multiplication Archives - Math Geek Mama

{FREE} Multiply & Divide by Powers of Ten Game: Includes Exponents

Bethany — Mon, 29 Jan 2024 12:00:22 +0000

Help your students better understand how to multiply & divide by powers of ten using this hands-on math game. Or use the game pieces as manipulatives for students to learn & practice.

We work in a base ten number system. Therefore, helping students understand place value & powers of ten in this number system is essential for developing deep number sense. But far too often, students are told facts or ‘tricks’ to memorize rather than being given time to play with numbers and make sense of this number system on their own.

The goal of this math center game is to aid 5th grade students in their understanding of powers of ten and the impact multiplying and dividing by powers of ten has on numbers.

In this game, students will also see powers of ten written with exponents. This allows them to begin to understand exponents as repeated multiplication, while working with only powers of ten.

Multiply & Divide by Powers of Ten on a Place Value Mat:

In this game, each student works with their number using a place value mat. There are 2 different place value mats included:

Whole Numbers Place Value Mat to Billions
Decimal Place Value Mat: Millions to Thousandths

If your students are not yet ready to work with decimals, you can print the whole number mat for them.

Why Use a Place Value Mat?

The main goal of this game is to help students see the connection between multiplying and dividing by powers of ten and place value within our base ten system.

Oftentimes, when kids learn this skill they are told to just ‘add zeros’ to the number or ‘move the decimal point.’

But this doesn’t help them understand WHY. Using the place value mat, students can see that it’s actually the DIGITS of a number that shift with each power of ten rather than just adding zeros or moving the decimal (the decimal doesn’t move).

Before allowing students to play the game, spend some time working on basic multiplication & division problems with the place value mat so students can see & think about what’s happening.

Start with a simple number like 5. Then ask students, what happens when we multiply 5 x 10?

They may know right away that the answer is 50. But remind them that 5 x 10 means 5 groups of 10. And because we work in a base ten system, that means we now have 5 tens instead of 5 ones.

Then show then how the 5 shifts from the ones place to the tens place.

Do this with a few more examples, increasing in difficulty and also thinking through division examples.

Powers of Ten with Exponents:

Once students are comfortable using the place value mat to multiply & divide by 10, you can introduce them (if you haven’t already) to exponents.

You may want to start with a review of multiplication as repeated addition. Then explain that just as we use multiplication to show repeated addition, we use exponents to show repeated multiplication.

So if we want to multiply a number by 10 four times, meaning 10x10x10x10, we can write it as 10^4 (10 to the power of 4).

Do some work with powers of ten written with exponents to be sure students are comfortable & familiar with the notation before playing the game.

Powers of Ten Math Center Game Set Up:

This game does require a bit of prep. But hopefully the prep will be worth it when it gives students a more solid understanding of multiplying & dividing by powers of ten.

Plus, you can prep most of the materials once to use again and again!

In addition to printing the materials in the download, you will need a single die and some game markers for each player.

First, print the place value mat of your choice on card stock paper. There is one for whole numbers and one that includes decimals. You will need a mat for each student.

Cut the place value mat on the dotted line and tape together so the place values go in order.

Then print the ‘digit’ cards and game directions on card stock paper of a different color and laminate for durability, then cut out all the cards.

You will notice there’s an additional sheet of ‘zero’ digits. This is because as students multiply, they may need additional zeros as place holders on their place value mat. Keep this stack face up next to the game board to use as needed.

Cut out the additional digit cards, shuffle and stack face down. This will be the pile they draw from. Leave a copy of the game directions for students to reference.

Print the game board on card stock paper of another color and laminate. You only need one game board for each small group.

Lastly, print score cards for each student. You can print these on regular paper for students to record their thinking and scores as they play, or you can print on card stock, laminate and provide dry erase markers. At the end of the game, students can then erase the score cards to be used again another day.

I recommend 3-4 students per game. If you will have multiple groups playing at the same time, complete the prep above for each game set.

Here’s a summary of what you need to print & prep:

One game board per small group
One set of ‘Digit’ cards & game directions per small group, cut out & shuffled (separate the ‘zero’ digits for students to use as needed)
One place value mat per student, cut & taped together
One score card per student

Provide a die & a set of game markers and you’re all set!

Multiply & Divide by Powers of Ten: How to Play the Game

The goal of the game is to be the player with the largest number at the end of the game.

To begin, each player draws 2 digits from the deck. They then start with any 2-digit number, placing the digits on the tens and ones place, or the ones and tenths place.

Players then take turns rolling a die and moving their game piece along the board. They then follow the directions depending on where they land:

Power of ten: multiply the number on your place value mat if the number you rolled was even or divide the number on your place value mat if the roll was odd.
New Digit: draw a card from the ‘digit deck’ to add to the beginning or end of the number on your place value mat. This will be your new score and value used on your next turn.
Digit Swap: player MUST swap one of the digits on their place value mat. They can either swap 2 of their own to form a new number or they can swap one of their digits with another player.

