By the time children are in third grade, they understand the seasons of the year and have a vague understanding of the different months; most will have a calendar hanging in their home. They will know what month is their birthday, and perhaps when major holidays are celebrated. They will also have a slight understanding of ordinal numbers, having repeatedly heard them being used in conversation. An ideal way to help them gain a more perfect understanding of these concepts is through a birthday game.
- Wall calendar
- Tape
- Marker
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Instructions
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1
Pull the pages of each month out of the calendar.
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2
Tape them in order side by side on the wall at a level the children can reach.
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3
Compile a list of the children's birthdays; this is for your own reference only.
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4
One at a time, have each child tell the class when his birthday is using ordinal numbers, then find and circle the date on the calendar.
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5
After all the students have taken a turn, have a conversation about the exercise using ordinal numbers. Ask questions like, "Who has a birthday on the first day of the month? Does anyone have a birthday on the 15th?"