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Well it is finally my turn as I wrap up the year and start packing up my classroom. I feel honored to have the opportunity to discuss this chapter with the blogging community I have grown to love and respect so much. A big shout out to Deedee Wills since this was her vision and I hope this meets her expectations. Maybe this book will help us to bring more joy into our classrooms.  The party begins right here so link up with me. Get some coffee (diet soda) , new printer ink for the downloads, and send the hubby out with the kiddos. This chapter is big and I hope it gives you some ideas to take back to school in the Fall. Here are my rambling thoughts on the key points in this chapter and there were so many. Beginning Number Concepts: Beginning number concepts are crucial and lay the groundwork for all mathematical understandings. This involves more than rote counting or the ability to identify symbols. (Don't you love the parent that tells you their child is great at numbers because they can count to 10, without any help?) How do we help our children with one-one correspondence, conservation of number, and number sense? 1. We need to provide lots of experiences with numbers in a variety of settings (large group, small group, or independently at MWS with a partner.) Here are a set of cards to use as part of your daily routine. Download here. Check out the dot cards I am offering so your kids can make their own to practice with. Grab those right here. Next year I will post these on my website for parents to use at home. Another whole group activity I use for a quick whole group warm-up: I practice recognizing and ordering numbers from 1-10 by having kids wear these around their neck and putting themselves in order and saying, "My number is ___." Hey, now I realize I need to make another set with dots so they cna order themselves and pair-up.) I can't wait to watch this! I am also the queen of routine cards such as I have... Who has...? The kids love this and put them in a pocket chart as we read them. TIP: Everyone gets a card to keep them engaged! Tell me some of the strategies you use. 2. What do these stations look like? Debbie gives us lots of examples of this and reminds us to use what we already have in an organized,differentiated manner- storing materials in a numbered container. It's time to clean out the math closet! Great Idea: "I Can" Chart: I love this idea and will implement it next year using photos to keep kids on task. Remember to lead the kids to create these with you so you have real buy in. This is great for behavior management and is a better option than screaming! What strategies do you have for crowd control? I have a laminated flow map with classroom procedures in pictures for students to use when working independently. Now I realize it needs to be more explicit. Beginning Number Concepts: Check out your own grade level but she was "spot-on" about kindergarten. Does her list represent your standards? I would eliminate those that do not since I have such limited time. However, I could do better with some of these and I will work on buffing up some of these stations or reinventing them to make them more interesting. For comparing numbers to 10 I give kids individual number cards and they build their number with unifix cubes and compare their tower to the partner next to them. They have to say something like "I have 6 cubes and David has 2. My tower is bigger. My number is more." David might say, "My number is less." This builds their academic vocabulary and is great "math talk." I need to have our kids practice this orally all the time. Do you encourage "math talk?" How? I want to hear from teachers who work with second language learners. What the kids do at these stations: What do these stations look like in your room? she reminds us that kids need to count for a purpose (applause). Some good tips: (keep pieces in baggy), limit how many manipulatives you give children, and remember to differentiate for different ability levels. How can you differentiate? Obviously you can do this with a range of response sheets. Store them in zilplocks and label them so kids understand what to use ( red dot: easy yellow dot: average, and green: most complex) I will work on this more. Directions could be more or less demanding too. What are your thoughts? She mentions a variety of ways to teach deeper understandings of numberquantity- good suggestions. I made circle maps for kinder teachers to use later in the year to check their understandings (cut and paste style). Firsties can start the year using these (good assement of number knowledge). So to keep you invested I have these. Get them right here. With them I have provided "math talk'" cards kindergarten students should be able to read themselves, fairly early in the year. Is this getting better? Take a break and text a friend or play Angry Birds on your ipad. Remember these? Now you can have them. Thanks for sticking with me through this ridiculously long posting. Download and enjoy these. Station Ideas: offers concrete suggestions for differentiation (Did your light bulb go on like mine?) Now I see what she really means by this! Board Games you already have (dust them off0 that require counting / differentiate with more difficult number cube pr spinner with more and less. Wow, so obvious but not to me. So addthis to your station to make it more challenging (duh). Domino work: We all have them so now lets use them in a variety of ways as suggested here. Five and Ten Frame Game: such a clever way to teach addition combos Would you like a set of these with "math talk" cards that go with it? how about a blank template as an extra bonus? Grab your mouse and click here. Didn't you love this idea? I though it was so clever and worth teaching as a whole group activity, practice in small groups, and let them use it as part of a station. Maybe I am starting to get this. Okay coffee break time. If you are bored just download all the freebies and go out shopping. Retail therapy rocks! Otherwise there is more to come. Remember, I warned you so don't gripe. Memory or Go Fish Games: Here is where I think you can create cards based on the theme in your classroom. I have a download for you but I also made a mat so your kids could work in a controlled space. Kinderkids need this to be successful. Yup, you guessed it- another download with directions. Here is your copy. Comparing Games: My kids love using decks of cards (It starts to look like Vegas in my room) to play games and Debbie also reminds us to use