I even showed it to her and still she didn’t know. So, now I’m trying to explain how cool they are and how useful they are for learning. I was very articulate:

You know, you use these rubber bands and can stretch them across the pegs to make shapes and stuff. Then you can ask, ‘what shape is this?’ or say, ‘Can you make a triangle?’ And you can play games and … explore.

Surprisingly she took some home. Probably thinking about what a weird sister she has.

Now I’m going to do what I wasn’t able to do for her. I’ve created a list of what a teacher can do with a geoboard. Stay around to the end to get the free geoboard activity cards!

And just in case you thought geoboards were just for elementary students, I’ll be sure to highlight how you can use geoboards with your middle school students too.

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

This is a guest post from Danielle of Blessedly Busy.

In this article, I will highlight 3 different ways kids can learn math with geoboards. Get a quick overview in this video, and then read the complete article below:

How to Explore Using a Geoboard

Exploring can be as simple as handing them the materials and saying, “What shapes can you make?”

But I like using a more spontaneous approach. Before I went to bed, I put the geoboards in the middle of the table with cups of rubber bands. The kids didn’t even notice until breakfast was almost over. Hunger probably has a way of making you unaware of your surroundings.

Then one kid picks one up. “What do you do with this?” I show them how the rubber bands fit on the pegs and suddenly all of the kids want one and are busy making shapes and designs.

A morning of exploration commenced.

For the most part I let things unfold how they would. But when I was sensing a lull in their exploration I might ask a question like:

• Can anyone make a circle?
• What’s the biggest shape you can make? The smallest?
• What shape can you make that has the least number of sides? The most?
• Can you make a picture out of many shapes?

This is an activity the whole family, no matter their age, can participate in. Older students will bring a lot more knowledge to the table, but there will still be something to discover and fun to be had.

For exploration: give students time to explore how they will. Ask open ended questions that have multiple answers.

How to Analyze Using a Geoboard

Ask students to make a picture or design. It needs to be a little complicated, with rubber bands crossing each other. If they bring back something too simplistic, tell them they have to use at least 10 rubber bands.

Then, they analyze it. Here is an example:

Ask students what shapes they can find. Older students should be using higher vocabulary. If they say they found 5 triangles, ask what kind of triangles? My design has a lot of isosceles right triangles.

If you are working with more than one student, you can switch and see if you get the same answers.

Once you start analyzing designs, you’ll start to see the parts that make up a shape. I noticed that in each of my squares there are two triangles.

At first it looks like my design doesn’t have any rectangles (that are not squares, that is) but then I start seeing the two squares touching and suddenly I see several rectangles (at least 12).

For Analyzing: create a design and see how many parts and shapes you see.

How to Challenge Using a Geoboard

Since writing about STEM for Homeschoolers I’ve been thinking a lot about how engineers test limits. I generally don’t think like an engineer, but to challenge students I’m willing to give it a try.

So, let’s push the limits of what our students know.

Examples of challenge questions:

• Can you make a:
  • triangle
  • right triangle
  • isosceles right triangle
  • a shape with no sides
• How many triangles fit in a square?
• How many shapes can you make with only a square and a triangle?

To challenge students: push them a little past what they know.

How to Practice Using a Geoboard

The best way to practice…anything? Play! Here are three very simple games that only require a geoboard, rubber bands, and a list of shapes.

(You can use the geoboard activity cards in the download below)

Game 1:

Give a description of a shape and the student makes that shape. Examples: a triangle, a 3 sided shape, an isosceles right triangle.

Game 2:

Give students a list of shapes. They pick any 5 they want and put them on their geoboard. (They can use a shape more than once if they like). When you call out a shape, if they have it, they can take it off their board.

They win when their board is empty. (I numbered my list and used the random number generator function on my ti-84 calculator so I didn’t have to cut up a list. Yes, I am lazy).

Game 3 (for 2 players):

One player creates a shape on their geoboard (without showing their partner) and the other asks yes or no questions until they can guess the shape.

Where to Get a Geoboard

Of course you can get a geoboard from Amazon or any school supply store. They are relatively inexpensive and I have found even the cheap plastic ones to hold up well to students play. But there are two more options.

If you are the DIY type, check out this homemade Geoboard.

If the thought of rubber bands going flying across your dining room (or classroom) is just too much for you, there are also several apps or online geoboards you can use.

