Numbers Galore Resources

Hello bloggy world! It’s been quite a while!! I have been swamped, but LOVING my new position. Sorry to have neglected you guys!

I have somewhat of an update on my Numbers Galore resource.  I have been getting TONS of questions and requests and as much as I would love to be able to accommodate all of them, time just doesn’t allow it!  So, I thought I would share all the versions I’ve made so far and maybe that would help a lot of people.  It’ll be a long one, but remember they’re FREE! Here we go:

Numbers Galore – ORIGINAL version
This version has both Print font and D’Nealian-style font. The ten frames are filled from left to right.

Numbers Galore – No Dots (Print Style Font)
This version has the Print style font and the ten-frames are unfilled so students can fill them as practice.

Numbers Galore-With Hyphens
This version has the Print style font and D’Nealian style font.  The number words (where necessary) also have a hyphen.

Numbers Galore-Spanish Version
This version has the Print style font and D’Nealian style font but it is done in Spanish.  (Numbers 0-20 only).

Numbers Galore-ABC Print Font
This version is done in ABC Print font.

 

I hope to eventually get this pack up to 180 with some place value stuff in it too.  But, for now…this is what we’ve got! :)

One question that I get a lot is “What are the circles on the right for?”  This is essentially part-part-whole.  The number provided (ex: 8) is the whole and students can put any two numbers that add up to the whole in the two part circles (ex: 3 and 5, 4 and 4, 1 and 7, etc.). Hope that makes sense!

If you have further suggestions or ideas, please let me know!

Math Monday is BAACK!!: Animal Plate Math

Hello bloggy friends!! It’s been a while! I have been busy getting acclimated in my new position and let me just tell you…God knows what He’s doing.  I’ve been so blessed by each and every kiddo I’m working with and have seen so much progress in just two short weeks! L-O-V-E it!

On to the fun stuff..Math Monday is baaack!! It’s been a long time but I think you’ll like this one!  And there’s a freebie at the end!  So stick with me!

Have you seen these A-DOR-ABLE plates?

These are the Hefty ZooPals plates!  This is the Safari pack I think…they rotate the collections yearly so there are sometimes different kinds.  The kiddos absolutely LOVE LOVE them!!  You might be thinking, yeah to eat off of…but how can you teach with them?  Well have I got a solution for you! 
I use these to help teach part-part-whole, lead into addition using “and”, teach addition, and teach fact families.  I use them ALL YEAR long in math small groups for kinder!  Let me show you:

Now do you see?  The ears become parts and the mouth/face area becomes the whole!  At the beginning of the year, we count into the whole section.  So I might say the number 9 and the kiddos count 9 manipulatives into the whole section.  After this is mastered, we count into the whole and then count into the part sections.  So they might put 9 manipulatives in the whole and then we practice putting combinations of manipulatives in the part sections (ears) to make nine.  They could have 4 in one ear and 5 in the other, 1 in one ear and 8 in the other, etc.  We talk about how the parts make up the whole.  Then, we practice backwards.  I dictate “Put 3 in one ear, put 4 in the other.”  Then the kiddos have to put the same number in the whole.  So they would count how many are in both ears TOGETHER and put 7 in the whole section.  After this skill is mastered, we practice filling both parts and the whole and saying a math sentence to match.  So if there were 3 and 4 in the parts and 7 in the whole I would model and students would say “3 and 4 make 7.”  Then once this is mastered we use “plus” and “equals.”  So they would say “3 plus 4 equals 7.”  Then, we would do fact families using these!  It’s so great because there is the background knowledge of each step using the plates.  The kiddos become familiar with them and know what the parts are & what the steps are!  So in case that was confusing, here are the different levels I use with these fun plates:

1. Count into whole section.
2. Count into whole section.  Then count same number into part sections.
    Ex: 7 in whole, 3 and 4 in parts
3. Count into parts sections.  Then count same number into whole section.
4. Fill in parts and whole.  Say “part AND part MAKES whole.”
    Ex: “3 and 4 makes 7”
5. Fill in parts and whole.  Say “part PLUS part EQUALS whole.”
    Ex: “3 plus 4 equals 7”
6. Fill in parts and whole.  Talk about fact families!!

Now for the freebie!  I have also found while working with these it is great to have some type of recording sheet for the kiddos to keep track.  Especially at the beginning!  So of course, you get them for FREE!  Click on the picture below or HERE to grab them!

Enjoy!  And happy beginning of the year!