Once all players have made it to the finish, the player with the largest number on their place value mat wins. Each player then writes the final values in order from least to greatest at the bottom of their score card.

A quick note:students will keep a running tally on their score card, meaning they always start with their current value and multiply/divide from there. They do not start over with their original 2-digit number on each subsequent turn.

And that’s it! I hope this provides a fun way for students to make sense of place value, large numbers, decimals, powers of ten & exponents.

Love this idea? This game was originally created for Math Geek Mama+ members. If you want instant access to games like this and so much more, check it out today!

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Ready to grab this game? Use the link below to head to my shop & grab the free download.

{Click HERE to go to my shop & grab the FREE Multiply & Divide by Powers of Ten Game!}

Want more resources to explore place value & powers of ten? Try one of these:

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{FREE} St. Patrick’s Day Multiplication – Grade 3

Bethany — Wed, 15 Mar 2023 18:55:46 +0000

Looking for some easy yet meaningful St. Patrick’s Day multiplication practice for 3rd or 4th grade? This set of visual multiplication practice pages includes 3 different representations of multiplication to help kids see it along with multiplication word problem practice.

The struggle that I hear about probably more than any other math skill is mastering multiplication facts. And while I do think it is helpful and important for kids to grow in confidence and multiplication fluency, I think it’s much more important that they have a solid conceptual understanding of what it is. This means thinking about multiplication as repeated addition, equal groups, skip counting, etc. rather than simply facts to memorize. If you’d like to help your kids better see and grasp their multiplication facts, grab this set of St. Patrick’s Day multiplication pages! This free download includes simple visual models to build understanding and fluency.

St. Patrick’s Day Multiplication: Number Lines

In this download, you will first find 2 pages of multiplication practice with number lines. This can help kids make the connection between multiplication and skip counting.

To use, they can circle the numbers as they skip count or they can draw arrows for each “jump” on the number line. Or both!

They will then see that they arrive at the final answer.

St. Patrick’s Day Multiplication: Hundred’s Chart

You will also find a fun St. Patrick’s Day hundred’s chart, which you might want to laminate so kids can refer back to it again and again.

Kids can use this in a similar manner to the number line, skip counting and looking for patterns as they multiply.

There are 2 pages of multiplication facts which you can print front and back, and then kids can keep these as a reference in the future as well.

Once they have completed both pages, you might have them look for patterns. For example, what do you notice about the x9 facts? What do you notice about the x10 facts?

St. Patrick’s Day Multiplication: Equal Groups

Understanding multiplication as sets of equal groups is an important foundational building block when it comes to learning multiplication.

These visual models will help kids see the number of groups as well as how many are in each group. Then they can determine the product, which is the total number of objects in all the groups.

Multiplication Word Problems:

Lastly, there is a page of St. Patrick’s Day themed word problems involving multiplication.

Although you might think that this has to come last, after students have “mastered” multiplication, I would encourage you to start with problems in context.

You might need to discuss all together as a group, but this will help kids visualize a situation, draw pictures to represent it and then understand how they can use multiplication to model and solve it. If they are new to learning multiplication, they might use counting or addition, but that’s ok! It gives you an opportunity to then show how repeated addition relates to multiplication.

Included in the Download:

2 pages of multiplication practice on a number line
A hundreds chart + 2 pages of fact practice using the hundreds chart
2 pages of multiplication practice with equal groups
1 page of St. Patrick’s Day multiplication word problems
1 color by number St. Patrick’s Day multiplication page
Answer key for all worksheet pages

Ready to grab this download for your students? Click the link below to go to my shop and grab your free copy!

{Click HERE to go to my shop and grab the FREE St. Patrick’s Day Multiplication Practice Set!}

More FREE St. Patrick’s Day Math Resources:

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Christmas Multiplication Facts Scavenger Hunt – Grades 3-4

Bethany — Mon, 21 Nov 2022 12:00:19 +0000

Would you like an easy and low-prep way to get your kids up and moving, working together and practicing challenging multiplication facts at the same time? This multiplication facts scavenger hunt is a great review before heading out for Christmas break!

If you teach third grade or fourth grade (or even fifth grade!) you know how essential and foundational the basic multiplication facts are. But you also know how those really tricky facts (x7, x8, x9) can be the cause of frustration and tears. Even after exploring with hands on materials like base ten blocks, or using visuals like a number line, kids will still need practice. But rather than flipping through yet another stack of flash cards or a timed worksheet (please no!), how about a fun and festive classroom scavenger hunt? I have used this type of activity with my own kids as well as in the classroom with 8th graders. It’s just such a nice change of pace from the normal routine and gives kids a chance to get up and move. Learn more about the Christmas themed multiplication facts scavenger hunt below!

Multiplication Facts Scavenger Hunt:

This hunt includes 10 problems, so obviously there is no way to include all multiplication facts up to 12×12. So I decided this would focus on some of the most tricky facts in order to give kids practice with the ones they likely struggle to solve or remember.