Geoboard Activity Cards to Get You Started!

If you love the idea of exploring shapes and more with Geoboards but are struggling to come up with engaging challenges, grab this free set of geoboard activity cards!

I suggest printing them on colored card stock and laminating for durability, then you can use them as a starting point again and again.

You could even use them with partners or groups. Have each student draw a card and complete the challenge. They then switch geoboards with a partner and the partner has to guess what their challenge was.

This download includes 30 activities, some appropriate for young kids, and some much more challenging.

For more hands on math with geoboards, be sure to check out my complete resource book for grades 5-8!

And be sure to grab this free set of Geoboard challenges to get started!

{Click HERE to go to my shop and grab the free geoboard activity cards!}

More Math Ideas with Geoboards:

• Plotting Points on a Geoboard
• Finding the Midpoint Using Geoboards
• Exploring Triangles with The Greedy Triangle

Danielle is a homeschooling mamma of 5.  She is committed to making life with young children easier and sharing her passion for math.  If you would like to learn more about teaching math to multiple age groups visit Blessedly Busy or follow her on:  Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest  or Twitter.

The post Geoboard Activity Cards {FREE Geometry Challenge} appeared first on Math Geek Mama.

My son is now learning about division, and I wanted to make sure he is developing an understanding of these vocabulary words too. My son needed to focus on the vocabulary, so this is what I created to help him succeed.

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

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

Division Vocabulary Book

The division vocabulary book helps children become familiar with six vocabulary words. Here is what your kiddos will be learning about as they work through this book:

1. Division is when you share or split something into equal groups.
2. The dividend is the number that is being divided up.
3. The divisor is the number you are dividing by or how many equal groups you will create.
4. The quotient is the answer to a division problem. It is how many objects are in one of the equal groups.
5. The remainder is the amount that is left over or can be put into groups because the groups will not be equal.
6. Finally, the inverse operation basically states that multiplication reverses division.

The children will not just be reading about the definitions, they will be required to find pictures that illustrate that word.

For example, for each way a division problem may be written, there are cards that have arrows pointing to each part of the division problem.

If the students are looking for examples of a dividend they would find a card that has an arrow pointing to the numerator in a fraction, or the first number in a problem like 24 ÷ 8.

Materials Needed:

• Division booklet for each student (link to the download is at the end of the post)
• Scissors
• Glue

Division Book Prep – Work

Prep-work for this book can be incredibly simple. But if you want this activity to take up less of your math time, you may want to do some prep-work ahead of time.

Simple (This will take students time to complete):

1. To begin, print off enough books for each student that will be putting it together
2. Provide your students with scissors and glue
3. Have students cut out the book, assemble them, and staple.
4. Finally, have students cut out the illustrations

More Prep on your part:

1. First, print off book
2. Assemble book by cutting out the pages, putting them in order, and stapling them together.
3. Next, allow students to cut out illustrations, or you could cut out illustrations for them.
4. Provide glue for students

Put the Division Vocabulary Book Together

Now comes the fun part: figuring out which illustrations go on the pages! Some children may be able to figure this out quickly, and others may need a little more support. I constantly used the definition as my son searched for his illustrations.

“What number do you think is going to be divided up in this problem?”

“How many is in each group in this problem?”

“How many groups would I need to make to solve this problem?”

After each question, I would use the vocabulary word and confirm my son’s choice.

He learned a lot, and as we have moved on to division word problems and creating division arrays, I have loved seeing him continue to use the vocabulary he has learned.

You’ve Got This

{Click HERE to go to my shop and grab this fun interactive division vocabulary book!}

Want more fun ideas for exploring division? Try one of these:

• • Multiplication and division roll and write activity
  • Books to explore division
  • Division BINGO game

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.

The post Simple, Interactive Division Vocabulary Booklet {FREE} appeared first on Math Geek Mama.

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

Helpful Pre-Algebra Lessons and Resources:

Most of these are interactive investigations which encourage kids to discover Algebra properties on their own. Some are simply hand-outs to help ensure students are successful. Each of the lessons includes teaching tips and answer keys as well.

I hope you find this list of resources helpful as you make Algebra fun and meaningful!

Understanding Math Vocabulary:

This freebie is a simple handout that provides kids with an overview of math specific vocabulary, as well as some practice to “translate” phrases into math expressions and equations.

