Tag Archives: Math

I SEE PUMPKINS! Meet the “little ones”…

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I SEE PUMPKINS! Meet the “little ones”…

My hubby, AKA  Farmer Without a Farm, is growing
pumpkins!
In our backyard.
On the fence.
Across the lawn.
In EVERY garden we own!
And FINALLY…Yes, I say FINALLY…

WE HAVE PUMPKINS!

2 to be exact!
Meet the “little ones”.
Clara the colorful…
She is turning ORANGE the fastest.
Sidewinder SAM.
He is growing SIDEWAYS ON my ladder!
Just like the “STEPS” he can take to grow!
HAHAHA
Pumpkin  HUMOR 🙂 
And this is Junior!
Junior is was growing in our garden at school.
I work at a TITLE 1 school…someone STOLE him!
RIP junior.
You would have made a great  PIE!   🙂

To help my FIRSTIES get into the FALL  SPIRIT…

I have brought out the FALL GOODIES!
 Remember…it’s 95 degrees in NORCAL this week…
hard to feel “FALLISH!”

Fall BUNDLE

Falling for NOUNS ( Common Core Grade 1 )
and
FALL Fluency
BUNDLED TOGETHER to save $$
FALL  THEMATIC   UNIT
Includes:

Reading-
Reading Passage
Comprehension Printable
Reading Response Printables
Vocabulary Pocket Chart Cards
Poem ( And Cut a part printable )

Writing-
Spelling List Forms
Word Family Charts
HFW Lists
Journal Pages & Covers
Interactive Journal Pages
Flap Book Graphic Organizer

Assessments-
BPST printable
Fluency Assessment
HFW List

Grade 1 / 2

AND…
BRING ON ANYTHING  
HALLOWEEN “ish”…
Fact  Families
Finally,
MORE TASK CARDS
These are  ADDITION ONLY!
Good starting PACKET
Fall ADDITION TASK CARDS
Now…If I could just get the PUMPKINS
to
CARVE THEMSELVES!
( I Hate the SLIME!)
Oh, well.
Stay COOL my FRIENDS!
Wendy

Happy Fall, ‘Yall. Surviving September and October. And a FREEBIE!

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Happy FALL, ‘Yall 

This has been a CRAZY Fall month!

We started in August.

We are SO LUCKY to get 2 weeks FALL VACATION

the first two weeks of OCTOBER.

IF you can survive SEPTEMBER!

We just finished Fall multiple

( and I mean MULTIPLE ) assessments.

Some whole class, some one-on-one.   

AND  then TEACH!

Don’t forget… report cards for ALL.

(Make multiple copies and then some!)

Fall Parent Conferences.

I had 100% attendance this year! 

This has NEVER happened to me before!

I can get close… but 100%???   

( Pat on the back ). 

 

Finish 1st quarter lessons & skills.

Introduce 2nd quarter skills.

And… a new student on Thursday

before Fall Break! 

Of course!

 

And so this Fall Break was WELL DESERVED! #tiredteacher

We have no “BIG” plans.

Family is local ( we are catching up with family).

 

So,  I thought this Fall break,

I would work on my TPT store,

           1stgradefireworks

a “little bit”.

Thank you, Misty Miller and Shelly Rees.

You helped MOTIVATE ME!

1stgradefireworks logo

And so the Fall creative juices started flowing.

I kept asking myself, “What do I need this year?”

I asked friends, “What do YOU need this year?”

And here is what WE came up with.

TADA!

Phonics Morning Work BLENDS, Short/Long Vowels, & Digraphs

Math Morning Work Activity Pages 

Phonics and Math Practice Pages

FOR THE WHOLE YEAR!

Happy Teacher

Preview skills. Review skills. Assess. Interventions. Homework. Centers.

Whole Group. Small Group. Independent.

ALL DONE!  WAHOO!

And a FREEBIE for YOU!

Click HERE

Enjoy your FALL.

Take care of yourself.

You can’t pour from an empty cup. 🙂

                                                                Wendy

                                                                                                                                                       

How to use addition and subtraction math task cards.

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Math. I said it!

Does the word “MATH” make you giggle, or grumble???

If you teach TK – 6th grade, you teach addition and subtraction.

It’s never-ending. 

Teach. Practice. Practice. Practice. Reteach. Over and over.

