One of my favorite math topics to teach is the Pythagorean Theorem. I love how practical it is and how (usually) straightforward it is once you understand what the formula means. This is key though--students must begin by understanding what a, b, and c represent and how they relate to each other. Otherwise, the formula is just meaningless letters and solving problems becomes mere guesswork. I love to introduce it with something concrete such as Keep Reading...
{FREE} Lemonade Stand Word Problems for Grades 2-4
Looking for more practice with math story problems? This set of problems uses the idea of creating a lemonade stand to sell lemonade as the basis for the problems. Understanding word problems (and understanding what the question is asking) and then knowing how to appropriately solve them is a challenge for many kids. Give them some extra practice with these Lemonade Stand Word Problems for grades 3-5! *Please note: This post includes Keep Reading...
{FREE} Editable Word Problem Templates: Help Kids Make Sense of Word Problems
One of the most common refrains I hear from parents and teachers is that their kids struggle most when faced with a word problem (or story problem). This is not surprising--a problem involving a single operation, with nothing to decipher or decision to make is straightforward. If the problem says to add, you add. If it is a long division expression, you divide. But a story that uses math to model the world around us takes computation to a whole Keep Reading...
{FREE} Multiplying Decimals Word Problems Set
Whether our kids want to admit it or not, decimals are a part of our everyday life. And it's important that they feel confident doing basic computations with decimals. Even if they start to use a calculator, they still need to understand how to rightly apply operations with decimals to solve real world problems. If they don't know whether to multiply or add, using a calculator isn't going to help. So I hope this free set of multiplying decimals 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...
{FREE} Pythagorean Theorem Word Problems Task Cards
Probably one of the most important formulas for students to know, remember and feel confident using is the Pythagorean theorem. I always like to introduce it in a fun, hands on way to make sure kids understand the meaning before I present a formal definition. But then, kids need lots of practice. And since mindlessly solving problems for a or b or c with no context gets tedious and boring, why not practice with these Pythagorean Theorem Word Keep Reading...
How to REALLY Help Kids Solve Math Word Problems
Recently, I was working on multiplying and dividing by 2 with one of my kids. A constant refrain was, "What does multiply mean?" or "But remember, what does that division sign represent?" As they started to grapple with these concepts and play with manipulatives and pictures and equations, I tried to make sure we always came back to the why. But why are you counting by 2's to get the answer? And why are we splitting our set into groups of 2? Keep Reading...
What’s For Lunch? An Engaging, Real Life Math Lesson {FREE}
"Why are we learning this?" Have you ever heard this from your students? If you teach math, I'd be surprised if you haven't. It can be challenging to create a math lesson that students can see the relevance in and that uses/teaches skills they need to know. But it is possible. In fact, I created one just for Math Geek Mama Readers. Help kids learn and understand math in a real world context with this add and subtract decimals Keep Reading...
Christmas Shopping: Money Math Practice {FREE}
Christmas is coming up fast, and for a lot of us that means one thing: shopping. There's always so much to buy and so many people to shop for! While this can be the cause of stress, I hope you will also use it as an opportunity to teach your kids about money. Today as part of my "12 Days of Christmas Printables" series, I'm sharing some simple Christmas-themed money math worksheets. *Please Note: Some of the links in this post are affiliate Keep Reading...
Weekly Math Freebie Round Up
Welcome to the weekly round up of the best math teaching resources from around the web! I love searching for the best, most engaging math lessons, games and activities, saving you the time of searching! :) Do you have a fun and FREE math teaching resource to share with other educators? Send me a link so I can share it here! Kindergarten-2nd Grade: Download some Fall math word problems from Corkboard Connections. This freebie includes 2 Keep Reading...
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