Click here to learn more about the Math Vocabulary Handout

Understanding the Distributive Property:

This problem-based lesson helps students see and apply the distributive property in real life.

Click here to learn more about the Distributive Property lesson

Adding and Subtracting Integers:

This guided lesson helps students understand in a visual way what happens when you add and subtract positive and negative numbers.

Click here to learn more about the Integers lesson

Want more integer practice? Try this free 2-in-1 integer operations game.

Patterns in Pascal’s Triangle:

Much of Algebra consists of seeing and describing patterns in the real world. Learn how exploring patterns in Pascal’s triangle can help students with Algebra.

Click here to learn more about the Pascal’s Triangle worksheets

How Much Does a Pumpkin Cost?:

This 3-part Algebra lesson set uses a real life example to guide students through various Algebra skills such as writing and evaluating expressions and solving linear equations.

Click here to learn more about the Cost of a Pumpkin lessons

Making Sense of Absolute Value:

No matter what level of Algebra I taught, I always spent time teaching absolute value in a conceptual way. This is a hard concept for kids to get, and often leads to misconceptions later on. Use this guided lesson to build a solid foundation.

Click here to learn more about the Absolute Value lesson

Understanding Exponent Properties:

The properties of exponents can also cause problems if students simply memorize rules. This lesson shows students the properties in a way that will help them retain and solve more difficult problems.

Click here to learn more about the Exponent Properties lesson

The King’s Chessboard Problem:

This problem is based on the storybook, The King’s Chessboard, and is a great way to explore exponential growth. You can read the story with Pre-algebra students and use the problem and discussion questions to explore, or you could use this as an introduction to exponential functions with more advanced students.

Click HERE to learn more about  The King’s Chessboard problem

I hope this list of ideas and resources gives you a great starting point as you teach and help kids build a solid foundation for Algebra and beyond!

Ready for more? Many of these free lessons are part of my huge Algebra Essentials Resource Bundle! Everything you need to help kids build a solid Algebra foundation and set them up for success! Click the graphic below to learn more and purchase the complete bundle.

Don’t see what you need? What Pre-algebra concept do your kids find most challenging? Share in the comments!

The post 8 Engaging Early Algebra Lessons (FREE) appeared first on Math Geek Mama.

*Please Note: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links and help support the work of this site. Read our full disclosure here.*

I’ve recently been reading a book by Laney Sammons called, Building Mathematical Comprehension. It is an excellent resource and if you are interested in learning more and seeing more examples and in depth analysis of these strategies, I highly recommend it.

As I’ve read through and considered various literacy strategies, it has struck me that applying these strategies to math seems so obvious, and yet, it’s not something I have heard or thought of before.

For instance, she makes the point that the goal of reading instruction is to comprehend and apply. The same is true of math! The goal of teaching and learning math is not to be able to compute or work through algorithms or memorize facts. It is to understand. To comprehend the meaning of all the numbers and their connections to each other and then apply that to real life.

So if you’re familiar with these strategies, I hope this will give you new insight into how you can apply them to math instruction, and if you’re not familiar with these strategies, I hope this will be packed full of useful information for you!

5 Ideas for Using Literacy Strategies to Teach Math:

1. Teach Math Vocabulary

In reading, vocabulary (and figuring out unknown words) is an essential component of comprehension. In math, the task of knowing and determining unknown vocabulary is even more challenging because there are words that are specific to math and not used in everyday conversation.

Math is a foreign language and it is important that we don’t take for granted the language used to talk about and describe math problems and situations. The good thing is, there are lots of different ways you can teach and help kids understand math specific vocabulary.

Here are just a few ideas: 

• Have a “word wall” in your home or classroom to expose kids to math specific words and start discussions
• Encourage students to explain their thinking when they solve a problem using math words. If they explain in a way that doesn’t incorporate the correct vocabulary, rephrase it for them using appropriate terms
• Use “word sorts” to allow students to make connections between various words and mathematical operations (for example, sort words like “add, altogether, in total, plus, etc.” under the addition symbol
• Have math talks and encourage (and model yourself) the use of math specific vocabulary
• Incorporate writing into your lessons to allow students to write about mathematical experiences, or explain a solution in their own words using math vocabulary
• Use graphic organizers such as a Frayer diagram or Venn diagram to compare words, find examples, etc.
• Read math stories (this is one of my favorites!)

