Target Numbers - K

Kindergarten Mathematics Routine

Target Numbers

Standards for Mathematical Practice (SMP): #2, #3

This routine provides the opportunity for students to represent numbers through visual representations, descriptions, expressions, and equations, and supports flexible thinking and fluency with computation.  

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Consider having physical tools (counters, base ten blocks, ten-frames, etc.) available for students to use.  Also, have whiteboards or journals so students can draw/record their representations. 

2.  The teacher announces a ‘target number’ and writes it on the board/chart paper.

3.  The students record as many different representations for the number as they can. They then select and identify their favorite representation.

4.  Ideas are shared by students and recorded by the teacher. 

5. Ask the following questions about the representations.

• • How are the representations different?
  • How are the representations connected?
  • Is there a representation that surprises you?
  • How would the representations change for (number) if we changed it to (different number)?

 Things to consider:

• Post Target Number posters around the room for students to reference
• Hang the finished poster in a place where students can add more representations using sticky notes 
• Allow for students to make connections between expressions/representations generated
• Record connections shared (optional)
• Display poster for a day or two and have students record connections in their journals to be shared later in the week

VIDEO:

As you watch the video notice how the teacher still has the students gather together in the front of the room when they are recording their representations. She gives them plenty of time to work through multiple ways to represent the number and then asks them to record their favorite way on the back of the paper. The teacher reminds the students to put their pencils down as a way to signal to her they are ready to share. The teacher calls on various students to bring up their representation and tapes them to the target number poster. She gives reminders to students when needed to only share out different ways to represent their numbers and to keep their pencils down during share time. The students not only share out ideas using all four operations, but other representations including coins, tally marks, and base ten drawings. When a student shared the same representation as another that had already been shared, the teacher helped the student look for and explain another representation he had that was different. 

SLIDES:

Google Slides: Target Number Links to an external site.

These slides include directions on how to implement target number. There are 8 slides with numbers through 20, 5 slides with two different numbers on them, and 4 slides with three different numbers included on them for the students to make connections between the representations.