This includes: 6×7, 8×8, 9×7, 12×6, 9×6, 7×7, 7×12, 8×6, 11×12 and 9×9.

Even if your students are not learning (or are not required) to learn their x12 facts, I would encourage you to give them this challenge still.

Let them know that they will be reviewing facts they should know, but will also encounter some “challenge” problems. Let them use whatever strategy they prefer to figure out the solutions. This might be repeated addition (though it will be time consuming), using the distributive property, skip counting, etc.

Then you can have a discussion when everyone is finished to explore different methods!

Setting Up the Scavenger Hunt:

To set this up, you’ll need to print the scavenger hunt cards. There are 5 pages, with 2 problem cards per page.

I recommend printing on card stock paper for durability and laminating so that you can use this again year after year.

Once you print the pages, cut them in half so you have 10 separate problems.

Hang all 10 problems around your classroom. They don’t have to be in any particular order, as students will be moving around looking for the correct answers, not completing them in order.

Then be sure to print a recording page for each student.

I recommend giving each student a clipboard along with the recording sheet so it’s easier for them to write their work and answers as they move about the room.

Then you’re all set!

Scavenger Hunt Bundle for 3rd Grade:

Do your kids love these scavenger hunts to review math skills? My 3rd Grade Math Review bundle includes 5 different scavenger hunts so you are ready to put one together for a variety of skills, all year long! Plus, you save 20% when you buy the whole bundle!

Learn more about the 3rd Grade Math Scavenger Hunt Bundle HERE

Review The Tricky Multiplication Facts:

Once the scavenger hunt is set up, your kids are ready to get started! If you have a small group, students can work independently. But I have found that this works well when students work with a partner. Then they can discuss and compare answers as they go (and they have more fun!).

To begin, all students start with any of the 10 problems. If your class is large, you may want to assign them a starting number so they don’t all bunch around the same problem card.

Students then find the solution to the multiplication fact on the card and record their answer on their paper.

Then they go “hunting” for the answer on one of the cards around the room.

For example, the answer to the problem on card #1 is 42.

42 is shown on card #5, so they would move to #5 and solve the multiplication problem on that card.

They then continue solving each multiplication problem until they end up back where they started. If they get back to the beginning and have answered all 10 problems, they should have answered them all right!

If students can’t find an answer, or they think they’re finished but have not made it to all 10 cards, they know they have a mistake somewhere and should try again.

Assessing Students’ Fact Fluency:

Once students are done, you can have a whole class discussion about strategies they used.

You can also collect their recording pages to see how they solved each problem (or at least see the solution they got for each problem).

An answer key is included in the download to make it easier on you.

Of course, you will also get a sense of fluency as you walk around the room and listen and observe students. If they progress quickly and confidently, they may be ready to move on to more challenging multiplication. If they are consistently getting stuck and frustrated and unsure how to solve these, they may need to go back and review multiplication models, and easier facts.

I hope in the midst of the craziness of December this provides a fun way to practice multiplication and a good review for older ones who might be preparing for 2-3 digit multiplication!

If you’d like to try this out with your students, go to my shop at the link below and grab a free copy.

{Click HERE to go to my shop and grab the FREE Christmas Multiplication Facts Scavenger Hunt!}

Looking for more Christmas Math FUN for 3rd-4th grade? Try these activities!

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Summer Math Practice for 3rd-4th Grade

Bethany — Mon, 09 May 2022 11:00:13 +0000

Review a variety of math skills using these low-prep and fun summer math practice for 3rd-4th grade. Each print and play self-checking maze covers a different skill, for targeted review.

Want an easy way to send some review home during the summer break? Or perhaps you are teaching summer school and need a fun activity for your kids to work on. Or maybe you are just looking for something for those last days of school when attention spans are at an all time low. No matter the reason, these self-checking summer math mazes are a fun way to review a variety of skills with your 3rd or 4th grade students.

Summer Math Practice for 3rd-4th Grade: Low-Prep Mazes

This download includes 4 different maze challenges, to work on a variety of math skills.

To complete each page, students begin by solving the given math problems. Each page includes 10 practice problems, focusing on addition and subtraction or multiplication and division.

Once they solve a problem, they look for their solution in the maze below and color that square in. If they don’t see their solution, they should go back and check their work to make corrections.

For your 3rd graders, you’ll find two addition and subtraction practice worksheets. The first focuses on 2-digit numbers, in case you have struggling learners who need to review foundational strategies before moving on to larger numbers. (You could also use this with 2nd graders to review addition and subtraction of 2-digit numbers).

If your students are ready, there is also an addition and subtraction maze with 3-digit numbers.

Next you will find a maze to practice single digit multiplication and division facts. This practice maze focuses on multiplication and division within 100 (or up to 10×10). This is a great way to review these essential facts and help kids see the relationship between multiplication and division.