Related: The Importance of Math Vocabulary

2. Use Schema (a.k.a prior knowledge)

Every child has a schema, or set of knowledge, that is unique to them. Each child’s schema will be varied in its breadth and depth. Some may overlap, some may have a lot of prior knowledge (some may have a much larger vocabulary, for instance) while others may have virtually no prior knowledge.

It’s important, however, in reading and math, to try and start with what they know and build on that knowledge. In fact, according to Marzano, research suggests that “what students already know about the content is one of the strongest indicators of how well they will learn new information relative to the content.” (This also means you may need to spend time determining what they know before you start).

By starting with something familiar, students can then make a connection from the new concept to what they already know, helping to make sense of the new ideas, as well as helping with retention.

This is the reason the first few lessons in my introduction to multiplication bundle focus on reinforcing and understanding repeated addition. This allows kids to take something familiar (addition) and think about it in a new way (repeated addition) and then form a connection from repeated addition to multiplication.

So when you are planning math lessons, it is helpful for students if you start with the familiar and work towards building a bridge to new content.

But it is also important to help students see how they can do this on their own to help them solve problems. When they look at a math problem, have them first ask themselves, “What do I know?” and then write that down. Look for things that are familiar (such as known vocabulary words) and see if that provides any insight into how to solve the problem.

A popular method in reading instruction is to use a KWL chart (What do I KNOW, what do I WANT to know, and then what did I LEARN). This could easily be used when learning a new math concept as well, helping kids make those important connections!

Related: Teaching Readers to Use Their Schema 

3. Make Connections

This leads me to the next literacy strategy: making connections. Helping kids use their prior knowledge gives them something to connect a new concept to.

But students can make connections in other ways as well, and this is a very useful strategy to help them learn, apply and remember new math concepts.

Types of math connections: 

• Math to math
• Math to self
• Math to world

All of math is interconnected, and it’s important to help kids see the connections between one math concept and another. We also then, have to find ways to make connections between the math they’re learning and their life, and help them see math in the world around them.

One way you can help kids form connections is to plan lessons in which connections are abundant. Be intentional in the way you present new topics. Teach it in a way that uses all sorts of other math to see and learn the new math idea.

Sometimes it is helpful to point out these connections to students, and other times, encourage them to make the connections on their own. Eventually, you want seeing and making connections to be a habit, natural and automatic for kids.

Ideas for helping kids make mathematical connections:

• Have a daily “how did you use math yesterday?” discussion
• Keep math journals documenting math situations or connections
• If you’re a classroom teacher, encourage parents to have “math talks” or go on “math walks” at home
• Read the book Math Curse and spend time discussing it and other ways we see and use math (get FREE resources to use with this book here)

Related: Making connections to help with reading comprehension

4. Make predictions

Making predictions and inferences is an important reading comprehension strategy, and adapting that to math instruction is vital. As Laney Sammons states,

“Students need to know that making predictions that are then proved or disproved is a process mathematicians have used throughout history.”

Having an idea about how to solve a problem and then seeing that that is either a valid method or not is what we do as mathematicians. It’s the crux of the problem solving process. Play around with ideas and numbers and see what happens.

Related: 8 reasons making mistakes in math is a good thing

The problem is, this is not normally how math is taught. Often, students are told, “Here is the process. Do each problem exactly like this.” Students then memorize a procedure without understanding the concept or making any connections to prior knowledge or their world.

Instead, encourage exploration. Encourage mistakes, and then have students analyze why a method did or did not work. Then have them try again.

Help them look for patterns and see if they can generalize their observations.

Just as students can make predictions about how to solve problems, they should also be in the habit of predicting the solution. This is called estimating.

Unfortunately, this is a rarely taught skill, and is usually only seen in the form of, “How many balls do you think are in this jar?”

Helping kids get in the habit of estimating the solution is important though, because it will help them to self check and make sure that the answer makes sense in the context of the problem. They can use what is given in the problem as well as their prior knowledge to make predictions about the solution.

For instance, in an addition problem, students should know that the final solution must be larger than the numbers they are adding.

In more challenging problems, they should think about whether the solution should be positive or negative, large or small, a whole number or a fraction, exactly one solution or more than one solution, etc.