Welcoming Ms. Boyle from Great {First Grade} Expectations-Mathtastic Work Groups

First things first, can I just say I am THRILLED to be guest blogging at Wild About Teaching from my usual little spot at over at Great {First Grade} Expectations! I'm all about warm and friendly welcomes, so consider this my hug from North Carolina saying how excited I am to be sharing some info about how I run ship...the math ship...in the classroom!

True confession. Math was never my forte.

I do not mean to imply that I don't recognize the MAJOR importance of problem solving, formulas, and the like, but I truly remember the moment that I recognized I wasn't "good" at math, and it was all over for me. I like to blame my lack of personal enthusiasm for the subject on the way I was taught to memorize in grade school (which I could totally do!) and then I hit more advanced concepts where I was expected to understand the way the numbers and symbols worked with one another. When it came time to not just "know", but truly understand and apply, I was toast.

This is why I now love teaching math! I have adapted styles of guided math groups and Daily 5 Math to work specifically for the group of little ones I teach this year, and I have been amazed by their growth and mastery of understanding how numbers work!

My version of Daily 5 math operates under a 1 hour time block, and this session is jam packed! The basic structure goes like this:

• 10 minutes: Whole group mini lesson to introduce concept of the day. We go for high energy, interactive lessons that keep their hands and minds busy!
• 15 minutes: Rotation 1
• 5 minutes: Check in
• 15 minutes: Rotation 2
• 5 minutes: Check in
• 10 minutes: Wrap up lesson, Review of previously learned objective, or let's be honest...squeeze in one of the never-ending assessments that we are all required to hand out!

Ok. So that's the basic time outline I use, but of course this is easily adaptable based on how long you choose to make your mini lessons or number of rotations you are able to complete in a day! I really do recommend giving the full 5 minute "check in" time a try though because it is insane the quality of work my kiddos turn out in a short amount of time when they know I will devote a full minute or so on each small group while providing instant feedback (usually...PRAISE!) They love this time, and each little math brain is super motivated to not just get through their work, but to go above and beyond to show off their smart thinking!

So my rotation labels are as follows:

Solve 2 Self: Think "Read to Self." I simply place whichever activity and materials in labeled tub and students in this group visit the bin and return to any place around the room where they can focus independently. Keep clipboards handy! I do admit...many times I will place assessments in this rotation so that I do not have to use precious instructional time delivering one of the bajillion required assessments while feeling like I'm wasting time walking aroudn the room. They can handle this independently...I PROMISE! It just takes a lot of training during the first quarter!

Foundational: This rotation is completed in pairs or small groups. Oftentimes students are using manipulates such as connecting cubes, shapes, dice, etc. to put to practice what we are currently working on in our guided math groups. This station is always a hit!

Writing: My favorite!! While I do enjoy teaching math now, writing is still holds a tender place in my heart<3 I have a variety of writing papers that require students to create their own story problems practicing a variety of different strategies to solve. Also, many times they will write response statements to observations we have made during whole group mini lessons. Think mini thesis papers about math, shapes, probability, graphing. So stinking smart...I'm always absolutely amazed!!

Fact Fluency: Yes, there is a time and place for memorizing! Do y'all sometimes struggle with explaining to non-teachers how memorizing multiplication facts is just not appropriate for the average first grader?! I mean...they are all special, not average, but still...it's not doing them any favors! I know. I was a queen memorizer, and eventually it caught up to me when I didn't know what on earth the numbers and symbols meant! This is a sigh of relief for the adults who want to be able to do some sort of drill and practice at home! AFTER, the kids have proven to me they understand a concept we have learned, and practiced, and practiced some more...they may then memorize in this center! We use dice, number lines, modified flash cards, and memory games to build their fluency with manipulating numbers. It is important to be efficient after all!

Investigate: This rotation is for discovery! Students might go on a measurement hunt, look for
shapes in their classroom environment, or poll other members in their group to create a variety of graphs.


Lastly, it is important to recognize that one of the groups is working with the TEACHER! During both math rotations I am working with a small group on our classroom carpet or gathering place.

I have divided my class into three groups, and it is unlike Daily 5 in that my students don't choose the rotation they would like to visit. I use my Smart Board to move the group names to where they will be working. Then, they move as a collective group like a little gaggle of geese to their specified location. It's a grab-and-go of their tub of materials and we're off to learning!

Phew! I hope this is not too overwhelming or confusing! I adore questions though, and would be excited to see what y'all think! What approach do other teachers use when setting up math rotations?

Thanks again to the fabulous Lacey for allowing me to visit and guest blog on her adorable page this evening! You are always sharing such wonderful ideas, and it has been a privilege to share with you!

