Practicing Number Skills with Blocks Lesson Plan

Lesson Overview

Use the Language Builder Blocks as a quick way to practice number skills.

Skills Practiced

• Numerical skills

• Sorting

• Adding

• Subtracting

Materials

• Language Builder Blocks
• Post-It Notes
• 1 six-sided die
• Masking tape

People

Play with just one child or in small groups of preschool/kindergarten children

Setup

Write the numbers 1 through 6 on Post-It Notes. The range of numbers can be adjusted up or down based on the child’s ability. Using masking tape, create a 2x3 grid, leaving enough room in each box for the child to build in.

Procedures 

1. Ask the child to roll the die. Have the child count the number of dots.
2. Then, ask the child to grab the same number of blocks from the large pile and create a structure with them in the top left box. For an easier version, skip the die and count up from 1.
3. Continue rolling the die and building corresponding block structures until all six boxes are filled.
4. Hand the child the Post-It Note with the number. Ask the child to match the number to the structure with the same number of blocks.
5. Challenge the child to build with all the blocks from the grid!

Variations

1. Create a larger grid, or use more dice together for bigger numbers.