I think the best way to encourage this kind of estimating is to constantly model it for kids. Talk out loud as you solve a problem and explain why you think the answer will be large and positive. Then talk through your thinking as you do the math.

Related: Making predictions as you read and Using inferences to help with comprehension

5. Teach kids to visualize 

Just like reading a story creates a visual image in our minds, math problems should as well. When using visualizing to help with reading comprehension, it’s a good idea to underline or circle visual words (adjectives).

Kids can do this with math word problems as well. Circle words that paint a picture and provide important information, and then use those words to draw a picture.

Visualizing and drawing a picture is a helpful strategy because it provides kids with a mental image which will help them remember what they’ve learned.

It can also help them break down a problem into easier to understand parts to make sense of it. If a problem seems overwhelming at first glance, spending time circling visual words and then drawing a picture of the problem can help make it less overwhelming.

Related: Problem solving by drawing a picture

This is by no means an exhaustive list of literacy strategies, or ideas for how you can apply reading comprehension strategies to math instruction. It is simply meant to give you a starting point and hopefully some good ideas for how you can encourage your kids to be thinkers and problem solvers who have a deep understanding of math and how it relates to the world around them.

And if you’re looking for more strategies to help kids make sense of math, grab a FREE copy of my ebook, Strategies for Problem Solving: Equip Kids to Solve Math Problems with Confidence!

Click HERE to learn more and request your copy!

References in this post: 

• Building Mathematical Comprehension: Using Literacy Strategies to Make Meaning, by Laney Sammons
• Building Background Knowledge for Academic Achievement: Research on What Works in Schools, by R.J. Marzano

The post Using Literacy Strategies to Teach Math appeared first on Math Geek Mama.

Welcome to the weekly collection of FREE math worksheets, lessons and games here at Math Geek Mama! There are tons of free resources around the web, but it’s not always easy to find them. So I do the hard work for you and share what I find here!

Do you have a math freebie to share with Math Geek Mama readers? Send me a link so I can share it in the weekly round up!

Kindergarten-2nd Grade: 

This fun twist on graphing is sure to make math more interesting for your kids!

And if you’re working on greater than or less than, try this cute alligator math set from Simple at Home.

3rd-5th Grade: 

Working on decimals? This great freebie from You’ve Got This will help kids to understand place value with decimal numbers. This is so helpful for such a difficult concept!

And these cute multiplication books are so fun! What a great way for kids to practice their multiplication facts.

6th Grade+:

Need practice with geometry vocabulary? This simple matching game is a great way to practice without worksheets.

And this post includes a really fun way to work on area and perimeter-such a great use of your geoboards!

And if you still haven’t found what you need, check out another helpful math site, Maths Teachers Only! They are still working to update the site, but there are lots of notes and resources for upper level math on their free resources pages. Check it out!

And that’s all for this week! Check back each week for more fun freebies, or see all the past round ups here!

And if you’re looking for more, be sure to subscribe to my FREE email newsletter to get access to freebies I don’t share anywhere else!

Have a great weekend!

The post Weekly Math Freebie Round Up! appeared first on Math Geek Mama.

Welcome to the weekly collection of math teaching freebies from around the web! I love creating resources to make teaching math easier and more fun, but there are a lot of other great resources out there as well! Check back each week for more math goodness!

Do you have a freebie to share with math educators? Send me a link so I can share it here!

Kindergarten-2nd Grade:

This post at Smiling and Shining in Second Grade has some great ideas for March and several math freebies! Included are money task cards, a quick review and morning work freebie.

And what kids doesn’t love doing math with LEGO? Grab these adorable LEGO addition mats to help kids practice adding and then comparing numbers at the same time!

3rd-5th Grade:

This post at Teaching to Inspire includes tips for using math centers in your classroom, and also includes a great freebie of various math sorts. I think this is a great way for students to practice and review skills!

Want another fun math sort? Try this equal or not equal place value sort.

And grab this HUGE Super Hero multiplication and division practice pack over at Educents! I don’t know how long this will be free, so be sure to grab it before the price changes! (Note: this is an affiliate link).

6th Grade+:

I have enjoyed making simple, printable math calendars recently, and was so excited to find some for advanced math this week! So if you have high schoolers, try these algebra and geometry calendars from Partially Derivative.

