Even and Odd Numbers

by Laurie Laurendeau on March 13, 2012

Your Kindergartener or First Grader will learn about Even and Odd numbers.  Even numbers are numbers that can be divided equally into 2 groups, while Odd numbers cannot.  Children typically learn about Even and Odd numbers before they can actually count by 2’s, but knowing about Even and Odd numbers is an excellent springboard to learn how to count by 2’s.

Exploring Even Numbers

  1. READ A BOOK: Read the book “Even Steven and Odd Todd” by Kathryn Cristaldi.  It is a fun way to introduce the concept of Even and Odd Numbers.  Even Steven only likes Even numbers, while Odd Todd insists on everything in his world to be Odd.
  2. EVEN NUMBER ACTIVITY: Be sure your child can count to 20 before doing this activity. Give your child a set of 20 small objects, such as pennies.  Ask him to count the number of pennies.  Now tell him that all numbers are either EVEN or ODD, and he is going to discover if 20 is an Even or Odd number by doing one simple trick.  Tell him that if he can share the group of 20 pennies equally between the two of you, then the number 20 is Even.  Show him how to put one penny in front of you, then one penny in front of him, and so on until all the pennies are distributed.  Be sure to point out that whoever got the first penny should not get the last penny (this makes it fair).  Try this activity with different groups of Even and Odd objects.
  3. ODD NUMBER ACTIVITY:  Next time you do the laundry, involve your child in sorting the socks.  As we all know, sorting socks almost certainly results in one odd sock! Exploring pairs of objects helps explain the concept of odd numbers.
  4. HUNDREDS BOARD ACTIVITY:  Once your child has had the opportunity to explore Even and Odd numbers with objects, introduce Even and Odd numbers on a Hundreds Board.  Use bingo chips or other small objects to cover all the even numbers (2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, etc…), and use a different set of objects to cover the Odd numbers (1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, etc…).

WANT MORE?

  • As always, playing math games at home is a great way to reinforce math skills learned in school.
  • Have questions or ideas about this story?
  • Need help or advice about your child’s learning?
  • Have ideas for future Parent Homework Help stories?

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