Karyn's Blog

Flower Pots in the Math Classroom – A Fun Project for PreK-1

August 31, 2012 Karyn Comments 0 Comment

This fun hands-on activity is a great way to reinforce counting and develop number sense in preschoolers, kindergartners, and first graders. It’s best done in small groups of 4-5 students. The video below goes over the directions in detail and offers ideas for differentiation. Click here for the pdf version. Materials Needed: • 4” Flower pots, 1/student • Blackboard spray paint • Colored chalk • Hairspray • Wiggly eyes, 6/student • Popsicle sticks, 4/student • Die cut flowers, 3/student •…

Measuring and Estimating with the Summer Olympics 2012

August 8, 2012 Karyn Comments 0 Comment

Have your kids been watching the summer Olympics? Are they itching to see how far they can jump or throw objects? In honor of the 2012 Summer Olympics, we’re going to give our kids a chance to compete in their own track and field events…and sneak in a little math while we’re at it! For each of the events below, use masking tape to indicate the starting line. Give kids an opportunity to practice each of the events before the…

Numeral Writing Practice…the Yummy Way!

August 6, 2012 Karyn Comments 0 Comment

Here’s a super easy and yummy way to practice numeral writing. Non-cook peanut butter dough. The bonus is that kids get to make the recipe which is also a fun math activity! The recipe for the dough comes in two versions…the “regular” and the “healthy”. Click here for the recipes.

Easy Strategies to Get Students to Understand Fractions: Multiplying, Dividing, Simplifying, Equivalence

July 25, 2012 Karyn Comments 0 Comment

Fractions, or parts of a whole, have often been difficult for students to understand. This is often the result of rhymes such as “Mine is not to reason why, just invert and multiply”. But when we teach fractions this way, math become a set of mysterious rules and procedures that need to be memorized. But if we can show students why operations on fractions work the way they do, we take out the mystery of math. Then math begins to…

Numeral Writing Practice in the Tub!

July 24, 2012 Karyn Comments 0 Comment

Here’s another fun idea to get your preschooler/kindergartner to practice their numeral writing skills. Shaving cream! Best if done in the tub where clean-up is easy. Also, add a drop or two of food coloring to make it even more fun. Although, if your tub walls have grout lines, I recommend not using the coloring as it can stain the grout. Extension: Have them draw different shapes.