Welcome to the BCPS Kindergarten Math Information Page!
Kindergarten Math Content
The Baltimore County Public Schools Kindergarten program is designed so that each student has access to rigorous instruction and engages in the habits of mind of proficient mathematical thinkers.
In Kindergarten, instructional time should focus on two critical areas: (1) representing and comparing whole numbers, initially with sets of objects; (2) describing shapes and space. More learning time in Kindergarten should be devoted to number than to other topics.
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Proficient Mathematical Thinkers
- Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.
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Reason abstractly and quantitatively.
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Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.
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Model with mathematics.
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Use appropriate tools strategically.
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Attend to precision.
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Look for and make use of structure.
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Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.
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(1) Students use numbers, including written numerals, to represent quantities and to solve quantitative problems, such as counting objects in a set; counting out a given number of objects; comparing sets or numerals; and modeling simple joining and separating situations with sets of objects, or eventually with equations such as 5 + 2 = 7 and 7 - 2 = 5. (Kindergarten students should see addition and subtraction equations, and student writing of equations in kindergarten is encouraged, but it is not required.) Students choose, combine, and apply effective strategies for answering quantitative questions, including quickly recognizing the cardinalities of small sets of objects, counting and producing sets of given sizes, counting the number of objects in combined sets, or counting the number of objects that remain in a set after some are taken away.
(2) Students describe their physical world using geometric ideas (e.g., shape, orientation, spatial relations) and vocabulary. They identify, name, and describe basic two-dimensional shapes, such as squares, triangles, circles, rectangles, and hexagons, presented in a variety of ways (e.g., with different sizes and orientations), as well as three-dimensional shapes such as cubes, cones, cylinders, and spheres. They use basic shapes and spatial reasoning to model objects in their environment and to construct more complex shapes.
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Kindergarten Math Curriculum
In kindergarten, students focus on whole numbers and shapes. Throughout the year they:
- Count and compare numbers to 100, with a special focus on numbers to 20
- Think about joining and separating situations as addition and subtraction
- Sort, compare, and draw shapes
- Combine shapes to make other shapes and complete puzzles
Bridges uses visual models to make the mathematics accessible to all learners.
One way that children approach math is through pictures. For example, your child might look at the picture to the right and answer questions like, "What did you notice about this picture? Where do you see the numbers in the picture? How can you use the picture to help solve the problem?"
When you talk with your child about their math work, it might sometimes seem unfamiliar or different than you remember. But there are still many ways you can help them explore math! By being open to learning and talking with your child, you can help your child develop strong skills and a love of math.
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Kindergarten Math Family Support Resources