The numbers change. They get bigger.

But the skills and strategies don’t change.

The vocabulary changes ( occasionally), for example:

3 + 4 = 7 …  Is this “all together” or “in all”?

Is this a math “sentence” or a math “equation”?

I have taught them ALL.

Our newest math program has first graders using the yellow and red foam counters on day 1.

And,  they need to “discuss” with their partner HOW they got their answer.

First of all, some can’t count yet, and they won’t “discuss” their mathematical thinking 

with students THEY DON’T KNOW! Not yet! 

Now I get the idea. Just a little FAST! 

Shouldn’t we allow them to “explore” the math counters first?

Some were poking them with pencils. flipping them in the air, and yes..one student chewed on the foam counter. Ewwwww. 

And so, I am S L O W I N G things down, a bit.

To help my “littles”  with addition and subtraction we are EXPLORING the math manipulatives first.

Then we will discuss routines and procedures for using them.

Last, we will use them to create math experiences. 

Add some skills and strategies, and VOILA!  We will have mathematicians!

To help my littles with beginning addition and subtraction to ten,

I have created some Math Task Cards using our WONDERFUL foam counters, and ten frames.

Math Task cards with ten frames

I have included Addition Task Cards, 

Addition and Subtraction Task Cards with ten Frames

Subtraction Task Cards, 

Addition and Subtraction Task Cards with Ten Frames

And student work pages for accountability.

Addition and Subtraction Task Cards with Ten Frames

Check out the video:

92 task cards for students to practice addition and subtraction with Ten Frames.

For the WIN!  I may use this for guided math centers, interventions, and/or independent practice. We shall see! 

Check out the other goodies for MATH CENTERS:

Think ADDITION to help you SUBTRACT

Halloween Math Fact Families

Pool Party Number Bonds – 232 Task Cards

Number Bonds help students work on number sense. Part Part Whole, Addition and subtraction, and mental math skills.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Math Vocabulary Tools for Success  

 

Math Skill & Strategy Cards for Preview, Review, Minilessons. 6 Cards per Page. 36 math “tool” cards for scaffolding and support. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hope this helps YOU with planning

Back-to-School math lessons for your students.  Here’s to a great 2022! Check out all the goodies in my TPT store and here on the blog!

Lots of FREEBIES!   Have a great school year! 

Follow me :   

FB       IG        PIN        BLOG       TPT

Wendy

How to Survive the 4th Quarter DASH!

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AKA… What to use to keep some working, while reteaching to others! 🙂

SPRING BREAK is Finally HERE!

 

Assessments, report cards, cleaning, paperwork,etc…

Third quarter done! YIPPEE!!

Though I really DO love this time of the year.

Kiddos are making TREMENDOUS progress!

Sniff…sniff…PROUD TEACHER!

So NOW we WORK!

When we go back we have the

4th Quarter DASH!

Catch everyone up to grade level standards

before they go to second grade!

And to HELP…I need it!

Some of my kiddos will work on YOU QUACK ME UP!

While I am WORKING with small groups, reteaching concepts they DIDN’T quite get.

DATA tells me that.

Right?

Say this with a SMILE..

“YOU QUACK ME UP!” 

to be taken to my TPT store!

You Quack Me Up! ELA & MATH Centers for first grade 4th quarter!

ELA: rhymes, Read the Room, Sight Word Games,Grammar

MATH:  3 digit addition, Place Value, Guess My Number

My kiddos LOVE LOVE LOVE this!

So much fun going on in Room 3!

And NOW for the FREEBIE!

Click HERE

This GMA wants some

GIGGLE  TIME! 

 And so…

HERE  WE  GO! 🙂

Check out my TPT Store for MORE goodies!

The “WEE” Little Ones are a’WATCHIN … What time is it?

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What TIME is it?

It’s McBLARNEY TIME!

 
‘Tis the month of MARCH!
 
The “WEE LITTLE ONES”..
are a’watchin..
 
 
 
(Like my Gealic?) HAHA
 

What TIME is it?

MARCH?
 
ALREADY?
 
BTW…
There are 294 days 
…until CHRISTMAS! 
Just wanted to  FREAK YOU OUT!!!!!

What TIME is it?

It’s ONLY  MARCH!
Whew!
 