This is also a simple way for your 4th graders to review multiplication facts if they are still struggling.

Lastly, for your 4th graders, you’ll find a multiplication maze to practice 2-digit by 1-digit multiplication. This maze focuses only on multiplication and does not include division problems.

Once your students are familiar with the format of these self-checking mazes, it becomes an easy way to assign extra practice and review.

Also included in the download is an answer key for each maze, allowing you to quickly glance at their papers to ensure they solved each problem correctly.

Looking for more fun and easy ways to incorporate math practice over the summer?

Check out this HUGE post of summer math with hands on ideas, easy games, engaging math books and MORE.

Ready to grab this FREE set of summer math practice for 3rd and 4th grade? Just click the link below to grab the file from my shop. Enjoy!

{Click HERE to go to my shop and grab the FREE Summer Math Practice Mazes for 3rd-4th Grade!}

Find More Easy Math Facts Practice at the Links Below:

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{FREE} Christmas Multiplication Practice for Kids

Bethany — Mon, 06 Dec 2021 12:00:55 +0000

Grab these cute and free Christmas Multiplication Practice pages to give your kids low-prep practice with the harder multiplication facts before Christmas break!

Looking for some easy ways to help your kids review and practice their multiplication facts in those chaotic days before the Christmas break? Look no further! This set of practice pages include low-prep independent practice, a Christmas multiplication coloring page and fun and visual puzzles. This set focuses on multiplication facts that tend to be hardest for kids, x6 up to x12. I hope this set provides some fun, unique and meaningful multiplication practice for your kids this holiday season.

*Please Note: This post contains affiliate links which support the work of this site. Read our full disclosure policy here.*

Christmas Multiplication Practice

This FREE set Christmas multiplication practice includes 4 different multiplication activities.

Each activity focuses on those tricky multiplication facts such as x6, x7, x9 and x12 with a fun Christmas theme.

This would be a great way to use those last few school days in December with purpose, when the kids don’t want to do any new learning but you still want to be productive!

These Christmas multiplication pages can be used to help third graders who are just learning their facts or as a fun, low-key review for fourth grade (or even fifth grade!).

Christmas Multiplication Facts Ornaments

The first activity is simple, but allows kids to practice multiplying by 5 up to 13. Even though your kids probably do not need to learn the x13 multiplication facts, this is a great additional challenge for those who are up for it!

It’s also a great way for kids to apply multiplication strategies and problem solve to find the product of larger numbers.

Although this page is designed to be completed independently, here are some ideas for spicing it up and building community while kids work together to practice their multiplication facts.

Ideas for Working in Pairs or Small Groups:

Multiplication races with the ornaments (Although I don’t think speed is the goal of learning math facts or evidence of a “good” math student, kids LOVE to compete. Pair kids up and let them race each other to complete each ornament!)
Cut out the ornaments and let each student complete one. Then let them trade with a partner to check the answers. Then decorate a classroom tree with the ornaments!
Pair kids up and let them use the page like a tic-tac-toe board. They each take turns answering the multiplication facts on an ornament and marking it with an ‘x’ or an ‘o’. The first to get 3 in a row wins!

x6 Multiplication Facts Stocking Stuffers

The next page in the Christmas practice set is focused on the x6 facts. This is a simple worksheet, but a good chance to focus on the x6 facts if that’s what your child needs.

Some of the problems ask for the product, while others are missing a factor. Challenging kids to find the missing factor is a great way for them to build a deeper understanding of the facts and also prepare them for division.

Christmas Multiplication Coloring Page

Want a chance for kids to sit quietly and practice their multiplication facts? Working on a coloring page is a nice chance for kids to settle down, focus on their own. Plus they get to practice multiplication because they color the reindeer based on the product of each multiplication fact.

Again, this page focuses on trickier multiplication facts such as x7, x8, x9 and x12.

Once your kids finish, let them further decorate the picture and display them on a bulletin board, your classroom wall or in the hallway!

Christmas Multiplication Puzzles

Lastly, you’ll find some fun multiplication puzzles that you can prep once and use year after year to review multiplication facts!

Each puzzle includes a visual picture of the multiplication problem using equal groups. Kids then match it to the factors and the final product.

There are 6 festive puzzles included in the download.

Multiplication Puzzles Setup:

To use them, begin by printing all six on card stock paper, and laminate each page for the best durability. Also, if you laminate them, kids can grab a dry erase marker and circle equal groups to help them find the matching multiplication fact.

Cut out the three puzzle pieces for each puzzle and mix up all the pieces.

Then your kids are ready to complete the puzzles!

You can use these as a math center during the holiday season, or you could even create a set for each child to use and practice over the Christmas break.

That would require a bit of time and work to setup, but what a fun, mathy Christmas gift!

Ready to grab this free Christmas multiplication practice download? Click the link below to grab it from my shop!

