Want to provide some hands on practice with making ten and composing the number ten? This adorable set of St. Patrick's Day Make Ten mats is low-prep & fun! Incorporating ten frames into your math learning is an easy way to help kids develop number sense in our base ten system. Ten frames can help students "see" numbers to compose and decompose within 10, or easily visualize ways to make ten, an important foundational skill. If your kids Keep Reading...
Valentine’s Day Number Sense Challenge: Open Ended Math
Provide a fun and engaging Valentine's Day number sense building activity for students of all ages! This free download can be used and adapted in so many ways & is low-prep for the teacher. I always enjoy incorporating seasonal or holiday-themed activities into our math lessons. It just adds a little something new and fun. Plus, it's a welcome change of pace from the everyday routine. But what I really love is finding an activity all of my Keep Reading...
“Make 100” Math Games for 100th Day of School
Want to boost mental math skills and number sense? Grab this set of "make 100" math games and celebrate the 100th day of school! Do you celebrate the 100th day of school with your students? Although it's not a specific, recognized holiday, it does provide a chance to have some fun and acknowledge a milestone in your school year. So why not take the opportunity to celebrate? That doesn't mean you have to take a break from important math Keep Reading...
FREE Esti-Mystery Challenges for Grades K-2 | Math Geek Mama
Looking for a new and super fun math task for your students? Try an esti-mystery to combine meaningful estimation practice with number sense building! Grab this set FREE for grades K-2. My kids and I have been using a new set of math challenges that everyone LOVES! It's called an esti-mystery and typically they come from Steve Wyborney. But thanks to his course, I have learned how to create my own, especially for my kids. So today, I want to Keep Reading...
Benefits of Esti-Mystery Challenges | FREE Esti-Mystery Recording Pages
Learn more about the unique Esti-Mystery math challenges and how these engaging prompts can build confidence and number sense in your students. Plus, grab the free set of esti-mystery recording pages to help students as they solve them! What does your daily math routine look like? Maybe it includes a "number of the day" challenge, or calendar time. Maybe it includes number talks or fun math game time. Of all the math tasks you give your Keep Reading...
‘Ten Fish’: An Addictive Make Ten Math Game for Kids
Are you looking for fun ways to develop your child's number sense and early math skills? Although there are countless games you could play and dozens of fancy manipulatives you could employ, one of the best and easiest tools to use is a ten frame. Ten frames are a powerful visual that help our brains make sense of numbers. And so when you can combine this handy visual with fun and engaging games? Well, you've got a winner for sure! Learn more Keep Reading...
I Notice, I Wonder…Helping Kids Understand Big Math Ideas & Solve Problems
One of the biggest hurdles for kids when it comes to math is word problems. Just the sight of a word problem can either send kids into a panic or cause them to number pluck: meaning they simply pull out all the numbers and guess at an operation (often just adding them up). But if we want kids to think like mathematicians and learn to be strong problem solvers, we have to help them think about and communicate big math ideas. They need to learn to Keep Reading...
Number Sense Activities with Visual Dot Cards {Grades PreK-1}
Time and time again, research shows that students who struggle with math in middle school or high school were the same kids who lacked number sense in the early grades. So it is essential that we help develop and strengthen kids' number sense in Kindergarten and First Grade, to help set them up for future math success. There are several different strategies you can focus on to help kids make sense of numbers and think flexibly, but one of the Keep Reading...
The Great Debate: The Role of Calculators in Math Education
The great debate over calculator use in the math classroom, particularly in elementary school, will probably never be resolved. There are those who say there is no place for calculators in the classroom, whether elementary or high school. Then there are those who say that “mental math” is no longer necessary. That we live in an age of technology and memorizing multiplication facts or working math out with pencil and paper has become obsolete and Keep Reading...
Fun Fall Addition and Subtraction Puzzles {FREE}
Recently, I printed some simple puzzles for my daughter (Kindergarten) to practice putting the numbers 1-10 in order (similar to the ones in this printable pack). We're been practicing counting, recognizing numerals and understanding number order, so it was a fun project for her. My son, however, wanted to try some puzzles too. The problem is, he's in first grade, and well beyond placing the numbers from 1-10 in order. But he really wanted Keep Reading...