As an “official” IRISH LASS.
 Well… kinda…married a McCarty…
IRISH TO THE MAX!
And…I carry Scottish/Irish genes.
 
So I AM an “IRISH  LASS” !
 
One of my fav. poems..I know it’s a song!
I love the lyrics!
 
“When Irish Eyes are Smiling“
 
 
The chorus…
 
When Irish eyes are smiling, 
Sure, 'tis like the morn in Spring. 
In the lilt of Irish laughter 
You can hear the angels sing. 
When Irish hearts are happy, 
All the world seems bright and gay. 
And when Irish eyes are smiling, 
Sure, they steal your heart away.
 
 
Awwww…
Makes me heart HAPPY!
 
I have been to the “EMERALD ISLE”.
I have “KISSED THE BLARNEY STONE”
…kinda gross.
( Story another time )
What TIME is it?
It’s McBlarney TIME!
 I want to share some “Blarney” with YOU!
 
 
McBlarney Time on TPT
 
 
 
And
 
 
Making Ten with an IRISH JIG! on TPT
 
 
Celebrate the WEARIN OF THE GREEN
on St.Paddy’s DAY!
 
Go n-éirí an bothar leat
(May your journey be successful)
 
* Don’t forget to wear YOUR GREEN on St. Patrick’s Day
…don’t want to get PINCHED! 
 

 

Low-Stress December Math Centers

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This will help your math centers for December!

I don’t know about you, but I have WAY TOO MANY things going on in December!

I want my classroom to run like a “well-oiled” machine…independently.

I need to ASSESS, read with kids, check those who need “help” are getting it, and TEACH!

( Makes me tired looking at this!)

MATH. It is like a GIGANTIC ROLLERCOASTER!

Somedays they are UP…they know it ALL!

and the next day, they are down, down, down,

( can’t do ANY math!)

WHAT HAPPENED?

 They need practice. DAILY practice. 

Daily math center practice with both addition and subtraction math facts.

Kids love to play games. I want them to practice math facts.

Hmmm 

  Games + Practice = SUCCESS

Here you go! My newest BFF.

Addition and Subtraction Math Task Cards to 20…Winter Edition

464 Task Cards

                                                            and

20 Math Mats for Sorting

You can PRINT individual Math Sorting Mats

        ( There are 21)

or… You can PRINT 2 to a page and save INK & PAPER!

Teachers LOVE CHOICES too!

Need MORE Practice math Centers?   I’ve got your BACK!

Place Value Sorting Cards

Do your kids need extra help with place value? How about a sorting activity?  Place Value True or False? 

If you are NEW to MATH Games, this blog post might help:

                           Math Games & Activities for December

Ask for help, don’t get too much on your plate, it’s ok to say “NO!”

Check out my December:

Are You a Helper Elf?

December in Room 3

How to Have a “NO STRESS” December

Enjoy, the holidays, stay safe, keep yourself healthy, and have fun!

Stop by in 2022 and say HI!

                                                                      Wendy

1stgradefireworks

 

 

Using Math DATA for Guided Math Groups

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How do we use MATH data for Guided Math Groups?

I teach MATH.
I “think”
I teach math well.
 
BUT..
 
HOW  DO  I  KNOW  IF  THEY  “GET  IT”???
 
How do I know if they have mastered ( or internalized )
the concept,
 
BEFORE  THE  TESTING  BEGINS???
 

Students work with technology during Guided Math groups.

 
 
I mean…it’s NOT..
I REPEAT…NOT
always about 
 
THE  TEST!
 
But.. my kiddos WANT to do well!
 
Even in First Grade, they KNOW!
 
They KNOW TESTS COUNT!
 
Whether or not we like tests or don’t,
 
TESTS  COUNT!
 
And so..
 
How do I know if they are ready?

How do I use Guided Math data to help students?

 

Students work with manipulatives during guided math .

Boy counting place value cubes during guided math.

 
 
I have a district purchased math curriculum 
I am required to teach.
 
We use  Expressions.
 

Math Expressions is my district curriculum.

 
 
I have a pacing guide from my district to use as a “tool”
to
Keep ME on track.
 
Mostly to ensure I have taught the required concepts for 
THE TEST!
 
I am NOT a fan of WASTED WORKSHEETS!
 
SOME…I LIKE!
SOME…I DON’T!
 
