch to the front door).

Exceeding

Activities

Sort the Deck: Count out 40 cards from a deck of playing cards, then ask your child to sort the cards giving one to you and one to himself or herself as they count down to zero.

Progression: Written Numerals & Comparison of Quantities

Beginning

Activities

Make a Match: Using small objects from your home, set out a number of objects and ask your child to match the same number of objects by the child placing his or her object one by one next to the objects you have set out.

Emerging

Activities

Same, More, or Less: Look for naturally occurring opportunities to compare and contrast sets of objects from 0-10. Children can compare piles of books, numbers of Legos, piles of toys, etc.

Make a Match: Use a deck of cards or cards with written numerals from 0-10 on them, ask your child to go on a treasure hunt to find the number of objects represented on the card. Repeat the task with numbers 11-20.

Developing

Activities

Number Crunchers: Set up two sets of objects with the number of objects ranging from 0-10. Ask your child to count the objects in each set and describe which set is greater than (has more), less than (has fewer), or if the sets are the same as one another. Same Numeral?: Using two sets of cards (from 1-10), have your child draw one card from each stack and compare the two numbers. Ask your child to describe the relationship between the two numbers. Make a Match: Use a deck of cards or cards with written numerals from 0-10 on them, ask your child to go on a treasure hunt to find the number of objects represented on the card. Repeat the task with numbers 11-20. Picture Sleuth: Using pictures that have between 11-20 objects on them, ask your child to identify an attribute of objects in the picture and select a card with the number written on it that represents the objects. (e.g., in a picture of flowers, ask your child to identify how many red flowers there are and select a card with that numeral to match the red flowers in the picture). Mirror, Mirror: Ask your child a simple math problem with numbers between 0-10. Ask them to write the answer on a piece of paper or chalkboard and then compare your answer with theirs. Turn the tables and ask your child to state the problem, then write down your answer and ask them to check their math.

Demonstrating

Activities

Household Helper: Ask your child to solve simple problems that use comparison. For example, if your family needs to set four places at the dinner table, set out two. Have your child determine whether you have less than the number required for everyone to have a place to eat. Ask your child about the number of pencils she has in her book bag and whether there are fewer pencils in the book bag than needed.

Mirror, Mirror: Ask your child a simple math problem with numbers between 0-10. Ask them to write the answer on a piece of paper or chalkboard and then compare your answer with theirs. Turn the tables and ask your child to state the problem, then write down your answer and ask them to check their math.

Exceeding

Activities

Everyday Math: Ask your child to solve real-world problems, comparing solutions. For example, when packing toys in a book bag, set out a number of toys and ask your child to predict how many toys might fit in the bag. Set out a second number of toys to fit in the book bag. Compare the prediction with the actual result.

Concentration: Create two sets of cards. One set has dots representing numbers from 21-30 and the second set has numerals written from 21-30. Have your child match the cards. For a fun twist, ask your child to help make the cards with dots by drawing them or applying stickers.

Mirror, Mirror: Ask your child a simple math problem with numbers between 0-10. Ask them to write the answer on a piece of paper or chalkboard and then compare your answer with theirs. Turn the tables and ask your child to state the problem, then write down your answer and ask them to check their math.

Progression: Addition & Subtraction

Beginning

Activities

Making Five: Ask your child to model how many more to make five or how many less from five to solve problems (e.g., “We have five cookies, and there are three children. How many cookies would we have left over?”). In this case, they are composing 5-3 = 2.

Emerging

Activities

How Many More? How Many Less?: When you and your child solve a problem, use phrases like let's count on or count back to come to the solution. Say, "Let's make a picture to show how many objects there are." Say, "Show me how many blocks I would have if I took two away." For example, your child might have drawn 8 flowers. If your child takes two away, the child should note that there are six left.

Let's Draw It: As your child begins to understand adding and subtracting, model those processes using pictures to display the results.

Developing

Activities

Let's Draw It: As your child begins to understand adding and subtracting, model those processes using pictures to display the results.