And here’s another option from Just Maths: A little bit everyday calendar.

And this post shares a really unique twist on math worksheets for St. Patrick’s Day covering a variety of topics such as integer operations, absolute value, prime and composite numbers and math vocabulary. (Note: you have to give your email to get this freebie).

I hope you found some fun ideas and resources for the month of March! And if you’re looking for more free goodies, check out all the past round-ups here!

Enjoy!

The post Weekly Math Freebie Round Up appeared first on Math Geek Mama.

Welcome to the weekly round up of math teaching freebies here at Math Geek Mama! Each week I share fun and free teaching materials, lessons and games to help you teach math in a way that is fun and meaningful! If you have a lesson you’d like me to share, send me a link!

Kindergarten-2nd Grade:

This cute partner game is a great way for kids to practice making ten! All you need is the game board, some markers and a die.

Did you know that Have Fun Teaching has LOADS of free printable worksheets and activities? For example, here are some clock activities, and here are some fun addition activities!

3rd-5th Grade:

Grab this fun project to help your kids work on fractions, decimals and percents! This is free at Educents, but be sure to check the price, as it could change.

Or use this video clip from Cyberchase to teach measuring rate!

6th-12th Grade:

This fun, printable board game is a great way for kids to practice some geometry vocabulary!

After working on vocabulary, try this quick and easily adaptable angles game!

Hope you have fun with math with your kids this week! Check back next week for more fun freebies, or check out past round-ups here!

Want more FREE teaching materials? Subscribe to my e-mail newsletter!

The post Weekly Math Freebie Round Up! appeared first on Math Geek Mama.

*Please Note: This post contains affiliate links which help support this site. Read our full disclosure here.*

Why Math Talk is Important:

First of all, you may be wondering why this is even an issue. After all, isn’t math about numbers and computations? Of course talking increases language skills, but why would talking help with math skills?

While it is true that math is learned by doing, numerous studies have shown that early math talk is essential and has a large impact on future math success. It seems that early number related talk (including counting, comparing, sequencing, and discussing shapes) sparks an early interest in math and can decrease math anxiety.

A recent study from the University of Chicago and published in the journal Science, followed a group of 587 first graders in the Chicago area. The goal of the study was to determine if increasing parents’ involvement in math at home would increase the child’s achievement at school.

To test their theory, they gave some of the families the Bedtime Math app to use at home. This app (similar to the books) presents a story for parents and children to read together and then poses math problems related to the story.

Other families used a similar app, which allowed them to read a story together, but did not involve math.

At the end of the school year, they saw a marked improvement in the students who had been using the Bedtime math app.

The most significant finding, however, is that the greatest gains were in those children whose parents claimed to be anxious about math. Parents who are anxious about math tend to have a negative impact on their child (and their feelings toward the subject).

By the end of the year, after spending a little time with the Bedtime math app (even as little as once a week) these kids looked like the kids of parents who aren’t “math anxious.” This is significant given the findings in this study, which showed “math anxious” parents who helped their children with homework did more harm than good!

While it’s not clear what exactly it was about this project that made the difference for students (the technology, the stories, the types of problems, etc.), it seems that having opportunities to talk about math in a non-threatening environment (like while reading a bedtime story) increased students’ confidence and math abilities in the classroom.

It may have also been good for the “math anxious” parents who felt ill equipped to teach or help their kids with math.

(It is also important to note that not much change or improvement was seen in kids whose parents were already engaging them in math talk. So if this is already a habit in your home, you likely won’t see much change by using the Bedtime Math app.)

While this study incorporated the Bedtime Math app as a form of intervention and a conversation starter, the study is not about the app itself.

It is about the impact that even just a small amount of math related discussion can have on a child’s achievement.

This app is interactive and involved both the parent and the child. There are many, many math apps out there, most of which involve handing the iPad over to your child and letting them “do math” for a while.

Bedtime Math is different: it involves the parent and child reading and discussing ideas and math problems together, and I think that is the key to the impact seen in this study.

So if you would like to make math and number talks a more normal and natural part of your interactions with your kids, but aren’t interested in using the app or don’t have the necessary device, there are lots of other ways to do that!

