This curriculum overview provides teacher guidance in the use of the Georgia Dept. of Education Kindergarten Mathematics Units.
It contains information on classroom expectations, use of Number Talks, journals, 3-Act Tasks, and more.

Unit 1- Counting with Friends
OVERVIEW
In this unit, students will start kindergarten thinking of counting as a string of words, but then make a gradual transition to using counting as a tool for describing their world. They must construct the idea of counting using manipulatives and other resources to see the numbers visually (dot cards, tens frames). To count successfully, students must remember the rote counting sequence, assign one counting number to each object counted, and at the same time have a strategy for keeping track of what has already been
counted and what still needs to be counted. Only the counting sequence is a rote procedure. The meaning students attach to
counting is the key conceptual idea on which all other number concepts are developed. Students will develop successful and meaningful counting strategies as they practice counting and as they listen to and watch others count.

Comparing Numbers
Work with numbers 11-19 to gain foundations for place value.
For numbers 11 to19, Kindergarten students choose, combine, and apply strategies for answering
quantitative questions. This includes composing and decomposing numbers from 11 to 19 into ten ones and some further ones by writing and representing the numbers, 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. Objects, pictures, actions, and explanations are used to solve problems and represent thinking. Although CCGPS states, “Kindergarten students
should see addition and subtraction equations, and student writing of equations in kindergarten
is encouraged, but it is not required.” Please note: it is not until First Grade that “Understand the
meaning of the equal sign” is an expectation.
Mathematically proficient students might rely on using concrete objects or pictures to help conceptualize and solve a problem. While using objects to make sense of the quantities and relationships in problem situations, students thereby connect whether the answer makes sense through
comparisons and discussions. Using the mathematical language to verbalize their reasoning is an
important cognitive facet for establishing a strong place value foundation. The terms students should continue to use as they verbalize thinking are: join, add, separate, subtract, same amount as, equal, less, more, tens, and ones.