Demonstrating

Activities

What is the Number Pair?: Using cards numbered 11-19 and small objects such as buttons, coins, paperclips, etc. have your child represent the number as a group of ten and some ones. Ask her to draw the representation or write an equation. For example, 13 could be represented as 10 buttons and 3 leftovers or as 10 + 3 = 13.

Let’s Solve It: Use objects to help your child solve mathematics problems to ten. For example, “We have three books to read, how many more books until we read five?” or "I have eight Legos, how many more Legos do I need to make my tower 10 blocks tall?"

To Add or Subtract?: Write the numbers 1-10 on sets of cards. Have your child draw two cards. Ask your child to model the number of each card with objects or by drawing a picture of objects to represent the number on the card. Ask your child what the two numbers added together or subtracted from one another equal. Repeat the task with numbers 1-20. Solve authentic problems with everyday tasks. For example, "How many more utensils do we need to set the table?"

Be a Number Detective: Ask your child to help you solve simple, real-world problems. For example, when preparing birthday invitations, engage your child in addition by stating, “We have three envelopes, and we are sending out ten party invitations. How many more envelopes do we need to send the party invitations?” Then, ask your child to explain how they solved the problem.

What is the Number Pair?: Using cards numbered 1-10 and small objects such as buttons, coins, paperclips, etc. have your child represent the number as groups of ones and some more. Ask him to draw the representation or write an equation. For example, 8 could be represented as 5 buttons + 3 coins.

Exceeding

Activities

It's All in a Number: As you encounter numbers in your environment, point out the number to your child. Ask your child how many tens are represented in a number and how many ones. For example, in a store, a candy bar might cost 79 cents. Ask your child what how many tens are in the number and how many ones.

What is the Number Pair?-Part II: Using cards that are numbered and small objects such as buttons, coins, paperclips, etc. have your child represent the number as groups of ten and leftovers. Ask him to draw the representation or write an equation. For example, 24 could be represented as 10 coins, 10 coins, and 4 leftovers or as 10+ 10 + 4 = 24.

Big Idea

A kindergarten student will explain, extend, and create repeating patterns and describe patterns involving the passage of time.

Progression: Patterns & Passage of Time

Beginning

Activities

Make a Pattern: Using small toys or other household objects, ask your child to line up objects in a simple pattern such as ABAB (e.g., block, car, block, car). You can also use stickers. Notice these patterns in the environment (e.g., car, truck, car, truck, or stripes on your child’s clothes).

Daily Report: Ask your child to tell you what they did in school today. Ask about specific events that you know might have happened such as art class or a favorite food item on the lunch menu. Ask your child what he or she is looking forward to tomorrow when they go back to school.

Emerging

Activities

Extend the Pattern: Ask your child to notice patterns in their everyday lives and comment on the patterns. For example, your child can arrange crayons, pencils, and markers in an AB or ABC pattern to create an ABAB or ABCABCABC pattern. Look for patterns of numbers on house numbers as you walk through the neighborhood (e.g., 12 12 First Avenue).

Make a Prediction: Ask specific questions to your child about the events of the day and include time words such as “morning,” “afternoon,” “evening,” “today,” or “tomorrow.” Ask your child to draw a picture of an event, then describe the event, and tell what might have happened before or after the event.

Developing

Activities

Planning the Day: Provide opportunities to include your child in planning for their day or their week. Create a schedule and have a conversation using the words “now,” “earlier,” “later,” “before,” and “after” as you talk through the events with your child.

Demonstrating

Activities

Playing the Numbers Game: Draw a simple picture and ask your child to extend the pattern four times (e.g., heart, circle, heart, circle, heart, circle, heart, circle or 3, 4, 3, 4, 3, 4, 3, 4). Ask your child to start the pattern, repeat four times, and then switch the AB pattern to another pattern to see if your child follows. Vary the patterns ABC, ABBA, ABCD, ABCABC, etc. As your child displays their patterns, ask them to explain the pattern to you.

Dear Diary: With your child, keep a daily diary where your child draws a picture about their day and makes a prediction about what might happen tomorrow. Review the entries from prior days to determine if the predictions came true. Incorporate words such as “yesterday,” “today,” and “tomorrow.”

