One and Many: Singular and Plural Cards

Four pairs of cards, eight in all, make up this kindergarten sheet of toys. The left column shows one picture with its singular word, the right column shows three of the same picture with the plural: on this print train and trains, ball and balls, airplane and airplanes, baby and babies. The pictures are the same size on both cards, so the number of them is the only thing that changes. The child cuts out all eight, says the word for one and the word for many, and, once the cards are shuffled, matches each singular to its plural.

Printing both forms, rather than asking the child to write the plural, keeps the attention on hearing and seeing the ending: trains is train with an s, and the three pictures say why. When the draw includes a word like baby, the child meets a plural that changes its spelling as well, which is worth a sentence from the teacher and no more at this age. Matching after shuffling is the check: a child who pairs ball with balls by reading the start of the word and counting the pictures has done what the card is for.

Print in color on card stock and cut before the lesson for a class set. The picture word cards base set gives one picture per card with no plural, and the a or an cards attach the article instead of the ending. Writing the plural on a line is the singular and plural worksheet family, which is the next step after these cards.