Happy Learning!

Math Mondays: Estimation

Have you seen this pin floating around Pinterest?

Source

I saw it and LOVE this idea!  Usually when you think estimation you think jars of different amounts of items.  Estimation is such a necessary skill for kiddos to be successful later in their education and sometimes I think it is so easily overlooked!  In my experiences, I have seen students get frustrated and confused when it comes to estimation because there are no real rules to it.  Really when they practice estimating you are ultimately also teaching reasonableness.  For example, it would be unreasonable to say that there were a million trees on the paper on the left in the picture above.  But, we take for granted that students don’t realize this might be unreasonable.  So, giving students an environment where they can practice estimation in many different ways is key!  At first they might give unreasonable answers and that is OKAY! It’s an opportunity to discuss how they came to that answer and how they could come up with a more reasonable answer.  It’s an opportunity for them to learn! I could go on and on about how key estimation is to a firm foundation!  It also relates to spatial awareness and beginnings of repeated addition and arrays, etc.

So, I created a simple little estimation math center.  FREE to you! 

It comes with six cards with different candies.  Students ESTIMATE, not count, how many they think are on the card and then record it.  Then they identify which card they think has the most and least.  There is an answer key included as well!  Enjoy!

 

 

 

                    I’m linking up with: Click above to go check out some AWESOME freebies!

Math {Supposed to be…} Monday!-Subitizing & Ten Frames

Okay so I had really good intentions.  All last week I planned out this idea to start a “Math Monday” feature and was excited about the first post.  Well…Monday came and the weather was gorgeous…and I just couldn’t pull myself away from the pool Monday afternoon/evening!  So here is what was supposed to be Math Monday on a Wednesday…sorry!

In a lot of the math materials I create and use I utilize ten frames.  I am a HUGE fan of them!  I’ll be honest…I didn’t used to be.  But there are so many ways to use them to teach and reinforce math concepts. You have probably seen them in some of the things I've created, like…

                          
I have gotten a lot of questions (which are wonderful!) about the way the ten frames are filled.  The “traditional” way to fill a ten frame is to go from left to right on the top line and then start on the bottom line going left to right.  Like so…

I think it is so important for kiddos to be able to recognize ten frames that are filled in traditionally, but I also think it is extremely important to be able to recognize numbers no matter what formation they are in.  The fancy name for this is subitizing.  Basically subitizing is recognizing a set and being able to name that set quickly, without counting.  So, I love to use ten frames like this…

You see, the first thing your kiddos will see on this ten frame is that there are 2 dots on the left and 3 on the right.  But, a kiddo who has the skill of subitizing down pat will automatically see that this is five!  And without realizing it they also know that 2 and 3 equals five…and there is the beginning foundations for addition.  Incredible, huh?

There is also another way I use ten frames…

This ten frame was filled two at a time.  So I filled the top left corner then the bottom left corner, and so on.  This one is incredible for a visual on odd vs. even!  If you teach kiddos that every top dot has to have a “buddy” bottom dot for an even number they will be able to look at a ten frame quickly and know if it is odd or even.  Another way that I reinforce this is having kiddos use their fingers.  For example, if we were talking about the number 7, kiddos would start by holding up two fists in the air (and I would be doing it also to model).  We would start counting, 1…hold one finger up on right hand, 2…hold one finger up on left hand, 3…hold second finger up on right hand, 4…hold second finger up on left hand, etc. until we got to 7.  We would end up with 4 on one hand and 3 on the other.  Then we would put our fingers together (only the ones standing up) to find their buddy (pointer finger to pointer finger, etc.).  Then students would realize the same thing they did with the ten frame…there is one finger without a buddy (the odd man out) so it’s an odd number!  If all fingers had a buddy then it would be an even number!  The kiddos catch on to this really fast!

Now, I’m a clipart/theme-aholic! So I created some fun themed ten frames to use throughout the year.  They include all three different types of ten frames I talked about above in each different theme.  The kiddos love the variations!

You can also download the preview on TpT and get the black with dots I showed above for free!  Check it out!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If there is something you would like to see featured on Math Mondays, please let me know!!

Technology Tuesday! and Dollar Tree finds!

