Math Fact Fluency

In the primary grades, it is so important for students to gain math fluency.  It will help them the rest of their lives.  But some get it quick and others need LOTS of practice throughout the school year and beyond.

One thing that I think promotes fluency and my students just love is our daily math password.  Every day I write a problem on the board and as the students come into the classroom they whisper it in my ear.  Sometimes I help them with the problem by suggesting a strategy (count on).

Math Code, Password

Another whole group game that excites my students every time is what some call the Snowball Game.  I have my students sit around the carpet facing out with whiteboards on their laps.  When I say "GO!", they grab two snowballs, open and add.  This game has so many uses...and it's FUN!

One other thing that we do to gain fluency with math facts to 20 is practice on our desks with dry erase markers.  The kids are so quiet on the days that we do this which is an added bonus!

 I also  try to use objects and problems that the students might find in the real world.  I want them to see math is important and is useful.

I created a pack of no prep activities to print and use at any time that my students need more practice with fact fluency.  This pack is great for whole-group, independent practice, centers or even homework.  These activities are a fun way to help support all learners.

 No Prep - Addition and Subtraction Within 20

At the end of the day, I just want my students to go to the grocery store and be able to do mental math and not be the person counting on their fingers!

Merry Math

I last posted about my struggle with two-digit addition with regrouping and have had some time to think about possible solutions.

My personal go-to is reading.  I read current and relevant texts when I'm unsure of what to do next.



One of my favorite books for meeting with mathematicians in small groups is Math Exchanges by Kassia Omohundro Wedekind.  On her blog Math Exchanges, she wrote,
In my book I talk a lot about how math exchanges must be both contextually meaningful and mathematically significant. Many times “contextually meaningful” means relevant or useful to the life of the mathematician solving the problem. 
This got me thinking about giving students situations that were relevant to them.  And after Thanksgiving what else is there but TOYS?!



In the text, Learning to Love Math by Judy Willis, she shared her theory about learning from video games.  She wrote,
Video games are an example of the lure of achievable challenge because they help students reach personally desirable goals...These goals can be translated into mathematics as long as we use the model of achievable challenge (through differentiation and individualization) and connect our teaching goals with students' personal goals and interest.
This challenges me as an educator.  I have to find the achievable challenge for each student knowing that they will all be different.  For my whole group lessons, I determined that I would use the Gradual Release of Responsibility by amping up the problems each time.



Maggie Siena wrote, in her book From Reading to Math,
There is no one best way to teach math.
Confidence is paramount.
Professional development is important for teaching all students.
Everyone has the potential to understand math.
What I really honed in on in my personal quest was the idea that the student had to have confidence. Again this leads me to the GRR and teaching with Concrete, Representational and Abstract sequence.  I need to give the students in my class every opportunity to feel successful and to do this I need to create building blocks that they can stack and depend on to support them.


Here leads to my freebie!  I wanted to create materials to use the first week back that incorporated all these great things I've learned about math instruction.

Click on the link or pictures to pick up yours :)

SANTA'S TOYS: Two-Digit Addition with Regrouping

I hope you enjoy this week and give thanks for all that you have because life is precious!!

Adding and Subtracting with Place Value

I have new math centers for Adding and Subtracting with Place Value!  

You can get your free copy here----> Adding and Subtracting with Place Value

Addition/Subtraction Center FREEBIE!

The other day I showed a problem my students had been solving, There's three chickens and 2 horses.  How many legs in all? It really pushed their thinking because they had to know more than one thing: the animal and how many legs the animal had.  I mentioned that they all started by adding the animals and then slowly came to other realizations.

 

 

 

So as I have been thinking about my next bunch of centers I thought that I would like to continue this kind of thinking.  Here is my freebie: How Many Legs in All?

 

The students will drop 3 pencil cap erasers onto the board.  Draw the three animals the erasers land on.  Add up the amount of legs (three addends).  Then take one animal {and their legs!} away.

