Showing posts with label math centers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label math centers. Show all posts

Monday, May 11, 2015

Cute Counting Turtles!

Yesterday was Mother's Day.  I had to pick up my daughter, Megan, and husband at the airport.  They had spent the weekend in South Carolina house-hunting.  Before I could get them, however, I had to get the SNOW off of my windshield!  How crazy is that?



I have a friend who is going back into teaching after several years off.  She is overwhelmed by how to make all of the math and language centers she is going to need, so I decided to help her out.  I started by making this cute math matching game for numbers.  There are so many ways you could use it.



  • You could make two copies of each page, cut them out and let the students play Memory with the cards.
  • Layout cards with a missing number and let the student find the correct number.  (Example ___, 4, 5 and have the student search for the 3).
  • Give them the set of turtles mixed up and have them place them in order.
  • Make this into a file folder game.  Glue the number cards onto the inside of a file folder.  Cut out the number words and have the student match them to the numbers attached to the file folder.
This freebie will be part of a packet I plan to make and sell in my Teachers Pay Teachers store.  The complete packet will include zero and ten, as well as counting dots, simple addition facts and tallies.  It will be in both color as well as black and white.  Click on the picture below to get your free sample!


http://freepdfhosting.com/8e02d910f6.pdf
 


Now to a fellow Teachers Pay Teachers Freebie.  With the end of the school year in mind hclark has a perfect activity that will keep your students writing.  Click on the picture below to see her freebie craftivity that has students remembering all of the good things that happened throughout the year!
 
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Beginning-or-End-of-the-Year-Writing-Craftivity-FREEBIE-What-I-Loved-About-1284840
 

Sunday, March 29, 2015

Adding to the Math Journals

First I need to apologize for not posting the past two weeks.  We had the virus that never ends passed from family member to family member.  When I got it, I thought I might die.  My husband Wayne (who didn't get it, so we all kind of hate him right now) would poke his head in and ask if I needed anything, I would beg him to shoot me.  He wouldn't, so here I am!  This stupid bug has a death grip on my ears right now, so I will be going BACK to the doctor again to hopefully get some antibiotics for an ear infection.  Then maybe I will feel human again and be able to stay on course with this blog!

If you have been following me from the beginning, (and I thank you!), you know I started with some math journals that were so helpful with my first graders.  I have these free fantastic covers you might want to check out if you missed them, and then instructional anchor charts to help build math skills as well as independence.  I mentioned I wanted to go further with each of these charts and how I would use them in my classroom and attach a math center game to go with them.  So I am starting a new series on adding to the Math Journals.  (If you would like to see the twenty or so free math anchor charts, click here).

I am starting with Friends of 10.  For a refresher, I will show it below.  This anchor chart will be included in the free game pack I will describe in a moment.


I would use this anchor chart to show the connections of numbers whose sums are 10.  Have the children take turns picking one color from the rainbow and discover how adding those two matching numbers will always result in ten.  Use manipulatives if necessary.  Then show them if they flip the numbers, the sum will still remain ten.  Let them pick their favorite color and write the sums to prove they add to ten.  This is a very important skill, so you need a lot of repetition with this. 

I have a fun game for the kids to play and reinforce learning which numbers make ten. Use the anchor chart to be certain they have a reference they get into the habit of using.  Once you have played a few of these games with the anchor chart always as a reference, put this anchor chart into their math journals.  The students will be so used to referring to it, you will be amazed at their independence to refer to it on their own once it is in their journal.

For this game of two players, cut out the addition flashcards, mix them up and place them face down.  Make sure each student has an answer sheet.  The first student picks a card and decides if it is a “Friend of 10”.  If the sum is 10, they write the problem with the answer in the column under the rainbow.  If it is any other sum than 10, they write the problem with the answer under the crying boy.  The first one that completes the rainbow column wins!
 

http://freepdfhosting.com/a640d9228a.pdf
http://freepdfhosting.com/a640d9228a.pdf

I suggest you print this on cardstock and laminate for durability.  The answer sheets can be written with a wipe off or dry erase marker again and again.  I would put the cards in a recloseable baggie and slide the anchor chart with the answer sheets inside a file folder for storage.
 
Think about making several copies.  This would be a fun game to send home for students to play with their parents or siblings instead of a simple worksheet for homework practice.

This center (other than the anchor chart), has both a color and black and white version.

Onto my next Freebie Monday!  I have collaborated with some fantastic teachers at Teachers Pay Teachers store and I am proud to introduce this week's Freebie!

Brittany Washburn has a wide variety of products in her store, and many involve technology.  She has given us a fantastic set of "I Can" statements that are for K, 1st, and 2nd.  This is a sampler that can be downloaded for free at her store, then you might want to stay around and shop for more things for your class.  Enjoy!  Click on the picture below to go to her store for the free download!

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Technology-I-Can-Statements-Sampler-for-3-5-1549179
 
 
 


Monday, January 26, 2015

Number Match to 50

Better late than never, I hope!  I try to get my Monday freebies out earlier in the day, but there was a terrible car wreck on our street.  A car slammed into a utility pole that, of course, disrupted internet service.  It's back on, and I can now present today's Monday Freebie!

http://freepdfhosting.com/1cea0693cd.pdf
 
Ta Da!  This one helps students practice numbers, number words, place value, and expanded notation through the number 50.

 

 
The actual PDF is much clearer.  Just print, laminate, and cut out the pieces.  The students will match the ice cream scoops to the cones.  Of course you can leave out certain scoops for certain students -- I love it when centers can be differentiated.  This is a skill the students really need to practice in order to internalize. The cherry is optional, of course, but that seems to be the favorite part!  If you would like a free download, simply click on the top picture and enjoy!
 
Now for my Monday Freebie from Teachers Pay Teachers.  Eugenia's Learning Tools has a cute Winter Freebie with 2 separate Graphic Organizers.  They are engaging and perfect to help students break down their thinking into manageable pieces.  I actually thought of taking the snowman to help organize some of my blogging ideas!  Be sure to click on the picture below to grab this freebie while it's cold!
 
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/FREEBIE-Sample-of-Graphic-Organizers-for-the-Winter-1573208
 

Thursday, January 1, 2015

Happy New Year!!

Happy 2015!  I am expecting big things this year.  I am cancer free after thyroid and uterine cancer diagnoses, and am feeling better than I have in years.  I had to quit my fulltime classroom job a year and a half ago because I was so weak.  Now I am hopeful I might get a classroom back next school year!  In the meantime I am working one-on-one with hearing impaired students throughout the state.  They are ages 3 - 17, so I have a huge variety of ages to work with.

Today I wanted to share a Math Center I made for my younger students.  I personally think it is a win - win because it takes a little time and the students are always begging for more.  I was inspired after a trip to Lowe's.



I despise Lowe's because my husband could spend all day there.  So, as a teacher I will look at an item and think "OK, what can I do with this?"




I think you might be getting an idea of where I am going with this!


Genius!  I bought the largest screws I could find and numbered them 6 - 10.  Then I bought several matching nuts for each screw.  I put different math combinations using price tags on each screw, and voila!  A fun math center that the kids love to visit!

And there you have it!  My mind began racing with all of the variations you could make.  Think about putting a letter of the alphabet on each screw and words with initial sounds on the nuts.  (like pair the screw "P" with nuts that have "pig", "pet", and "pan" on the screws.  Once I start thinking like this, my mind is spinning for days!

Hope this inspires you.  Please check my blog every Monday.  That's when I make Freebies to share.