If you’ve been here long you know I LOVE LOVE using technology in the classroom!  I especially love it when technology can drive a concept home in a different way.  I’m a firm believer in presenting the same information in many, many ways.  In our classrooms (whether you have 15 or 30 students) we are blessed with a variety of kiddos.  Not a single one the same.  This is obvious in personality, prior knowledge, etc.  But, it is also true about their learning styles.  Some kiddos learn by using hands on activities (i.e. manipulatives), some learn from visual aids (i.e. posters, etc.), some learn by listening, some learn by writing…the list could go on and on.  I have found that especially in the younger grades, hands on activities and visual aids are HUGE.  Not that the others don’t exist, because they do.  But, often in the younger grades you are that child’s first experience with that concept or topic…they don’t have prior knowledge.  Providing them with memorable activities and visuals will imprint that concept/topic and allow them to be successful later.  To me, technology many times combines hands on with visual in a beautiful way.  This is especially true if you have a SMARTboard or a Promethean in your classroom!  So, today I want to share with you an incredible math resource that can be used in all grades and all math concepts.
McGraw Hill Education has an online interactive “Math Toolbox” (as I like to call it).  You can select your grade level (PreK-8) and then there are various game boards, story boards and workmats.  There are also various manipulatives to use!

There is also a text tool so you, as the teacher, can provide a problem for the students to work out.  Here is a simple addition one I made.  Then students can use the bears on the left to show their thinking.

Students can even use a pen tool to write the equation.  There is SO much available here as a resource.  There are also different backgrounds with ten frames, etc.  I LOVE this resource and it is hugely beneficial if you have any kind of interactive whiteboard as well!  This is one of my many go to resources!  I would love to hear how you find it useful in your classroom!  Please don’t take my word for it!  Go check it out HERE.
Now for something totally unrelated to technology, but I think you all will appreciate it!  I went to the Dollar Tree today and I walked in and saw this:
         
I’m sure most of you share my love of plastic containers!  So I thought I would share the abundance.  Hit up your local Dollar Tree and see what you find!
I also found these adorable color books! 












They are made of thin cardboard so I think they would hold up pretty well in a classroom library. They are perfect for beginning of the year kinders!
Just thought I would share these great finds with you!  Hope you enjoy!
Also…I have reached 200 followers!  I have a great giveaway that I’m announcing tomorrow, so stay tuned!

Numbers Galore 20 to 50-FREEBIE

So back at the beginning of my blogging journey I posted a freebie.  You might recognize it below:
      

Get it here:

Y’all.  The post has been viewed 7945 times!! And the TpT listing has been downloaded 15,683 times!!!!!! INSANE.--IT HAS NOW BEEN UPDATED FOR NUMBERS 0-100!!

Okay…now for TECHNOLOGY TUESDAY!!

I don’t know about you, but my kiddos loved Sid the Science kid!

Well I was perusing the PBS kids website and there are lots of videos from Sid the Science Kid about Earth Day related topics! Click on the picture below to go to the video player:

Now you have to scroll through the list to find the related videos, but here’s a little help!  These are the ones I found related to Earth Day.

Full Episode-“Clean air!”
Clip-“Earth Day Tips from Sid!”
Clip-“Backseat Driving with Grandma: Recycling”
Clip-“Ways to Make Less Trash”
Clip-“Recycling!”
Clip-“Sid and His Mom Talk About Air Pollution”
Clip-“Ways We Can Not Waste Water”
Enjoy!! 

Domino Fun! & A Fun Verb Pack from a Friend

Sorry I’ve been a little MIA lately!  Spent some great time with family this past weekend.  Made some of these:

Source

Snickers Cheesecakes! Yes they are as good as they look. Maybe better!
Anyways…my kiddos loved working with dominoes in math!  We would use them for number recognition by matching the correct ends and actually playing dominoes or we would use them for addition by adding the two sides.  My higher kiddos even used them for subtraction towards the end of the year by having to identify which number was larger and then subtract the smaller. But they always got a little bored with everyday dominoes!  So, I thought why not use some of the adorable clipart and make some fun ones!!
Here’s a free set of dino dominoes!  There is a recording sheet included for addition using dominoes.

Get it FREE here:

Here are two other sets I made.  I made a princess set for the girls and a superhero set for the boys! They have sorting mats to sort the dominoes by sum.  They’d be great for centers or for small group games!

Get for $2.75 here:

Get for $2.75 here:

How do you use dominoes for math practice?  Or maybe for other areas?  I’d love to hear your ideas!

Also, don’t forget about the anchor chart linky party with a twist!  I’d love to get tons of anchor charts to include.  Remember, if you don’t want to take the time to link up you can email me to give me permission to use charts from your blog and I will go find them!   Click on the picture below to go to the original post!

You should ALSO check out Marie's Verb Pack from The Hands on Teacher!  It's on sale for $2.50 for the next two days!

 

Get ready for Technology Tuesday tomorrow!  I’ve got TWO things to share