- My activity was a More, Fewer (Comparing quantities). The reason why I decided to choose was because we were learning buildings topic, we talked about what materials did we need to build a house or a building? We also talked about rocks, sticks, straws, sand…we started to compare which one was heavier, lighter, which group had more or fewer (less) or the same, we used comparing quantities every day in our classroom. Besides that, most on my students will be going to Kindergarten so it was good to review how they understood about comparison concept. students will get hands-on practice comparing quantities! Students will compare using fruits, buttons, blocks… and their classmates. Students will compare the number of objects in two groups. Students will use the words more than, less than or fewer than compare items.
- Prior to the activity I noticed many dual language learners didn’t understand what “fewer” or more” meant in big group teaching discussion so I decided to teach them in small group again. I Invited 5 students to come to small group (mixed age). I also prepared apples and bananas to demonstrate our activity.
- The thing that went well during the recording was when I was talking and doing more and fewer activity, I explained to children that equal means that there is the same amount in each group, greater means more, and less means fewer. The children were engaging most of the time. I also liked how the children were helping me taking apples away or putting more apples when I said “I need more apples or I need to take away two apples”. I liked how they were able to compare fewer (less) and more in their own activity and it seemed like they were having fun through learning but at the same time, they were able to figure out which one had more, which one had less (fewer). I noticed that two students who were almost 4 in this group didn’t know this concept but they understood when they engaged in small group with fruits and vegetables comparison.
- Even working with children for many years but I was nervous when making video tape myself. I didn’t demonstrate simple comparison first such as split them into 2 groups. The first group should have 2 students, and the other should have 3, then ask them which group has more people and which one has less people. Provide definitions for more and fewer (less ) in student home language. I needed time for them to answer and asked them repeat after me or needed to say in full sentence such as apples has more than bananas or bananas has fewer (less) than apples…. Children love hands-on learning opportunities.
- Preschoolers who are just learning to compare larger quantities begin by matching the objects one-by-one to see which group has more. Then, as they gain more experience with comparing, children learn that they can use counting to compare quantities: “There are seven apples and eight bananas. Eight comes after seven, so eight bananas is more than seven apples.”
I believe that I need to put them in the same level of learning, it is easy for me to know how to use the new language to compare the two groups then have children repeat the comparison sentence after me. Next, as a group, practice counting each group to determine the total number in the group. Then, have the group practice using comparison vocabulary to describe the groups. After that, the children turn and talk to share which group they think is bigger with a partner. Use the following sentence frame, “I think ____ is bigger because ____.”
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