As in dyslexia, dyscalculia manifests differently in different kids.Some kids have trouble making sense of numbers and math concepts. Other kids with dyscalculia can’t grasp basic number concepts. Let's work on understanding dyscalculia.
Kids will begin to make sense of the order in which events happen when you introduce them to sequencing with these 3 step sequencing cards for kids.
Sometimes we get too soft in our parenting. We want the best for our children, and we sometimes don’t realize that the best for our child doesn’t always look very pretty. These are called “consequences.” Today I wanted to talk about consequences that make sense for kids. It’s our struggles and our consequences that make...Read More
I have gathered a lot of classroom materials and ideas over the years. I mean, a lot. I know some of you can relate to this. I have SO MUCH STUFF. I feel like a hoarder. But my classroom does not look like the homes on the hoarding TV shows. In fact, all my stuff […]
So you’ve read the book, Building Thinking Classrooms by Peter Liljedahl, and are wondering what’s next. It all makes sense and the educational system is definitely in need of a shake u…
Last week, we were focusing on adding and subtracting integers. If you remember, I wrote a post about how I got the students to understand the process here, but they really seemed to need a bit more this year. So after scouring the internet, I found this really fun game that cemented the idea for them. If you click here, you can get all the templates for FREE. Now, let me explain the game to you. This was played in pairs. The students were each given a game board and recording sheet to share between the two. They then used some sort of marker (paper clips are the perfect size for this, but my students also used pieces of paper or eraser) Player 1 rolled the die. That told them how many spaces to move either up (if even) or down (if odd). Starting with a point total of 20 points each, the students then set up an addition problem and added their point total with the number they landed on. For example, if the student rolled a 6, that meant they moved up 6 spaces. It put them on +2 (let's say) The student would add 20 + 2 for 22 total points. The next move, that player rolled a 5. They had to move down 5 spaces to put them on -3. The student then added 22 + (-3) for a total of 19. The first player to 100 points is the winner. The kids LOVED it! They were literally cheering when they got positive point totals. It was fun! One thing that I would caution is that my students wanted to add the number they rolled instead of where they landed. So if they rolled a 2, they wanted to add 2. If they rolled a 1 they wanted to add (-1). When I noticed that, I had to redirect the entire class and put us all back on track. But they finally understood and we were on our way. This game is now in my "May Do" center for Math Workshop. They are so happy :)
When most people think about visual skills, they think about visual acuity. But visual perceptual skills help kids make sense of what they see.
Looking for visuals to help your kids make sense of math? Grab this free set of printable math manipulatives for all the hands on resources your kids need.
Have questions about Student Growth Goals? Well, we've created an online resource all about it. It's focused on providing examples of SLOs.
Looking for visuals to help your kids make sense of math? Grab this free set of printable math manipulatives for all the hands on resources your kids need.
Set up a quick and simple Pop Rocks experiment to explore cool chemical reactions and fun candy science. How do Pop Rocks work?
Free printable sample of hands-on Ladybug Number Sense Math Activities for preschool and kindergarten. Excellent spring math centers and group activities.
Here we go again. It's summer and I always promise myself that this year I WILL NOT obligate myself a book study or linky, but when a topic is so good and meaningful that it makes you want to write about it, I think that you just have to make the time to do it. I mean THIS is the stuff that teachers really need to hear about and not necessarily my obsession with what everyone has in their Target cart.
Number sense is so important. That's why I made these number sense activity mats for my kids. Make learning numbers hands-on and engaging for your kids too!