Ideas to Increase Math Talk with Your Kids:

• Point out numbers in everyday life-on speed limit signs, on clocks, house numbers, sale signs in the grocery store, etc.
• Count things throughout the day-number of pretzels for snack, number of books read, number of blocks in the tower (or the number of Skittles).
• Talk about the time-the time you eat breakfast, lunch or dinner, how many hours until daddy gets home, how long naptime is, etc.
• Use a calendar-discuss how many days are in the month, see the numbers in order, talk about ordinal numbers, count the number of days until a holiday or birthday, or how many days in a week.
• Check the weather-talk about the high and low temperature for the day and compare the temperatures that week
• Observe shapes-look at the shapes around you, discuss what shapes things are made up of (kids are brilliant at this!) and compare shapes.
• Cook together-discuss the measurements as you cook, and count as you add things to the bowl
• Read math picture books (or read one of the Bedtime Math books!)
• At snack time-divide snacks and discuss how many each child gets (i.e. there are 8 apple slices and 4 kids, so how many do you each get?), or discuss subtraction-how many do you have after you eat 1? 2?
• Count syllables-as you’re working on reading and language skills, count and clap the syllables in words or phrases.
• Discuss directional words-discuss things in relation to one another (behind, on top of, across, under, between, etc.).
• Ask “How many?”-this is probably the easiest habit to form-simply ask “How many?” often. “How many pieces of candy do you have?” “How many fish are in the picture?” “How many girls are in our family?” etc.

While these kinds of discussions may take some getting used to and may feel more “planned” at first, it will soon become more natural and an easy part of your interactions with your child.

If you’re looking for more ideas, I highly recommend checking out Christopher Danielson’s site, where he writes about practical and fun ideas, as well as his eBook, Talking Math with Your Kids.

Photo Credit: mynameisharsha via Compfight cc {text added}

The post Increase “Math Talk” with Your Kids {It’s Not as Scary as it Sounds!} appeared first on Math Geek Mama.

*Please Note: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links and help support the work of this site. Read our full disclosure here.*

This printable pack includes a piece of candy corn for each number from 1-10. On each piece of candy is the numerical number, number word and corresponding number of dots.

One thing that is great about this for us is that my 4 year old could practice number recognition, and my son could help and work on learning number words, and my oldest could be a “helper,” which she absolutely loves!

But because you may have different ages and settings, I’ve thought of a couple different ways you can use these.

To Use the Candy Corn Number Puzzles:

The first thing you will need to do is print the candy corn and cut out each section so you can let students correctly put them back together.

To use as puzzles again and again, laminate first, and then cut out (this is what I did). For added durability, you may want to print on card stock before laminating.

You could then have students put together all of the puzzles and then place them in numerical order.

If you want students to work on cutting and fine motor skills, however, you could allow them to cut themselves, then mix all the pieces up and put them back together. Or, they could cut out two, and then switch with a partner to put them back together.

Also included are some cut and paste pages, which could be a fun way to focus on 2 numbers a day for an entire week. Each day, have students work on just those two number puzzles, and then they can glue them to their paper.

Or you can work on all the numbers at once and let them glue them down, rather than laminating the puzzles.

Or you could group students in groups of 5, give them all the puzzles as a group, and let them each correctly put together 2 and glue them down.

However you see fit, I hope you and your students will have fun with these! My daughter loves them, and loves that I made something especially for her!

{Click HERE to go to my shop and download the Candy Corn Number Puzzles!}

Want more number practice? Try this “Park the Cars” activity for working with numbers 1-100!

If you enjoy these and would like more free resources (including a candy corn addition sort!) be sure to sign up for my FREE weekly email newsletter! I share the latest from the site as well as share math freebies that you won’t get anywhere else!

The post {FREE} Candy Corn Number Puzzles! appeared first on Math Geek Mama.

Welcome to week 5 of Summer Math Camp here at Math Geek Mama! This week we worked on time problems! Telling time, adding and subtracting time, and figuring out elapsed time! It was so fun!

If you’ve missed the rest of this series, check out each week so far {there are FREE resources each week!}:

Week 1: Operations with Large Numbers-Comparing, Rounding, Adding and Subtracting

Week 2: Exploring the Meaning of Multiplication and Solving Problems involving Multiplication

Week 3: Understanding Fractions and Adding and Subtracting Fractions

Week 4: Exploring Real Life Math Using Money

By third grade, students are expected to know how to tell time proficiently, so you may be wondering why we spent an entire lesson on telling time. Well, using time and solving problems involving time is an extremely important real life math concept, and will be a topic that is used and explored in many math classes to come. So it’s pretty important for kids to master it!