{Click HERE to go to my shop to grab the FREE Christmas Multiplication Practice Pages for Kids!}

Find More Christmas Math Ideas for Grades 3-5:

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Fall Multiplication Games | Low-prep and FREE

Bethany — Mon, 20 Sep 2021 11:00:36 +0000

Looking for some cute and easy ways to weave in more multiplication practice this fall? This free printable set of fall multiplication games is a fun way to practice the tricky multiplication facts.

Sometimes when I see a set of clipart or graphics, I just know I need to create something with it. This adorable set of autumn clips and colors was one of those sets. And since I am constantly getting requests for ideas and low-prep ways to practice multiplication, I thought this would be the perfect focus. Kids can use these simple, one page practice games independently. They can focus on one particular set of multiplication facts, or practice word problems involving multiplication. Learn more about the free fall multiplication games below!

Fall Multiplication Games:

This printable pack includes a variety of activities, so whether your kids are just beginning to learn multiplication or are needing extra review, this is for you.

First, you will find skip counting mazes to practice the x2, x3 and x5 multiplication facts. This is a great way for kids to make the connection between skip counting and multiplication.

Find more engaging skip counting games in this huge resource collection.

Tricky Multiplication Facts:

Then you will find activities to focus specifically on the x7, x8 and x9 multiplication facts.

These sets of facts tend to be the trickiest for kids to master, so providing extra practice can be especially helpful.

To practice the x7 facts, there is a color by number page with a cute fall scene. To solve, kids answer each x7 multiplication problem within the scene, then color according to the code.

For the x8 facts, kids travel to the apple orchard to see multiplication in context. They consider 8 friends at the orchard and answer questions to determine how many apples they gathered each week. Can they answer the bonus question? How many apples did they buy altogether (at the end of the month)?

Providing real life context for math problems will help kids to visualize and make sense of what can sometimes be abstract concepts (such as the number sentence 6×8). Thinking instead of 8 friends each buying 6 apples gives them something real and concrete for those numbers to represent.

Encourage your kids to draw pictures of each friend and their apples if they get stuck. Then they can skip count or add multiples to find each solution. Then you can discuss the connection to multiplication.

To practice the x9 facts, there is a small set of clip cards. These are super handy because if you mark the answers on the back, kids can check their answers. They can then pull these out again anytime they need additional practice.

For more multiplication clip cards to add to your collection, grab this free set as well.

Focused Multiplication Practice:

Looking for more ways to teach, reinforce and review the multiplication facts? My app, Fact Fluency: Mastering Multiplication provides visuals, animated tutorials and fun games to help kids master one set of facts at a time.

Available now on iTunes and Amazon for your iPad, iPhone or Kindle Fire devices.

See on iTunes HERE.

See on Amazon HERE.

Multiplication Word Problem Practice

Lastly, a page of multiplication word problems is included. If you want to work on these together as a class, you might give each student a white board. Then share the problems at the front of the room and let kids draw pictures and write their thinking on their white board.

After everyone has finished, you can discuss different strategies used to solve.

If your kids are older and simply need additional independent practice, you can print this page and have them work on their own in class or as homework.

I hope this printable collection is helpful to you this fall! Click the link below to grab it from my shop!

{Click HERE to go to my shop and grab the FREE Fall Multiplication Games Practice Pages!}

Find more printable multiplication resources at the pages below:

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Best Multiplication App for Kids to Increase Fluency

Bethany — Mon, 07 Jun 2021 11:00:03 +0000

Looking for a fun new way for your kids to practice their multiplication facts? Check out this new multiplication app for kids, available on iTunes and Amazon and master the facts once and for all!

If there is one skill that virtually all kids could use greater fluency, confidence and understanding of, it would probably be the multiplication facts. Even for kids who understand multiplication and feel confident, they would likely still benefit from extra practice and review. A quick search of my website will bring up dozens of fun and engaging ways to practice multiplication, from hands on models to printable board games to card games. And while those are all great and helpful options, sometimes you might be looking for a way to practice multiplication facts independently. Or a way to practice one specific set of facts, such as x7 or x8. In that case, check out my new multiplication app for kids: Fact Fluency: Mastering Multiplication.

What is Fluency with Multiplication Facts?

If the goal is for your students to be fluent with their multiplication facts (1×1 up to 10×10), then we should probably be sure we understand what ‘fluent’ means. First of all, it is helpful to begin with what it is not: fluent does not necessarily mean fast, and it is not merely accurate (though of course we want students to be accurate).

Principles and Standards for School Mathematics, from the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics explains fluency this way (p.152):

“Computational fluency refers to having efficient and accurate methods for computing. Students exhibit computational fluency when they demonstrate flexibility in the computational methods they choose, understand and can explain these methods, and produce accurate answers efficiently. The computational methods that a student uses should be based on mathematical ideas that the student understands well, including the structure of the base-ten number system, properties of multiplication and division, and number relationships.”