numeral cards you already have as well as dominoes. She mentions ten grid cards which I found on-line. These look like a great addition to the mix. Graphing Activities: Again this is a big favorite with five year olds where you sort "stuff" which I like to store in little cloth bags (Brighton Jewelry bags are perfect) Raid your child's room for little plastic animals, small toys- all the junk you are dying to throw away! The dollars stores have tons of this stuff. Warning -you might have to do a pocket check at the end of the day (LOL). You can even use coins for graphing and sorting. Ms. Diller offers more possibilities for math talk cards to support this activity and I bet an " I Can " chart would keep them from just playing with the junk! Right? What do you like to use? Hint: Check your old Math Their Way manuals for ideas. Surveys: Talk about authentic data collections. I use to do and now I am going back and adding it to my morning opening. Here's another opportunity to connect to your current themeand for ELL's your questions will help to build their background of knowledge and academic language (those tests are around the corner0. Want a cute download for this? Download it here. Counting Books: Okay, I confess that I will be dragging these out of the closet and making an attempt to get them in the hands of kids. Students should make their own counting books too- great addition to writing center Remember to teach them how to create these You could make dictionaries with number words and store in page protectors to use with them. Okay I am taking a break to go work out. but before I go look at this: and These are counting books I made for you to use early in the year. You can use dot markers, color in the boxes, or dip the eraser on the back of a pencil into a stamp pad for recording purposes. Mini stampers would also work. I think adding a physical component helps them to understand that one-to- one correspondence and cuts down on impulsive counting. Counting Dots is a free download. Remember to fold each page in half with the fold to the outside. Stack the pages and use a colored strip on the side. Get it? The other one is a bit more difficult and maybe should be done as a guided activity. If you want it grab it and use it with your kids. I warned you about printer ink. I went a bit crazy but hey I was anxious... I'm just hoping you can use these things. Do you know about "foldies" made from a single sheet of paper? They rock! I create millions of this during the year and eventually the kids make them by themselves. They adore these (not sure why). Now you can focus on simple counting ones and kids can make them independently. Are you interested in this? If you want a copy of this Take a look at this here. Try these with your kiddos. Big Books: I have not made math big books but I have many that I have created for our ELA program using repetitive text. Now my brain is humming... Does anyone want to create these and post them on their blog? Debbie suggests making these authentic through the use of photos. The kids decide on the objects to compare. Great idea but no time right now...I will put this on my "to do" list that is growing by leaps and bounds. Get out the digital camera. Problem: Do you create new books each year? Here is another opportunity to use repetitive text and sight words you want your students to learn. Ordinal Numbers: I loved the idea of using this for retelling a story. I do this verbally all the time with a Flow Map . I never thought about matching to ordinal numbers- can put right under the map. Love it when you blend math and reading together. Practice With Writing Numbers: Confession: I do not take enough time to do this in a structured and consistent manner. My time is so limited that this tends to get neglected. A good strategy for practice is to have the kids use wipe-off boards. So, you guessed it. I am sharing a number book I make every year and spiral bind so it lasts over time. Want it? Here it is but it's big! We roll dice and graph numbers too. Kids never get tired of this. Remember to use playdough for making numbers and the kids can put it right on top of laminated cards. Use the ol' snake rolling technique.Sounds like fun. What activities for number writing practice do your kids like? Check out the list of suggested materials to teach number concepts and be sure to check out the Picture Glossary Remember to label manipulatives and store them in separate containers (this will cost you millions). CHANGE THESE OUT TO KEEP THINGS INTERESTING! Model: before you release the little darlings to work at these stations or you will be sorry and anyhow, who wants yo scream like a nut at young children? Nope, you can not skip this and it might need to be repeated numerous times. When the children are not using materials in a meaningful way you need to go back and model what you expect. Use anchor charts generated by the children to deepen their understandings and to scaffold their learning. This is a fantastic strategy for English Language learners. Problem Solving: Interesting section with great suggestions for open ended strategies. Here are some counting mats to use for such activities. Here are some counting mats to use when you want to tell a math story. The children can use related manipulatives to solve the problem. Small toys, cubes, or counters work well for this activity. This is a great bridge between using oral language and problem solving. Differentiation would be simple here. For the youngest child you could say, "show me 6" and for a student with more number sense simple addition and subtraction could be done. The mats can be downloaded right here. Counting Money: Debbie emphasizes counting for a purpose so working with coins is a worthwhile activity to include in your math stations. We all recognize the importance of using real money and I have created a simple sorting map for coins. More capable students can add the totals in each column of the mat. An anchor chart is also recommended but I am thinking you can make it on a regular sheet of paper, put it in a page protector, and include it right in your station tub! I do not have that much wall space. Any other thoughts? Ahoy... Here is my plunder. There are lots of ideas in this section to check out. Once again there is conversation about materials and containers to use but this has already been presented. Make use of what you already have and limit the amounts you give little ones or they might start flying through the air. You know exactly what I mean. If you made it to the end of this post I am impressed. If you downloaded the freebies and put them in your notebook, I salute your organizational skills. It will take me 2 weeks to clean up my computer area! If you got at least one idea I would appreciate a comment or two. If you want to blog about this chapter I will do a "Happy Dance" because you are probably on your vacation. Link up to me when you are ready. I look forward to hearing from you and will try to read all the posts. If you loved this post please take my button and become my BFF. Please have a restful summer that is well deserved. See you in Vegas! Fran Kramer Math Work Stations: Chapter #4; Beginning Number Concepts Work Stations

