Games are a great way to reinforce math skills because kids are getting practice within the context of something fun. And when kids get to be a part of making the game, well, it’s even more fun. Here’s an easy game to make with your child that will help develop skills such as: numeral recognition counting beginning addition facts concentration Materials Needed: 20 4 x 5 blank index cards or cardstock stickers and/or rubber stamps 10-frames (optional) Directions: Help your…
This is an easy activity to do with students that shows the set model of multiplication: number of groups x number of objects in each group. Students (or the teacher) chooses the number of groups/circles to work with. Then they choose how many they want in each group and use stickers, rubber stamps or actual object to place in each circle. Students can glue their circles onto construction paper and record the multiplication equation underneath. Makes a great bulletin board!…
Patterns. It was always a theme throughout the school year in my mathematics classes. So to kick-off patterns, during the first week of school, the students create a color pattern using their name. Then, we discuss the patterns made by names of different lengths. It may seem like a simple activity, but some great conversations can be generated when students focus on the reasons why certain patterns appear. For example, in the photo above, there are 15 squares in each…
I love doing this activity with kindergartners and first graders! Not only is it a great way for them to practice their addition facts but these little guys LOVE writing on their individual white board, so it’s a win/win! And it’s so simple. Here’s what you do: Without turning it on, put ONE domino on the overhead projector or doc camera. Tell students that you are going to flash a domino for a few seconds and their job is to…
Estimates help us predict the reasonableness of an answer. Having students make an estimate before they perform the calculation, and even writing the estimate next to the problem, can help them to focus on making the numbers (and the problem) make sense. Example: 3.2 x 9.8 = Students use benchmarks to determine that 3.2 is close to 3 and 9.8 is close to 10, therefore, a reasonable estimate would be 3 x 10 = 30. If students perform the actual…