"Eggs"tra Equations Freebie

Could your little darlin's use some extra help with math facts? I thought so. This activity is perfect for practicing math facts, adding three addends, and more. All you need is an egg carton (and you're reusing now too!), buttons, and my PDF. I just covered my egg carton with some extra scrapbook paper I already had, but you don't have to do that. This activity can be played individually, with partners, or a small group. I hope it comes in handy for you and little darlin's.

How weird is that? The picture makes it looks like that is the outside of the carton. It's not, it's actually the inside -- REALLY! Put the buttons inside the carton, shake the carton, open it up and start adding. You can use only two buttons as well, the choice is yours!

"Peep"in at Equal Equations

I don't know about your little darlin's, but mine needed so much practice on the core concept "Understand the meaning of the equal sign, and determine if equations involving addition and subtraction are true." So I came up with this activity. Students choose a card from the pile and place it on their game board. The student who gets five in a row horizontally, vertically, or diagonally wins. There is one target number and four different (2 addition and 2 subtraction) equations that equal that target number. Students need to be strategic about where they place their cards on the game board. After they get five in a row, they can record their equations on the recording sheet. There are two different versions of recording sheet so students are exposed to seeing the equations written both ways. Click on the first picture below if your students need more practice with this concept. 

Enjoy!

Techy Teacher Tuesday Math Apps

I'm linking up with Katie from Queen of the First Grade Jungle tonight to highlight some of my favorite apps I use in the classroom. I only have 1 Ipad for my classroom, and boy am I ever grateful for it, but it can be tricky managing 20 little darlin's around 1 Ipad. But they get soooo excited and are totally engaged whenever it comes out to play.

You must check out this app! Since we have to teach first graders about the = sign as a balance, this app really helps. (I don't know about you, but this concept was HARD for my little darlin's.) But they understood a lot better using this app. This app is also good to teach missing addends. 

Click on picture to go to the link.

This next app is another great math app. I used it the past few weeks while teaching Place Value. It reminds me a little of the "I Love Lucy" episode where Lucy and Ethel are working in the chocolate factory -- I know, I know, I'm totally dating myself. Anywho, the boxes of cookies represent hundreds, the stacks of cookies represent tens, and the single cookies represent ones. This was another favorite in our class. You have to move pretty fast, though!

Click on picture to go to the link.

OK, one more. What I like about this next math app, is that 4 players can play at once. Hence, I get more little darlin's around the old Ipad at once! This one also is a good Place Value app. I like how this one uses Base-10 blocks as a model. 

Click on picture to go to the link.

So, if you'll be teaching either of these concepts in the near future, or need a good review, I can definitely recommend all of these apps.

Freebie - Planet Place Value

We have been working on Place Value for the past few weeks. The little darlin's are doing well with it. Expanded form is probably the toughest part of this unit, but they're beginning to understand that as well. I made this little game of "Five in a Row" where students have to get their number in all five forms (numeral, number word, tens and ones, expanded form and Base 10 Blocks). We're going to use it as a review before we test this week. 

We also did another activity to help solidify this concept. I distributed number cards from 0-9 throughout the class. Then I labeled an empty chair with TENS on a Post-It (yeah, I go all out!) and another chair with ONES. I then called out a 2-digit number and the students have to sit in the correct chair to model the number. THEY LOVED THIS! Anytime I can get the little darlin's moving around, I'm all over that.

What has worked for you while teaching Place Value?

Click on the picture above to get your freebie. Enjoy!

One Year Old and a Celebration Freebie

Thank you Melonheadz Illustrating for graphics!

One year ago today I started this little 'ol blog of mine. I have learned so much in the last 365 days, and my tech-savvy has improved slightly - through much trial and error, emphasis on the error! I love the friendships I have made through this blog, and I appreciate everything everyone has shared with me. I can't imagine teaching without having access to teaching blogs. You all have truly inspired and helped me tremendously!! 

The last few weeks of school before we went on break, we've been working super hard on how the equal sign is like a balance, and whatever is on one side of the equal sign, needs to equal the other side. So, I made a little "I Have, Who Has..." game that goes along with this concept. Click on the picture below to get your free copy of it. Enjoy!!

A Classroom Update and Some Freebies

So we have been working really hard on Daily 5 in our classroom. And it is up and running. Can I just say, that I. LOVE. DAILY. 5!!! To think that I suffered through the last 10 years doing busy centers (for me and the students), makes me cringe. I wish I would have found Daily 5 much sooner. Oh, well, that's the way the pencil writes, I guess! Daily 5 has been a true blessing. There is little to no management issues, the students love the different rotations and looking on the board each day, to see what they'll be doing. I've had to monitor and adjust D5 for it to work in my class, but nonetheless, it works. If you are thinking about doing it, DO IT!!  In our class, the students do 3 rotations every day. One of those rotations is "Read to Self." I've added Guided Reading onto my board as well. We do 3 twenty-minute sessions. We do our "Work on Writing" rotation as a class. This group of students absolutely LOVE to write! That makes me so excited and happy. Below are the pictures I use for our D5 board. You can click on the picture if you're interested in downloading.

Something else we've been working on in our classroom is Geometric Shapes. I created a little Shapes Concentration/Memory Game. My team member used it yesterday in her class and absolutely loved it because the students have to match the shape word with a real-life picture of the shape. If you'd like a copy, please click on the picture below.

Doubles

I don't know about you, but I'm a visual learner. Whenever I can see a picture of something, or see how something is done, it sure makes a whole lotta sense for this old brain. So, in a couple of weeks we will be teaching some addition strategies, so I thought it might be a good idea to make some visuals for my little darlin's. Hence, below you can find my doubles pictures for teaching the doubles strategy for math. Students will be able to see the doubles theory much easier with a 6-pack of Coke, than just plain old

3 + 3 = 6. Anywho, if you'd like them please download for free! Just click on one of the pictures below.