Featuring the picture book One Hundred Hungry Ants by Elinor Pinczes
Take your child’s multiplication skills to the next level with this PF on the Go kit focused on Near Squares. As you follow the rhythmic journey of One Hundred Hungry Ants, families explore how the same group of ants can be rearranged into different rows and columns. This kit introduces children to the clever strategy of using "square" facts they already know (6 X 6 = 36) to solve nearby problems (6 X 5 or 6 X 7). By focusing on these relationships, children learn that they don't have to skip count from the first set, they can simply build onto or connect to what they already know.
The mathematics continues with the Marching Ants activity, where children use dot paper to physically draw and compare different ant formations, visualizing the change in totals as the groups shift. Families can also play the Match Game: Near Squares, a fast-paced way to build comfort and speed with these specific number patterns. Through the "Talk About It" prompts, children are encouraged to explain their reasoning and share the strategies they use to find answers. These experiences work together to turn multiplication into a series of logical connections, helping your child solve even the trickiest facts with confidence.
Included Materials:
- One Hundred Hungry Ants by Elinor Pinczes
- Match Game: Near Squares
- Marching Ants activity sheet
- Dot paper (3 sheets)
- Four full-color activity cards printed on durable card stock, with clear, step-by-step instructions for every activity
Start with Kit A and progress in order to Kit J. Kits A–E are prerequisites for Kits F–J. Students should master the facts in the prerequisite kits before starting the later kits.