Good beginning activities involve children using counters to understand one to one correspondence. Four teddy bear markers, for example, would be placed in a line corresponding to four blocks. This allows the child to begin to understand that the concept of "four" is independent from the object being counted. Four is four, regardless of whether it is four teddy bears or blocks. Larger numbers of items are used in this activity as children progress.
The clock in the kit provides an opportunity to teach children about their own schedules. A child can learn to set the clock at the time they wake, eat lunch and go to bed. To make the activity incrementally more difficult, the child could be asked to adjust the time to show how it might look if she rose an hour earlier to travel to Grandma's house. As children grow in understanding, quarter and half hours can be introduced.
Saxon offers items to customize and supplement the basic K-3 kit. Objects include a balance, or scale. The very young child can be taught the concept of weight. Which weighs more, the domino or the cube? The scale also offers an opportunity for the child to learn to estimate. How many cubes does it take to balance with a couple of cookies? How many teddy bear markers weigh the same as four of Saxon's cubes?
The concepts of length and height are introduced to the young child. What is taller, the cube or the bear counter? The ruler in this kit can also be used in a scavenger hunt. Find two different things that are the same length. Find something three inches long. The concept of fractions is naturally introduced by measuring. Saxon Math for middle grades transitions students from manipulatives and worksheets to textbook learning.