Exceeding

Activities

Advanced Organizer: Keep a family calendar and review it with regularity to examine events for the day, the week, the month, and the year. Ask your child specific questions about notable events for the week or month, etc. For example, ask "How many days until grandma’s birthday?" or "When are we headed to the zoo?"

Big Idea

A kindergarten student will observe, describe, and compare the physical and measurable attributes of objects, and analyze graphical displays of data.

Progression: Comparison & Classification of Objects

Beginning

Activities

Attribute Walk through Books: As you read your child’s favorite book, ask him to point to objects with a specific characteristic that might be included in the pictures within the text. For example, point out all the four-legged animals in the book.

Clean Up Time: As you and your child clean up their toys or their bedrooms, ask your child to find all the objects that need to be put away by a specific attribute (e.g., toys with wheels, wooden toys) or sort their clothes (e.g., tops, shorts).

Emerging

Activities

Compare and Contrast: Using a number of objects in your home, ask your child to make some comparisons. Ask, "Which toy is longer, taller, wider, or heavier than another?"Ask your child to invite family members to the dinner table by their height from the tallest to the shortest. Ask your child how he or she has determined what aspects of the object were different.

Grocery Helper: As you put away your groceries in their proper places in your home, ask your child to choose one thing to put away. Then ask your child to choose another product that is longer/shorter, taller, wider, or heavier.

Coin Jars: As members of your family empty their pockets for the day, ask your child to sort and place loose coins into jars that are labeled for pennies, nickels, and dimes. Come up with a plan to use the coins over a period of time to participate in a family activity (e.g., go to the movies, get a special dessert from the store).

Developing

Activities

Scavenger Hunt: Have your child choose three to five common objects from your home and bring them to you. Ask them questions about length, height, width, or weight. Ask your child to place the objects in order based on that attribute.

Guess the Attribute: Ask your child to gather a number of random objects and sort them. Then your child can ask you to identify how the objects are classified. You can tell your child which objects are heavier than others, wider or narrower than others, etc.

Find a Penny, Nickel, or Dime, Pick It Up: In spaces where coins are found, ask your child to name a penny, nickel, or dime as the treasure is recovered.

Demonstrating

Activities

The Junk Drawer: Periodically remove all the random items that end up in a “family junk drawer.” Ask your child to sort the objects by category and then count the number of objects in a category (e.g., menus, rubber bands, coupons, etc.)

Let’s Measure It: As your child is playing with their toys, choose other objects as non-standard units of measure to see how long the initial object is. For example, if your child has a large truck, how many matchbox cars long is it? Is the length of the large truck in matchbox cars the same as two other trucks?

What’s It Worth?: Ask your child to tell you the value of coins as you place the coins in front of them.

Let’s Make a Trade: Ask your child to exchange coins for one another. For example, as your child gives you five of their pennies for a nickel, ask your child how they know that it takes five pennies to make a nickel, etc.

Big Idea

A kindergarten student will identify, describe, and compare basic shapes, form 2-dimensional shapes and 3-dimensional figures, and describe the relative location of an object using positional words.

Progression: Shapes & Positional Language

Beginning

Activities

Everyday Shapes: Point to an object (e.g., block, base of a measuring cup, box of cereal, hat made of newspaper, piece of pizza) or shapes within/on objects (e.g., buttons as circles on a cell phone screen; magazines) and ask your child to identify what shape it might be. Cut a square sandwich into rectangles or triangles and ask your child to name the resultant shape.

Street Sign Shape Hunt: Take a walk through your neighborhood and help your child find street signs. Have your child name squares, circles, rectangles, triangles, hexagons (six-sided shape), and octagons (eight-sided shape) seen on the walk.

Emerging

Activities

Street Sign Shape Hunt: Take a walk through your neighborhood and help your child find street signs. Have your child name squares, circles, rectangles, triangles, hexagons (six-sided shape), and octagons (eight-sided shape) seen on the walk.

Is it This or That? Pose questions to your child about the location of objects in relation to one another. For example, ask your child to point to the toy in front of, behind, or next to another toy. Use pictures in children's books to pose similar questions about positionality and ask your child to point to objects to identify position.

