Getting back in the school groove has me ready for fall and all my favorite things that come with it: changing leaves, cooler weather and freshly picked apples! To go along with the apple theme and give my kids some fun new ways to practice making ten, I created some apple ten frame games! Learning to make ten is an important skill for young kids. It will help kids develop their number sense and prepare them for more difficult math problems. Keep Reading...
Weekly Math Freebie Round Up
Welcome to the weekly round up of math teaching freebies here at Math Geek Mama! Each week I share a collection of ideas, lessons and games for grades K-12. Do you have a resource to share with other educators? Send me a link so I can share it here! Kindergarten-2nd Grade: I love this simple set of money task cards! Kids choose a card and then find the corresponding grocery items to calculate the total! Great real life math Keep Reading...
Making Absolute Value Clear (With FREE Printables!)
One of the math concepts that I have seen students struggle with the most, and yet seems so simple at first glance, is absolute value. It often seems that the only thing students ever "get" from an absolute value lesson is this: absolute value = make it positive. That is NOT, however, the definition of absolute value, and therefore, becomes the cause of much confusion as students try to apply and use absolute value in more complicated problems. Keep Reading...
How Much Does a Pumpkin Cost? {FREE Algebra Lesson!}
For many students, the transition from math computations in the upper elementary grades to Algebra is a challenge. Suddenly, they are having to write mathematical equations and use symbols and letters rather than just numbers. (Although hopefully they have at least been introduced to some of these things prior to formal Algebra). One way to help students ease the transition and make sense of it all is by looking at real and meaningful examples. Keep Reading...
Help Kids Make Sense of Algebra Vocabulary: FREE Guided Notes
Some of the most common errors I have seen teaching algebra occur because students simply cannot accurately "translate" words into mathematical models, or because they do not understand math "jargon" such as evaluate or simplify. I think this problem could easily be avoided, however, if one or two days were spent focusing on these skills. We cannot expect students to walk into class with a clear understanding of "math words" if they were never Keep Reading...