Guest post by Dana Stewart of Dragonfly Angel Society I’ve had the unfortunate joy of being a cancer patient moved to cancer survivor and then had to watch as one of my closest friends was diagnosed with breast cancer within two years of me finishing treatment. Up until my diagnosis of breast cancer when I was 32 years old, I had not had much experience with cancer. My grandma died of lung cancer when I was 6 years old but that was about it. I also lived in a nice naïve world in which I was 100% sure I would never get cancer and never see anyone I love fight the battle either. It was a nice little place, this world I lived with my eyes blanketed over by pure ignorance. It’s been about 9 years since my diagnosis and a substantial amount has changed. I am no longer naïve on cancer. I’ve seen it first-hand now. It’s a scary, painful, fearful place that I wish no one would have to experience. What made the journey easier for me was all the support I received from friends and family. That was a game changer because although I knew no one my age that had experienced cancer, I felt so supported and not alone. Fast forward two years later and I found myself in the opposite position. A childhood friend of mine was diagnosed with breast cancer before the age of 30 and once again I found myself dealing with young adult breast cancer, but this time, from the other side. Being a caregiver/friend of someone going through cancer puts a completely different perspective on cancer, at least it did for me. I knew what I needed as a cancer survivor, but now I was seeing the cancer survivor through the eyes of the caregiver. So, what to do? In all transparency, here, I wanted to run. I didn’t want to see someone I love face what I had just finished. It was terrifying to have to see someone else face cancer and I had no clue what to do. Instead, I took a step back and thought of all the things people did to support me as well as the things I wish I would have known or had people done when I was fighting cancer. Here are a few tips I’ve learned if you find yourself in the position of supporting a friend or family member facing cancer: Do not say “it’s all going to be okay.” Unless you are a fortune teller, you don’t know this to be the truth, so stay away from it. It’s the first thing you will think of – I thought it too, but it’s not helpful, I am sorry to say. Be yourself. The reason you are in this person’s life is because they love you for you. Don’t try to suddenly be the person you think they need because they are fighting cancer. Stay true to yourself. Trust me, this makes the fight easier for them…and for you. Treat them to something they love. I am not saying go out and buy them the world, but if they like to read, get the newest bestseller, if they like chocolate, buy them a sweet treat, etc. If they enjoy writing or journaling, buy them something beautiful to write in like the Love Heals journal. You get the idea. Laugh with them. I latched onto humor like it was a lifesaver. I made fun of everything from my bald head, to my forgetful mind (thank you chemo.) Follow the person’s lead here, but if they open up the door to laughter and humor, play along. It will help them and you too. Don’t run. It seems like a safe place to just run from them because you don’t know what to say or do. I don’t suggest this. It tells them you don’t care. Just because you don’t feel like you have the absolute perfect words to share about cancer, so what? Be a part of their life like the friend or family member you have always been to them. Trust me, they will want things as normal as possible. Stay away from “motivational” cancer stories and verbiage. This is hard to explain, but as I was going through treatment, I didn’t want to hear about “new normal” and I am just going to “have to deal with the changes in my life.” I hated all that. I hated hearing “you can’t get your old life back.” I am super well aware. However, at the time, it felt good just to get those words out. Don’t try to sugar coat the situation. Let the person grieve. This ties into point 6. Don’t be “Suzy Sunshine” every time you hear them talk about being scared, sad, fearful, etc. Let them speak it!! They are going through potentially one of the worst moments in their life and they are scared out of their minds. Telling them not to think the horrible thoughts that they are fearful of dying is not helpful. You may not want to hear it and they surely don’t want to say it, but it’s there and it’s in their mind. Let them speak it. Ask questions. Feel out what the person is willing or not willing to share. I appreciated it when people wanted to know what was happening, how I felt, how the treatment was going, etc. I had no problem chatting about it. See where this goes. Some people will be open to share and some won’t. Both are just fine. Do not share stories of unhappy endings. I feel this is obvious, but you would be surprised. I always got one or two of the “my friend had cancer too, but….she died.” Not helpful. Nothing else necessary to say here. Talk about the happenings in your life too. I literally hated when people refused to tell me about their day to day lives. They would say “oh you have so much worse things happening than hearing about how my car broke down.” No no!! I LOVED to hear about everyone’s daily lives. It made me feel normal and sane. Trust me on this one. You know your friend or family member best. Feel out the situation. If you are open to observe the situation and read what the person you are supporting needs, you will do just fine. Most important, don’t change who you are for them as they go through cancer. They need you to be you! That’s the absolute most important thing you can do as a caregiver in the cancer realm. Guest post by Dana Stewart of Dragonfly Angel Society LOOKING TO SUPPORT SOMEONE BATTLING CANCER? SHOP OUR BEST CANCER GIFTS.

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