Calendar Time

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Calendar Time
By Lisa

Hi Beverly,
In my district, most of us use calendar time to talk about the date, weather, birthdays, count the days to number 100, use money, etc. Have you heard of "Math Their Way"? The book has an entire section
about what to include in Calendar Time.
I have a large bulletin board set up in an area where the children can sit on the floor in front of it. I choose one calendar "helper" each week. His/Her duties are to add the correct number on the calendar for the date. We also make a pattern as we go (i.e. The number 1 is on an apple shape, the number 2 is on a school bus shape, the

number 3 is on an apple shape, etc.) The patterns get more difficult as the months go by. I also ask questions about the days of the week (which day do we go to the library? or How many days until our field trip?)
I have the helper check on the days weather and fill in the weather graph. We document who has lost a tooth. We have a continuous strip of paper (adding machine tape) going across the top of our bulletin board. I record the number of days we have been in school on this paper. The kids love to estimate how far it will reach around the room on Day 100 and at the end of the year. As I write the number on the strip, the helper makes a tally mark on a different chart to document how many days we have attended school during the current month. We also use money to show "What the day is worth". I have velcro strips taped on the back of plastic coins (my real ones seem to disappear) and then a velcro chart on the b. board. If the date is August 23, then the helper puts up all of the different combos of 23 cents that he/she can think of. I do this once per week. There are so many things you could do.
It does sound like a lot but once you have it set up it is easy! It can take any where from 10-20 minutes to complete these activities. I do it right away in the morning. E-mail me if you have any questions.