Oh, thank you for coming Friday! It has been a long, exhausting week. Not because of students or family....it just has been a long, busy week. So now I can sit back...smile that it is over...and reflect a little. #1...Bus problem solving. I had posted about a new book that Natalie and I are trying out this year that really challenges our first graders through word problems--orally, written, and by creating their own. You can read more here. We continued using the bus theme this week by turning the bus into a tens frame. We worked on ways to make 10. We added the number of people on the bus and the number of seats that were still available. #2 More story problems. Last week we had started the story problems by acting them out. We literally made a classroom bus with chairs. But this week students had to solve the problems independently with a bus and some lima bean people, while I read the problem orally. Here are some examples of what they had to solve (remember...these are my struggling students in Sept of first grade)... "Eleven children were peering out the windows of the bus, eager to get home to play. Seven got off at the first stop. How many were still on the bus?" "It was a good day at school but the children were tired and eager to get home to their families. Before the last stop, the driver had eight children on the bus. Now there were only three. How many had gotten off?" "A mom was waiting for the bus to return from the night program. It was so dark when the bus pulled up that all she could see were eight tired eyes gazing down at her. How many children were on the bus?" (comes from "Posing and Solving Problems with Story Boxes" by Donna Burk and Allyn Snider, 1994) We put them up to this challenge and they could do it!! I can't wait to see what happens next :) #3 This week I got to wear my Math shirt! #4 and 5 is a FREEBIE. It goes along with all the math "stuff" above. It is a tens frame with equations. And a second one with a missing number. You can find these here too: Happy weekend everyone! I will be doing some relaxing (I hope.)
In 2016, I set out to take on and rethink the Design Process. It was my attempt at making sense of it but what happened went far beyond…
I mean...why WOULDN'T you use cootie catchers in your reading block? It makes perfect sense. Ok - remember last week how I was talk...
The following is a guest post from Dr. Jacie Maslyk . A first grade teacher welcomes her students back to the classroom. She is excited to have a busy space, full of learners talking, working, and playing. Her excitement is balanced with concern as she knows that many students are nervous to re
Students are bombarded with the news constantly. Sometimes it is difficult to make sense of it all. We approach current events in multiple ways in my classroom. Here's my top 3 for engaging student
Looking for a fun and hands on way to teach multiplication and division? How about LEGO! There are so many easy ideas here for LEGO multiplication and division to help your kids succeed.
I develop curriculum for middle school math. I focus on using critical-thinking skills in my content so the math makes sense to the students.
Make Ten... A fun and easy card game for kids that reinforces math concepts and uses a regular deck of playing cards. Free printable play mat included!
I develop curriculum for middle school math. I focus on using critical-thinking skills in my content so the math makes sense to the students.
Quilt Dictionary. Every craft has jargon, and quilting is no different. This dictionary will help you make sense of quilting terminology. Vocabulary
A super easy to make homemade paint recipe with spices for extra sensory messy play for kids.
Use these number sense math activities to build number sense in first grade! Students will love these engaging, fun games too!
The behavior of kids with nonverbal learning disabilities may be misunderstood. Find out the biggest myths (and learn the truth) about NVLD.
Introducing the Special Education Shirt - the perfect outfit for teachers and students who want to show off their sense of humor and love for learning! Made with high-quality materials and printed with eye-catching designs, these shirts are sure to grab everyone's attention. Whether you're teaching a class or attending a conference, these shirts will make you stand out from the crowd. But what makes the Special Education Shirt so special? Well, for starters, it's the only shirt that comes with its own IEP (Individualized Education Plan). Just kidding! But seriously, these shirts are designed to celebrate the unique talents and abilities of individuals with special needs. So why settle for a boring old shirt when you can wear something that's both stylish and meaningful? Order your Special Education Shirt today and join the movement to promote inclusion and diversity in education
Learning the names of the treble clef lines and spaces is a basic music skill. Using workstations to practice it only makes sense. See ideas for using centers in your music classroom to teach pitch names of notes on the treble clef staff.
If you told me you wanted to come in and watch me teach, I'd probably invite you in during our number talk. Not because I feel like I'm a rockstar math teacher, but because you'll be floored at the level of math thinking you'll hear my students doing. Since creating a daily math routine this
Are you interested in using rekenreks with your students, but you’re not sure how? A few years ago, I was in the same boat. I had been to a math training that used rekereks and I couldn’t wait to use them in my classroom. I made a class set out of cardboard and proudly brought them to school. Except I had no idea what to do with them! I had learned a game or two, but needed guidance with how to teach my students about them. In this post, I’ll show