 

This was also my first foray at making my own set of graphics :)

 

I hope you and your students enjoy!

Jen

 



No Place Like tReE!

I'm back with more Common Core goodies!!  Today I stuck with Operations & Algebraic Thinking.
As I help with curriculum design for my county I'm continually reminded about the increased writing and having students provide evidence.  I truly see the value in both and included it in this math center.  Today during lunch a bunch of teachers from different schools were commenting on the "Paper Problem"!  All of our schools have some sort of paper restriction.  With that in mind I included journaling into this center.  I know our firsties need LOTS of support so I made headings and an example journal page....I also included language stems and helpful words!!  I hope you find it useful in the coming year :)

No Place Like tReE!

Common Core Math

As I prepare myself for the coming school year I can't help but think of the Common Core State Standards.  I'm ready for the challenge and I am very excited.

With all this SuMMeR! time on my hands I thought I would start Common Core Math centers for each of the standards.  What fun!

So when you see this ----->
you will know that it is a new center that corresponds with a CCSS standard.  The strand is also listed but you will have to go to the center to see the actual standard.


My first endeavor is PaNDa PuRSuiT that focuses on true and false addition equations.  Remember that the core's big focus is proving it....so make sure to check out the student independent work sheet!

Adding and Subtracting with a Number Line

Inspiration is all around you!  This game was inspired by my sister-in-law's father, Randy, who loves his Harley!  I saw the graphic and knew I had to create a game with it....although it took me a bit to figure out what and how. 

The students select a card, use their number line to solve and move their playing piece on the Hog Heaven board.

Hog Heaven: Adding and Subtracting with a Number line

Enjoy!

Math goodies to make life easy and breezy!

Math Goodies!!!  My kids love the code to get in the door.  I laminated it and change it daily by just using a dry erase marker.  When the kids come into the room I crouch down and they whisper it in my ear.  

*Click on the links to download the documents for FREE!*

Math Code, Password

I have math centers, and while I am running small groups the kiddos still have question...can you believe it?!  I have found that if I explain each center in detail to one child per week and make them the Math Expert that I have a lot less interruptions and can really focus on my small groups.

Math Expert

This is a game to use with Candy Land.  The students pull a math card and if they can find the missing number in either an addition or subtraction problem then they get to select one of the game's card and move that amount of spaces on the board.  There will be more of these to come, so check back for them!

Candy Land, What's Missing- Addition and Subtraction

Math Ideas- Addition and Subtraction

Click on the red link to access the document to print for FREE!

Spin, Subtract and Color, provided two spinners for each student. I have mine labeled 1 & 2.  On 1, I have numbers 11-18 and on 2, I have numbers labeled 0-10 (purchased at Dollar Tree).  The students spin and subtract and then color the difference.

Spin and Graph- Each student will need copies of the playing mats, a graph, a cookie sheet and a top.  The student will lay the playing mat onto the cookie sheet, spin the top, solve the equation and fill in the graph for the sum of the  equation.

Shinning Stars Subtraction- Each student needs a playing mat (several are included), cubes, a die and a recording sheet.  Directions are attached.

Part Part Whole Addition- Students will cut out pieces, glue and solve.

Bunches of Beads- Students will get out an ice tray and beads.  The will read the label adhered to the bottom of each section.  The students will use beads to figure out the sum of the equation listed on the label.  The students will solve, write and illustrate.

Candy Cane Race, Addition-   2 players will separately add two candy canes together to get a sum.  The person with the greater sum colors in a section of their candy cane.  The first candy cane colored indicates the winner.

Domino Addition, Ten Frame- Use dominoes to represent the problem in a ten frame.  Cut the dominoes at the bottom of the page.  Color one side red and the other side blue (of the domino).  Fill in the ten frame using the colors/numbers on the dominoes. Then fill in the equation.

Dice, adding one or two more- Students and/or teachers can create these dice.  In this partner game, two players take turns rolling the dice, writing the equation and then solving with counters.