Centerpiece

Earlier in the school year, I had the opportunity to go to a Kagan Cooperative Learning workshop. You may have seen my post.  If you missed it, you can click HERE to go back and take a look. Kagan is a revolutionary approach to teaching that actively engages every student.  It's "structures" are amazing and the kids eat them up every time we do them!

One structure that I love is called "Centerpiece."  You can play with any subject area, but I tend to play with Math more often than anything else.  Just copy some review pages of whatever skill you're wanting your kids to practice.  If everyone is doing the same thing, I will copy the different papers on different colors.  For example, in the photograph below, a group is working on addition.  I had 5 different worksheets for them to practice with.  I copied each one on a different color.  If you wish to differentiate, just chose more basic problems for your strugglers, just-right problems for your on levels and advanced problems for your higher achievers.  You can color code the sets to make grouping easy...I use pink, green, blue {and sometimes yellow, depending on the skill and range of students}.

To play "Centerpiece," put kids in groups.  Put a pile of review pages in the center.  When you say "Go," students will each grab one paper and solve one fact/question on it.  They will quickly place the paper back in the middle and grab a different one, solving a fact on that paper.  This continues on until all papers are complete.

Here we are all working on reviewing addition within 10.  We have a school goal that students will master 60 facts fluently by the end of the year.

Here we are working on the same skill--ways to make numbers.  Some friends have lower numbers than others.  I grouped homogeneously for this particular activity.

Centerpiece is a fast-paced and exciting review game for just about any skills!  Snag a freebie for the above activity below!  Enjoy!  

To see more differentiated Math activities, check these 3 new resources out:

xo
Megan 

Ways to Make Numbers Freebie

Hi!  Today I posted a Math freebie over at "A Spark of Inspiration!"  Head over there to read my post and snag the freebie!  Just click the button below to get there!  *Below is a sneak peak!
Enjoy!

xo
Megan 

More Addition Shenanigans

We've been working so hard on addition facts!  We just had the end of our unit and took our test Thursday.  The kids are really doing well with addition.  We are piloting Go Math this year.  I must say that I was less than thrilled to hear about it BUT now I am eating my words.  It's very detailed and I have noticed that my kids have way more accuracy on their addition facts this year than previous years.  Now to work on fluency!  Of course I supplement the program like crazy because that's just how I roll, but overall, it's been great!  A few weeks ago, I posted about our start to addition HERE and you can check it out in case you missed it.

We've been practicing our facts with hang tags and using all different strategies to solve the facts. My kids know which strategies best suit them.  Some are most comfortable with fingers, while others prefer manipulatives.  Some have moved on to the number grid, and some need nothing at all!

We rotate between Teacher Idea Factory's August & September Reading and Math morning work every other week.  I love that there is addition on every page!  Great daily practice.

So back to GO MATH.  Once upon a time, there was this random missing addend lesson amoungst all the addition lessons.  I was like "What the heck?!"  I thought about skipping it but then I decided to "just go with it."  So I did.  I actually ran.  I spent a FEW days on missing addend.  I did the not so fun lesson in the book and supplemented {again, my favorite thing} with my free "Addend-Addend-Sum" mats, some sheet protectors, and some EXPO markers.  These were great tools for practicing!!! We also played games from my "Missing Addend Monster" pack.  They LOVED the games!  I sprinkled a few quick checks in and the scores weren't fantastic but buddy, by the end, 22/24 were secure with it.  22/24.  Now, does this mean I'll never look at missing addend again?  Of course not! I'm all about that spiral review, so we'll be hitting it again in Math tubs as the year continues on. What are your favorite resources to use for teaching addition and missing addend?

Hope you're having a fab Monday!
xo
Megan

Addition

Developing a strong number sense in the primary grades is so important, wouldn't you agree?  I tend to go very sloooowwww in Math the first two months of school so that I can help my students get a grasp on numbers.  Having a good grip on them makes the rest of the learning in Math so much easier for our little ones!  I am glad that the new Common Core Standards place more of an emphasis on fact fluency.  I know that many teachers in the upper grades say that their students are struggling to learn their times tables because they can't add.  Because multiplication is repeated addition, not knowing facts=problem.

We began our study of addition with making 10.  That's a big standard that the kids have to know and again, it's a good foundation for them to have.  I was surprised at the good resources I found out there for teaching making 10.  My favorite find was a FREEBIE from Just Reed called "The Queen of 10."  It was fabulous for a few days of practice!  I love the unifix cube visuals.  I am going to keep them up on my board for awhile.  The mini-book was also awesome!

We used our 10 frames "{compliments of Jen at The Teacher's Cauldron}, our 2-sided chips, and a little recording sheet that I made and practiced.  I was super-pumped because the day we did this was the first time I'd used my new document camera {compliments of my awesome principal!!!}.  Let's not notice the fact that I couldn't really figure it out so I had to color my 10-frames upside down! Ha!

The kids LOVED playing my Tricky-10 Frame game, which is a freebie in my store.

We did lots of adding/number sense activities in our Math tubs, as well.  The crayon box sort is from Cara's Ready, Set, Learn pack.  The domino adding is from Tanja's Mad for Math pack.  The part-part-total plates are mine that I made several years ago.

We talked about how everyone learns differently, and therefore can use whatever strategies work best for them.  I introduced each strategy and gave kids a chance to practice.  I hung up my anchor chart that I made a few years back.  It's an oldie but goodie!  

We'll continue to get better at our Math facts and practice them daily.  I like to play Around the World with flash cards, as well as Addition Bingo.  What fun ways do you practice Math facts?
xo
Megan 

Turn-Around Facts

I have not been very good about blogging lately! I have been sick and I'm finishing my "Master Teacher" project....which has been tons of work! I will find out in May if I pass!

Anyhow, here's what I did to introduce turn-around facts:

I made these large nametags.  You can get them here. 

Students took turns "trading spots" and noticing that the sum stayed the same! 

I copied the nametags on colorful paper and put them in sheet protectors with yarn.  

Be sure to triple-knot your yarn.  Mine were coming undone.

I made this little anchor chart as a visual.

For your students that are really having a hard time with the concept, I find it helps to give them sticky notes with the individual numbers and signs on them so they can manipulate the numbers and signs.

Equivalant Names

Mrs. Wheeler
Megan
Sister
Wife
Friend
Teacher
Co-worker

This week, we are studying equivalant names in Math aKa "Name Collection Boxes."  To reinforce the lesson, each student received 2 sticky notes and had to go around the room and add a "name" to 2 giant name collection boxes of their choice.  The students also had to put their real names on the sticky notes.  This made assessment a breeze!