In other words, being fluent with multiplication facts means that students have a deep understanding of what multiplication represents, how different models relate to multiplication, and can choose models and strategies based on their understanding to arrive at an accurate solution efficiently.

For example, if a child wants to solve the problem 8×9, strategies might be to skip count by 8’s or to add 8 nine times. But these are not efficient methods because they are time consuming and prone to error.

Instead, students who have number sense and fluency can think of this problem as (8×10) – 8 to get 72. This is quicker and they’ll be less likely to make a computational error.

This is the goal of the app Fact Fluency: Mastering Multiplication.

NEW Multiplication App for Kids:

*August 2021 UPDATE: This app has been tested and certified by Educational App Store using a rigorous set of criteria. A professional, experienced teacher uses the 25 metrics designed by Professor of Educational Technology, Mike Sharples to consider the app and it’s usefulness in the classroom.

Using these metrics, Fact Fluency: Mastering Multiplication received 5 stars!

Read the complete review on EducationalAppStore.com HERE.

To be completely honest and transparent, I have not tested every single multiplication app available on iTunes. And since I am the one who designed this app, I am obviously biased when I say it’s the best.

However, in glancing through the options on iTunes, there seems to be a theme in what I see:

Flash cards
Timers
Lack of visuals and meaningful strategies

These types of multiplication fact practice may lead to memorization, but as I talked about before, not necessarily fluency with the facts. That’s why my app is different. Want a sneak peek? Check out the video preview:

Here’s some of what your kids will see as they make their way through the learning paths:

Visuals to support a conceptual understanding
Short, animated tutorials to highlight effective strategies
Engaging games to practice one set of facts at a time
A logical order to learn the facts so that they develop number sense and fluency

Fact Fluency is now available on iTunes and Amazon!

Fact Fluency: Mastering Multiplication is available to download in the iTunes app store here.

Fact Fluency: Mastering Multiplication is also available on Amazon here.

How to Use Fact Fluency: Mastering Multiplication

To begin, there are two main ‘sections’ on the app: “Learn Math Facts” and “Review Games.”

The math facts learning paths are designed to help kids work through, visualize and practice each set of multiplication facts as they make their way down the learning paths. The facts are explored in this order:

x2 facts
x10 and x5 facts
x4 facts
x3 facts
x6 facts
x9 facts
x7 facts
x8 facts

Although kids can start on any of these learning paths, they are designed to build on one another and work together to build math fluency. So ideally, kids will start with the x2 path and work through them all in order.

Within each learning path, kids have to complete each task or game before moving onto the next. This ensures they cover everything taught in that learning path. This includes things like:

Seeing multiplication as equal groups
Using arrays and area models to visualize multiplication
Learning and review the commutative property of multiplication
Using a number line or hundreds chart to solve multiplication facts and see patterns
Tutorials to model strategies using visuals such as area models
Engaging games to practice a single set of facts
Number bonds to see the relationship between multiplication & division
Games to practice finding the missing factor

Each task set is designed to be short to keep kids attention and prevent them from feeling frustrated and give up.

Additionally, if they solve a problem incorrectly, they are given the chance to try again so they see it as an opportunity to learn and grow rather than as a failure.

Multiplication App Review Games:

Of course, as I said in the beginning, we all know that kids can always use more practice. So once they’ve completed the learning paths, they can go back and play any of the games again, or you as the parent or teacher can ‘reset’ a path so they can do it again:

If you reset the path, they will have to start at the beginning (say the x9 path) and work through each task or game in that path in order again.

If your kids just need general practice with all the facts mixed together, it’s time for the ‘review games.’

When you first open the app and click play, kids can choose “Review Games” to work on all the multiplication facts mixed together.

The review games section includes some games that will be familiar from the learning paths, but no longer focusing only on a particular set of facts.

There are also some new games to try out, as well as some two-player games.

These review games can be used anytime your kids need a refresher or additional practice with multiplication. They also make a fun way for partners to work together, or a fun activity for early finishers.

Ready To Get Started?

I hope you and your kids enjoy this fun, new multiplication app for kids. And of course, if you have an idea for improvement or a feature you’d like to see in it, let me know! We want this to be the best app out there to help your kids master multiplication!

Fact Fluency: Mastering Multiplication is available to download in the iTunes app store.

You can use it on your iPhone or iPad.

Fact Fluency: Mastering Multiplication is also available on Amazon.

You can then use it on your Kindle Fire tablets.

*August 2021 UPDATE: You can now add multiple users to the app so your children (or students) can each go through the learning paths at their own pace. You can then reset a learning path for an individual child if necessary without disrupting the progress of another. You can add up to 6 users this way.

This was a highly requested feature, so I hope this is helpful for you!

Grab Fact Fluency: Mastering Multiplication on iTunes HERE!

Grab Fact Fluency: Mastering Multiplication on Amazon HERE!

The post Best Multiplication App for Kids to Increase Fluency appeared first on Math Geek Mama.

