Date completed: Spring 2017

Date submitted: Spring 2017

Title of Artifact: Observation #7- Mathematics
Standard: Standard Six- Assessment

I am placing my artifact, Observation #7- Mathematics, under Standard Six, Assessment, as

evidence of continued mastery towards using multiple methods of assessment to engage learners
in examining their own growth, to monitor learner progress, and to guide the teachers and
learners decision making. In the data section of this observation, the students were engaging in a
math activity where they were sorting candy hearts by color. The teacher asked each student
about the groups of colored hearts they had and uses the words more, less, and equal to assess
what the students know about their groups. This data shows the collaboration of Observation #7-
Mathematics, to Standard Six, Assessment.
I. Observation 7:
Kindergarten Enrichment (KE) classroom at All Day Learning Centers
II. Grade:
Kindergarten Enrichment
III. Students:
11 total
4 boys and 7 girls
IV. Setting:
Kindergarten Enrichment classroom at All Day Learning Centers
Multi-age classroom (5 and 6 year olds)
11 students
1 lead teacher (Miss Erica S)
Ratio is 1 to 15 (1 teacher per 15 students)
V. Pre-Observation:
To prepare for this observation I read the article, Basic Math Skills in Child Care:
Greater Than, Less Than, And Equal To. In this article it talked about how learning
about greater than, less than, and equal to are the early stages of getting children ready for
addition and subtraction. This article includes different ways to show more, less, and
equal. An example they show is,
Child care providers know that children understand the concepts "greater than,"
"less than," and "equal to" when they give children crackers and Jimmy says that
Danny has more crackers than he does. Taking away crackers from Danny and
giving them to Jimmy may not be popular with Danny, but if he understands the
concepts of more than, less than, and equal to or the same as, this solution will be
accepted as fair. You can also use a number line to show these concepts and have
children follow along. For example, you can have them put their finger on the
number 3 and show them that if a number comes before 3, it is less than and if it
comes after 3, it's more than. You can also teach young children addition and
subtraction this way (Extension, 1).
I thought that this article had great ideas to help with more, less, and equal. They also
included a video that showed some student engaging in a more, less, and equal
activity.
VI. Data:
For this observation I was able to see an awesome math lesson go on during circle time.
This weeks theme is friendship and Valentines Day. Miss Erica S had the students sit in
a circle to prepare for this activity. Since it was Valentines Day, the teacher had the little
candy hearts with sayings on them. She gave a handful to the children, not counting how
many she gave to them. She said it doesnt matter how many you get for this activity! She
then asked the question How could I sort the candy hearts? One child raised their hand
and said that they could sort them by color! Another student said that they could sort
them by the saying on the candy heart! I thought that answer was great for this age. When
she told the students to being, I noticed that most of them were sorting by color. When the
teacher saw that they were all done, we went around the circle and the teacher asked them
questions. She asked how many hearts they had in total. Each student would count their
hearts and say it out loud. For example, one child had 3 white hearts, two green hearts,
two pink hearts, one orange heart, and one purple heart. They were all little piles
 separated by their color. Miss Erica S asked which pile had the most and she pointed to
the white heart pile with three in it. The she asked which pile had the least and
surprisingly she pointed to both the orange and purple hearts because they both only had
one in the group. Then the teacher asked which group had more, the white or the orange?
The child responded with the white group. The teacher also asked which group has less,
the pink or the purple? The child responded with the purple group. Then the next question
she asked I didnt think the child would get right but she did! Miss Erica S asked which
group had the same amount. The child said the green and pink because they both had two
in them and the orange and purple because they both had one in it.
VII. Analysis:
I thought this math activity was a great idea for these children. Not only was it fun and
included Valentines Day but also it included a math lesson. This math lesson was
learning about more, less, and equal. I really liked the questions Miss Erica S was asking
to the students. She really engaged the students into the activity and they all had a fun
time doing it. I feel that this is an activity I could do in the future when I have my own
class to work with. You could do this activity with any objects, not just the candy hearts.
VIII. Recommendations:
I really love the way the teacher did this math lesson with her students and I wouldnt
change a thing about it. The students really understood the more, less, and equal concept.
The only thing I would recommend id that if there were a different theme to change the
objects to different ones to go along with the theme of the week. For this, I would ask the
teacher to look on Pinterest to find some other objects to use for different themes.
Pinterest is amazing for literally anything. They offered other ways to learn about more,
less, and equal. The students can use candy corn, alligator mouths, and their own bodies
to show more, less, and equal.
IX. Post-Observation:
I love the daycare that I am working and doing these observations allows me to pay even
more attention to the children in their classroom. I am considered a floater, which means I
dont have a specific room that I am in all day. I am able to see what goes on in all the
classrooms and I get to know all of the children. Although I would like to have a set
classroom, knowing all of the children in the school is pretty awesome rather than just in
one class. All of the children know who I am so not only can I observe them, I can also
teach them something. They look up to me as one of their teachers and I will be there to
help them with whatever it is they need. I am so happy to have the opportunity to work in
such a great daycare that allows me to not only work there but also observe each
classroom in order to get my schoolwork done.
X. Citations:
Child Care. (2015, September 14). Basic Math Skills in Child Care: Greater Than, Less
Than, and Equal To. Retrieved February 16, 2017, from
http://articles.extension.org/pages/67244/basic-math-skills-in-child-care:-greater-
than-less-than-and-equal-to
Teaching - GREATER/LESS THAN. (n.d.). Retrieved February 16, 2017, from
https://www.pinterest.com/smidgie421/teaching-greater-less-than/