Developing

Activities

Describe that Shape: Challenge your child to find objects in your home that are 2-dimensional (square, triangle, circle, and rectangle). Once your child has chosen some objects, ask your child to describe the attributes of the shape (e.g., number of sides, number of corners, flat or solid).

Is it This or That-Part II? Ask your child to hold an object and ask you to comment on its positionality (e.g., that book is behind your back, etc.) Switch roles and test out their skills in doing the same.

Demonstrating

Activities

Name that Shape: Challenge your child to identify and describe items in your home that are made with 3-dimensional (or solid) shapes of spheres, cylinders, cubes, and cones (e.g., boxes, soda can, ice cream cone, ball).

Super Shape Sleuth: Challenge your child to move around your house to identify complex shapes such as a sphere, cylinder, cube, and cone. Talk about the many varied places these shapes could be found (e.g., paper towel tube, soccer ball, balloon, cube of scratch paper, funnel).

Create a 2-D a nd 3-D Museum: Compare and contrast objects that are 2-dimensional (flat) and 3-dimensional (solid). Two-dimensional shapes have length and width and are described as flat. Three-dimensional shapes have length, width, and depth. Create a space for your child to identify some common objects in your house and sort them into “rooms in the museum." Once your child has established all the exhibits in the museum, talk about the features of 2-D (length, width, no thickness) and 3-D shapes (faces, edges, vertices, or corners).

Be a Shape Detective: Present your child with two objects. Once he names the shapes of the two objects, ask him to describe how the shapes are similar or different (e.g., corners, base, edges, vertices, or corners).

Let's Build It: Use household materials (blocks, pipe cleaners, toothpicks, play dough, popsicle sticks, Legos, distinct types of craft paper) to allow your child to build models or collages of figures such as a house, rocket, or other various models of real-world figures. Ask your child to describe the shapes in the model.

Look What I Built: Give your child pattern blocks or shapes cut from heavy paper and ask her to create a figure. Once the figure is created, ask your child to describe the shapes that were used to construct the figure. Then, ask your child to add to the figure with additional shapes (e.g., add windows or a chimney [squares] to a figure of a house).

Self-Correcting Puzzles: Use popsicle sticks to build shapes. On the back side of the popsicles either draw the figure or write the name of the figure once composed (e.g., triangle, square).

Exceeding

Activities

Mystery Shape: Ask your child to draw shapes based on your directions. For example, say “D raw a shape that has three equal sides." Once he has drawn the shape, ask him to name the shape and talk about its attributes.

Pieces and Wholes: Use the front of a cereal box and cut it into four squares. Then cut one of the squares into two right triangles. Cut another square into two right triangles and then cut each triangle into two additional triangles. Ask your child to describe the shapes as she assembles the pieces into the whole puzzle (e.g., these two triangles made a square).

Working Together to Support Georgia's Kindergarten Students

Mathematics

A kindergarten student will explain the relationship between numbers and quantities; count forward and backward in sequence; compose and decompose numbers; identify, write, represent, and compare numbers; and use the concepts of addition, subtraction, and equality to solve problems.

Progression: Counting & Car​dinality

Progression: Count Sequences

Progression: Written Numerals & Comparison of Quantities

Progression: Addition & Subtraction

Big Idea

A kindergarten student will explain, extend, and create repeating patterns and describe patterns involving the passage of time.

Progressio​​​n: Patterns & Passage of Time

Big Idea

A kindergarten student will observe, describe, and compare the physical and measurable attributes of objects, and analyze graphical displays of data.

Progressio​​​n: Comparison & Classification of Objects

Big Idea

A kindergarten student will identify, describe, and compare basic shapes, form 2-dimensional shapes and 3-dimensional figures, and describe the relative location of an object using positional words.​

Progressio​​​n: Shapes & Positional Language​

Progression: Counting & Cardinality

Progression: Patterns & Passage of Time

Progression: Comparison & Classification of Objects

A kindergarten student will identify, describe, and compare basic shapes, form 2-dimensional shapes and 3-dimensional figures, and describe the relative location of an object using positional words.

Progression: Shapes & Positional Language