Earth Day Math Games for Kids {FREE!}

Bethany — Mon, 29 Mar 2021 11:00:56 +0000

Looking for a fun, Earth Day-themed math game to provide some easy, low-prep skills practice? This simple set of Earth Day Math Games includes a variety of levels and operations for kids.

Want to include a fun Earth Day celebration with your kids on April 22? Take a break from your typical math routine with a simple and low-prep Earth Day math game. This set of board games requires no prep on your part: just print and play! And with the variety of math skills included, hopefully there’s a game in this download that you can use as part of your Earth Day celebration.

Earth Day Math Games: All Operations

This download includes 8 different printable board games, focusing on math operations with whole numbers. This covers:

Addition within 10
Addition within 20
Subtraction within 10
Subtraction within 20
Multiplication facts to 10
2-digit by 1-digit multiplication
Division facts to 10
2-digit by 1-digit division

Hopefully if you teach grades K-5 there is an option in this pack that will work for you!

Use these games as part of a math center, a partner challenge or with small groups.

You can even differentiate if you have kids who need to work on different skills. The board games all look similar in design, but include varying levels of math problems.

Materials Needed for the Earth Day Board Games:

Board game(s) of your choice (link to the download below)
Game pieces (this can be from another board game, or use coins, unifix cubes or other small pieces)
One die

And that’s it! Once you’ve got a die and some game markers (to move around the game board), you’re all set.

There’s no pieces to assemble, cards to print and cut out or even directions to print! They’re included right on the game board!

How to Play: Earth Day Games

Each game board includes these directions, but the basic idea is very simple:

Roll the die and move your game piece
Solve the problem you land on
If you solve it correctly, stay on that space! If not, go back to your previous space.
The first person to land on “finish” AND solve the problem correctly wins!

I hope this set of games provides a fun activity for Earth Day this year!

If you’re looking for an idea to review fractions, this set of Earth Day Color a Fraction pages might be fun!

If you’re ready to grab this set of games, just click the link below to go to my shop and grab them.

{Click HERE to go to my shop and grab the FREE set of Earth Day Math Games for Kids!}

More Spring Math Games:

The post Earth Day Math Games for Kids {FREE!} appeared first on Math Geek Mama.

{FREE} Problem Solving Challenges based on “The Grapes of Math”

Bethany — Wed, 13 May 2020 17:50:12 +0000

Want to encourage meaningful math talk and problem solving? Try these playful problem solving challenges based on the book The Grapes of Math by Greg Tang!

One of my favorite books is the New York Times Bestseller, The Grapes Of Math by Greg Tang. This hilarious and interactive tale invites students to think outside the box to tackle wacky math riddles. Each challenge encourages new ways to see quantities and count objects. It invites kids to think and ask, “How else can I find the total?” or “What is the most efficient way to count or add or multiply?” These are the kinds of problem solving challenges that will develop and deepen number sense in kids. So if you’re excited to dig in, grab a copy of the book and then extend the challenge with these additional problem solving pages!

*Please Note: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links and help support the work of this site. Feel free to read our full disclosure policy here.*

Problem Solving Challenges for Kids:

Although I designed these challenges to be used along with the book, The Grapes of Math, you could use them independently. The key is to encourage creative problem solving and challenge kids to find another way to see the images.

Each page presents a math problem that requires addition. Each could be solved simply by counting the objects one by one, but the point of each puzzle is to try and find a way to solve the problem quicker and easier.

Greg Tang’s picture book, The Grapes of Math, uses silly rhymes and engaging illustrations to help kids learn several helpful problem solving strategies, such as making ten to add more efficiently, looking for groups of numbers to skip count, subtracting to add, and more!

As Greg Tang explains in his introduction,

“The Grapes of Math teaches four important lessons in problem solving. The first is to be open minded. Children will learn to look beyond the obvious in search of smarter solutions. Second, they are encouraged to think strategically by finding convenient sums that make adding easier. Third, kids are taught to save time by using a variety of skills when solving problems, such as subtracting to add. Finally, children learn to organize information by identifying patterns and symmetries.”

This book is great for visual learners, or for students who like a challenge. Even after finding the right answer, I would encourage you to ask your child (or student) how they arrived at their answer (try to figure out how they saw the picture) and then ask them to figure out another way to solve it. This is a great way to have mathematical discussions and get kids used to explaining their thinking.

And if your kids love The Grapes Of Math as much as we do, they won’t want to stop once the book is finished! So I’ve created some problem solving challenges with addition questions similar to the ones in the book!

Want to learn more about engaging students through meaningful problem solving? Check out my professional development course, Problem Solved: Teaching Math through Problem Solving.

This free download includes 8 pages of unique challenges, as well as an answer key for each page. And although it does not include cute rhymes with helpful hints, hopefully your kids will have some good ideas and be ready to tackle these on their own after working through The Grapes Of Math!