For third graders, according to the common core standards, students should be able to:

“Tell and write time to the nearest minute and measure time intervals in minutes. Solve word problems involving addition and subtraction of time intervals in minutes, e.g., by representing the problem on a number line diagram.”

There’s a lot of ideas and concepts to explore in that one standard, so this is what I based our entire lesson on. We had a lot of fun, and I hope you find some useful ideas as well!

I was really excited to get the girls up and moving to practice and review telling time, so I had planned to start by making hula hoop clocks and letting them race to “set the time” when I called it out. Unfortunately, a couple girls couldn’t join us this week, so I decided to wait on that one!

Instead, we started with a fun review using these BINGO boards from The Measured Mom!

We used the hardest level to play which included time to the hour, half hour and quarter hour. I used some game pieces from a board game to make our way around the outside of the board, and pennies for bingo markers, and it worked great!

After a basic review of time and how a clock works (how many minutes in an hour, how we count minutes around the clock, etc.) it was time to move on to harder problems.

I liked the idea of this tv guide activity (one of the worksheets on this page) for practicing elapsed time, but decided that since it is Summer, it would be more fun to create a schedule for the perfect Summer day!

We had fun thinking of the best ways to spend Summer days (like swimming, going to the movies, eating yummy treats), and adding them to the chart. After choosing a start time and an end time, we figured out how to determine the total duration by using a number line.

We would start by counting the hours. For example, if I go swimming from 9 until 12:30, we would count from 9 to 10, then 10 to 11, and 11 to 12, and write 1 hour over each of those. Then from 12 to 12:30 we would write 30 minutes. Finally, we would add the hours and minutes, giving a duration of 3 hours and 30 minutes. To see some examples of similar problems written out, check out this great FREE resource from Teacher Treasures.

This was also a good opportunity to discuss what an hour means (a full sixty minutes, or once around the clock). So if a start time was not on the hour, say, start at 9:20, one hour would be all the way around the clock to 10:20.

{Click HERE to go to my shop and download the “Perfect Summer Day” Activity!}

After completing this, I wanted to work on some word problems that would involve not only reviewing adding and subtracting time, but also “time words” such as quarter after, half past, etc. To have a chance to get up and move some (and hopefully make word problems a little more fun), I made a “Clock Hunt.”

I created a set of questions cards that ended with some form of “What time is it?” and once solved, the girls would have to go and find the clock with the correct time somewhere around the room.

Because I made this for a small group, there are only 8 question cards (4 requiring adding time and 4 requiring subtracting time). But if you wanted to use this with a class, you could simply print multiple copies, and some students would just have the same question. Or you could use it as a math center matching activity, or something for early finishers to work on (again, just as a matching activity, not a “clock hunt”).

{Click HERE to download the “What Time Is It?” Clock Hunt Activity!}

I would suggest laminating the clocks for multiple uses, but I did not laminate the question cards. I wanted them to be able to write on them to work out the answer, if they wanted.

Overall, I thought this went great, and provided what was apparently a much needed review of “time words.” I was not anticipating that to be the challenge here, but it was! And it gave us the opportunity to look at yet another example of using fractions! To help explain the terms, I drew a clock and drew a line down the middle (meaning half). Therefore, half past 6 is 6:30 (halfway through the hour). Then I drew a line again to cut the clock into quarters, and we talked about how many minutes were in each quarter, etc.

So I think we had some good review and wonderful math discussions this week!

Want a variety of fun elapsed time activities and challenges all in one download? This resource bundle includes a complete set of “My Perfect Day” activities (all 4 seasons), the clock hunt PLUS task cards and a board game! That’s 40+ elapsed time problems for only $3!

>>Get the complete Elapsed Time Resource Bundle!<<

If you are looking for more practice with writing and telling time, check out this set of free worksheets:

Spring-themed telling time worksheets

Or check out this page from Have Fun Teaching, which includes a variety of free telling time activities!

And if you would like an online resource to practice time, here’s a list of 11 free online telling time games.

Or if you’re like me, and enjoy a good ol’ fashioned board game, try playing Zingo!

I hope you find something useful and are able to make learning and telling time FUN!

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

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