Addition Strategies

Updated 2/26/15

My class has been working on their fluency with addition. During number talks, they have opportunities to think about numbers mentally. At first, so many of my students thought mental math was invisible stacking. I saw some of them “writing” on the air. Now, they are beginning to think about numbers in new ways. They are breaking numbers up by their place value or finding close benchmark numbers. I am so proud of my kiddos. I created an addition strategy graphic organizer for my students to keep in their math journals as a reference. I also let them take a copy home to discuss the strategies they are using in class with their parents. Click here to download your FREE graphic organizer!

Math Machine

 

I have used peer helpers for years in my classroom. Together with my students, we really can divide and conquer. My kiddo love to help each other!! Taking advantage of peer helpers gives me more time to work with my small groups.

For spiral review, I determine which students should be helpers based on their performance on previous classroom tests. I usually pull a small group for intervention on the skill while the helpers partner up with one or two of their peers. Depending on the skill, I may provide an answer key to my helpers to make confirming correct answers quicker.

For new concepts, I give students an assignment to complete while I work with my small groups. Using a premade key, I quickly check the first few students who finish the assignment. The students who correctly complete the assignment may help their peers and check their work. These students may use their own work as a key. Each helper has a green pen which they use to mark correct problems leaving incorrect problems blank.

This year, I created a Math Machine Helper Badge for my helpers. Each helper will get a badge and a green pen. Click here to get your Free Math Machine Helper Badges!

Update: I have started using the Math Machine Badges differently in my classroom. Students now earn a math machine badge by standing out as a mathematician through their insight, math talk, problem solving, effort, collaboration, etc. As I observe these things I give the students the badge immediately, so that they know why I am giving them the badge. Let me tell you they wear the badges with pride!  

 

Capture the Factor

Updated 2/26/15

Capture the Factor is a engaging game in which students practice finding the factors of numbers 1-36. This game is easy to set-up, easy to learn, and my kiddos LOVE it!!

 

If you are looking for more factor or multiple resources checkout my Factor and Multiple Bundle!

Teamwork In Math

 

Earlier this week, I used my Rounding Practice Snowball Fight game to kick off our rounding unit. This game contains preprinted numbers with a specific place underlined. Having a rounding snowball fight is a fun way for me to pre-assess my students. After a 1 minute snowball fight, students one by one open their snowballs and round the number on it to the underline place. On my clipboard, I marked a + by a student’s name if they answered correctly or a – if they answered incorrectly. I use this information to decide which students need to come back to my small group table.

Because my students kept begging to play again, Friday I decided to take the last 10 minutes of class to have another snowball fight. After 1 minute snowball fight, I asked each student to pick up one snowball. I explained that I wanted them to order themselves (the whole class) from least to greatest using the numbers on their snowballs. I challenged them to complete the task in 3 minutes. I told them they would be able to have another 1 minute snowball fight if they completed the task in time.

I sat back and watched as my students attempted this challenge. It was so cool to see leaders pop up in each class to help organize the others. Three out of four of my math classes were not able to arrange themselves in order in time. For these classes, we discussed what they could have done differently to be successful. This turned out to be the BEST discussion. I am definitely adding this to my MUST do every year as teamwork and cooperation lesson. The class that did complete the challenge was so proud of themselves. After their additional reward snowball fight, we discussed why they thought they were successful.

Factors & Multiples

I am so excited about two new games I created.

In years past, I have had some students who have had difficulty remembering the difference between factors and multiples. They understand both concepts, but they just keep mixing up the vocabulary. To help my students visualize the word multiple, I created my Multiple Mountain math center. The board for this activity is a large mountain. Students draw a card, and then climb the mountain by writing the multiples of a number on the card. Multiple Mountain

 

I also created a factor matching game designed to build understanding of the concept of factors. The game contains 30 jars and lids. Each jar is filled with fireflies marked with the factors of a specific number. Students match a lid labeled with a composite number under 50 to the correct jar filled with fireflies. This game is also designed to help students remember the difference between factors and multiples. The firefly factors inside the jar help students visualize factors as numbers inside a number. Firefly Factors

Thousand Chart

We just finished the second week of school. This week was really our first week of math instruction since we mainly taught procedures last week. We kicked off our addition unit by creating a one thousand chart. Last year, we made a 1,000 scroll. The students cut out 10 small hundreds charts and glued them on receipt paper, and then stapled a straw to both ends. That was a cute idea in theory, but it took my students FOREVER to cut out all the hundreds charts and glue them onto the receipt paper. Then the scrolls kept falling out of their journals and I found them all over my classroom. This year, I came up with a new plan----wait for it....  I copied ten (full sheet) blank hundreds charts for each student. I used a paper cutter to slice the extra paper off the top and the bottom of the charts so that they would fit in the composition notebooks they use as their math journals. Let me tell you, this was the best solution!! Not only did it save so much time, my kiddos will have access to their chart for month to come since it is glued into their journals. I have included a blank hundred chart in my Free Thousand Chart (see below).

 

I also created a classroom thousand chart. I wanted a chart for my classroom so that we could easily discuss place value patterns using numbers from 1 to 1,000. Because the chart is laminated, my students may write on it with dry erase markers. Click here to download your free Thousand Chart!

 

I also created a printable booklet. Click here to get your free Printable Booklet!

 

 

Think About It!

We started school on Monday and I have to say ----I am so excited about this school year!! In addition to meeting all my new kiddos, I am excited about our classroom management plan. Since we are departmentalized, I teach in a pod with three fabulous 4th grade teachers. This year we want to help students learn to take responsibility for their actions. We decided on a few questions we would like our students to think about when they don't make a good choice. I created two posters using the questions we created. Click here to get your FREE poster set. We each designated a spot in our classroom to place the posters. As a part of our beginning of the year procedures, we taught our new students how to walk to the designated spot and how to answer the questions.