And because these will be printouts that your kids can have (rather than a picture book), I hope you will encourage them to write on each page! It’s often helpful to circle groups of five or ten, or to circle the objects to subtract.

Just be sure they are using pencil, so when you ask them to solve another way, they can erase and start again!

I hope this proves to be a great source of FUN and engaging math learning, and gets your kids excited about exploring new problem solving strategies!

If you’re looking for a similar challenge for younger kids, I recommend starting with dot card visuals and asking “how many?”

And if your kids enjoy this book and the practice pages, be sure to check out some of Greg Tang’s other books:

Math For All Seasons: Mind-Stretching Math Riddles

Math-terpieces: The Art of Problem-Solving (I especially love this one, because I love art history!)

Math Potatoes: Mind-stretching Brain Food (a little more challenging than The Grapes of Math)

And if you want to see this kind of problem solving play out with a more challenging question, check out this video of 6 year old Autumn solving a finite series problem!

{Click HERE to go to my shop and download “The Grapes of Math” Problem Solving Pages!}

Enjoy!!

The post {FREE} Problem Solving Challenges based on “The Grapes of Math” appeared first on Math Geek Mama.

{FREE} Multiply by Multiples of 10 Grid Challenges

Bethany — Mon, 11 May 2020 11:00:50 +0000

Could your kids use some practice with multiplying large numbers? These fun grids provide a great visual and kids will love the challenge of this set to multiply by multiples of 10.

Sometimes it is fun to get in some math work with low prep practice that includes a little bit of logic involved. This simple set will help kids see how to multiply by multiples of ten, but with a fun little twist. Because who wants to do a boring worksheet? Challenge kids to think logically and make sense of large number multiplication with these practice pages that focus on multiplying by multiples of ten.

Note: This is a guest post from Rachel at You’ve Got This Math.

Prep-Work for the Multiplication Worksheets:

These worksheets don’t require any prep. Just simply print and you’re ready to go.

And if you are looking for some digital resources that don’t require any printing, you may want to check out these Boom Cards that will get in a little more multiplying by multiples of ten practice.

Teaching Tips: Multiply By Multiples of 10

Before you begin any type of practice, it is important for children to understand and visualize the math they are doing.

One way to do this is to get out those base ten blocks and let your students work out a few problems.

Example 1:

Start with what they know. What is 10 x 2?

Most children can jump right in and say it is 20. But have them show it to you with their base ten blocks.

We know that a long equals 10, so now we just have to get out 2 longs…and 2 longs equals 20.

But what if we changed that 2 to a 20 and make the problem 10 x 20?

Ask your children to solve that problem with base ten blocks, and once they get out 20 longs, they will see that they have 200.

Example 2:

Now let’s try 20 x 3.

This time we will make 3 groups and put 2 longs in each group.

How many do we have? That’s right, 60!

And if you really want to challenge your children, let them partner up and do 20 x 30.

That is thirty groups with 2 longs in each group, and of course, when they are finished they will have a total of 600.

If your kids are ready to move from hands on models to visual models, I recommend breaking the multiplication problems apart with area models.

Read: How to Teach Multi-Digit Multiplication with Area Models

OR Find more ideas for teaching double digit multiplication and simple game ideas here.

Multiply by Multiples of 10: Practice Puzzles

Now that they have experienced what happens when we multiply by tens, it is time for some practice. These fun boxes or puzzles are a fun way for children to get in a little extra multiplying by tens. And you are also throwing in some grid work!

How These Multiplication Challenges Work:

If you look at the first empty box in this picture you will see that the number above it is a 50 and the number to the left is a 20. These two numbers are the numbers our students get to multiply. And since 50 x 20 = 1,000, we write 1,000 in the first box.

Now we move to the second box. The nine is above it, and the 20 is to the left…so we multiply 20 x 9

And we get to do the same for the bottom two boxes.

50 x 1 = 50

9 x 1 = 9

A Slightly Harder Challenge:

Some puzzles require division…and a little more thought:

First, we get our kiddos to do an easy problem. 60 x 8 and write 480 in the correct box.
Next, we get into our division. We see that our product will be 360 and one of the factors will be 60. So we can ask our children 60 x ___ = 360 or 360 divided by 60 equals what? (If needed, get out those base ten blocks again and let them count out 36 tens and then put 60 in a group. It is easy to see that there are six groups, so 60 x 6= 360. The six goes above 360.
Now, we don’t know what to multiply the six by, so we have to figure out what 560 divided by 8 is. That answer is 70, so we can put the 70 underneath the 60.
Finally, we get to do the last empty box. 70 x 6 = 420.

I hope your children enjoy these boxes as they practice multiplying by multiples of ten.

{Click HERE to go to my shop and grab this FREE Set of Challenges to Multiply by Multiples of 10!}

Rachel is a homeschool mom to four little ones, ages 2 to 6. She is a former public elementary teacher, and has recently begun blogging at her page You’ve Got This. You can also find her on Facebook and Pinterest.

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