Archive for June, 2012
Bowling to Learn Subtraction: Great Guided Math and Center Activities
Bowling is a great way to teach children subtraction through ten. Afterall, there are ten pins and when you throw, away they go. Buy a real play bowling set from Target, Walmart or Kmart and roll away! You can also make or downlowd bowling subtraction sheets. And of course, there are virtual versions of bowling to practice subtraction! I love the internet!
Be sure to have the children talk about what they rolled and what remains. This takes the conversation to the abstract level, especially if you record some of the thinking. It might sound like this: “So Maria, you knocked down 3 pins. How many more pins do you need to topple all ten?” That type of question frames it as a 3 + ? = 10 Or, it might sound like this, ” Taylor, you had 10 and bowled away 5, how many are left?” That type of question frames it as 10-5 =?
After you play this a great deal, you can set up these types of problems in the word problem center and students then have a context for solving these problems. Remember that concrete, pictorial and then abstract scaffolds mathematical success!
Here are a few links to get you started!
First Grade Schoolbox (includes pictures)
Happy Mathing,
Dr. Nicki
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Great Number Counting Activities: Guided Math Explorations and Math Centers
Kindergarten Crayons has posted some excellent counting and cardinality activities. These are very appropriate for kindergarten and early first grade. I especially like the number maps and the surveys!
Happy Mathing,
Dr. Nicki
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Think Dot Activities: Great Math Center Activities
Think Dots is a great structure to provide for students to practice math concepts and skills. Think Dots are designed with readiness levels, interests and learning styles in mind. You can use these activities as on-going assessments.
Think Dot mats can be done with a variety of activities. Each student rolls the die and then does the corresponding activity. For example, if a student rolls a 1, then they do the activity designated in that square. Here are a few math Think Dot ideas.
Happy Mathing,
Dr. Nicki
K-1 CCSS Math Assessments for FREE!
Education Northwest has created these CCSS Toolkits for Assessing Mathematical Understanding for kindergarten and first-grade students that “provides both cumulative data about students’ progress over time and in-depth diagnostic information.” EN states that it is a tool, intended “to help teachers track student progress, identify particular difficulties, and generally inform instructional planning.” Be sure to check this out. You have to sign up, which is free, to download all the materials.
Happy Mathing,
Dr. Nicki
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Great Calendar of Events
Use this calendar with your students to stay informed!
Happy Mathing,
Dr. Nicki
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Number Baggies: Building Automaticy through 10
Number Baggies! What a great, easy, fun manipulative. This is another way to make complements of numbers and do number bond activities.
Happy Mathing,
Dr. Nicki
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Creative Math Projects
Crayola has some great math ideas! Check them out.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Free Floor Sized Number Line
Marsha McGuire is the Best! She has created a FREE Floor sized numberline! What a brilliant idea! It’s something the kids can actually use in a hands-on, feets-on way! They can literally show you on the numberline by walking it or pointing to it! It is a great FREE tool. Did I mention it was FREE?!:)
*PS–Numberlines are a big part of the math CCSS.
Happy Mathing,
Dr. Nicki
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )CCSS Math Resources
Here is a great page of links for the CCSS math standards.
Happy Mathing,
Dr. Nicki
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