So …now what?
 
I NEED DATA!
 
SHOW ME WHAT YOU KNOW!
 
And so..
THEY DO!
 
Here is my Lesson on
ADDITION using 3 digits:
 

Whole Class math lesson with photo

Whole class math lesson with groups.

Independent math practice during guided math groups.

Independent math becomes data for guided math groups.

Differentiated math. The data becomes our groups.

So..  NOW  WHAT?
 

Now I have LOTS of DATA  (Student information)

 to put students into

  guided MATH groups!

I have noted students who need scaffolding in:
number sense
subitizing
numbers beyond 10
addition
grouping numbers
writing numbers
expanding numbers
place value
shape recognition
 
AND ALL OF THIS..
 
with 2 pieces of white paper & some crayons!
 
But…  
in the next few weeks
 
when we
 
“TEST”
 
My kiddos will “GET IT”!
 
I know they will!
 
If YOU need any help with 
MATH  PRACTICE…
 
Check out …
 
MONKEY  MATH

Monkey Math

Monkey Math preview

Monkey math centers

 
for  GRADE  1
 
See how I use it  HERE  and  HERE
 
AND
 
BUGGY  MATH

Buggy Math for Second Grade

 
For  GRADE  2
 
See how I use it HERE
I also have MORE MATH Products…
 

Math Talk. Math Discussions.

Math Talk for Math Discussions

Sticks and Stones Place Value

Sticks  and  Stones
Thanks for following!
 
Here’s a FREEBIE for YOUR TIME! 🙂
ks  and  Stones

FREEBIE…Strategy Book for Making 10

 
ENJOY!

OCTOBER Baseball! But… MATH BASEBALL?

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Yes! It is OCTOBER!

If you don’t follow baseball…

It’s time for the playoffs & CHAMPIONSHIPS!

AND  then… THE WORLD SERIES!

I have 4 kids.

My 3 boys ALL played baseball ( for MANY YEARS).

And my daughter played SOFTBALL for 16 years!  She even played in the Softball World Series! WAHOO!

So, baseball is in our home. A LOT!

Even though MY team, SF Giants are NOT in the playoffs, we still LOVE the game!

My favorite baseball team! Go SF Giants!

 

But, I am teaching first-graders in OCTOBER!

I need academic “FUN”!

And so… we play!  And we play a LOT! 🙂

The expert of anything was once a beginner!

Remember, baseball is about skills, strategies, and hard work.

It is a TEAM sport.

You must work hard, practice, and have the DESIRE to be BETTER!

WOW! It sounds like my classroom MOTTO!

Work Hard, Play hard,

LIFESKILLS!  🙂

Inspire others.

I have created a Baseball MATH Game for OCTOBER!

WHAT?  A MATH GAME?  YES!

A fast-paced math game for K-3 students!

Math Baseball in OCTOBER

Directions for MATH GAME are included!

Easy Prep… lots of giggles!

 

Math Mats for Baseball in OCTOBER

Math Facts Baseballs

Math Manipulative BASEBALLS for LITTLE ONES!

Place the “MITT(s)” in a big circle.

Students take a “baseball” card and QUICKLY, place it in the correct MITT!

HURRY! Then “RUN” to the end of the line. The next “batter” is UP!

They choose the next baseball card & place it in the CORRECT MITT!

Some baseballs have numbers, some have math facts,

some have MANIPULATIVES ( ten frames, dice, dominoes, etc )

to represent the NUMBERS!

The winners are the “players” who get ALL of the baseball cards into the MItts!

Teamwork is REQUIRED!

Can you HEAR the CHEERS??? 🙂

We love to have fun, play games, and practice TEAMWORK!

What more can you ask of First Graders?

Maybe…learn to tie your shoes?   HAHA   HAve fun with this!

Need MORE?

SPORTS BANG! Sight Word GAMES!

5 games in a BUNDLE!  WOW!

Sports BANG! Sight Word GAMES

Check it out!

Math Baseball in OCTOBER

Math Baseball for OCTOBER

We jumped into STEAM…and the building began!

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Build It..and they will come!

They said STEAM.

They said kids will build in STEAM.

Build WHAT?
Has ANYONE seen the Kevin Costner Movie…
FIELD OF DREAMS?

Field of Dreams

On MY top 10 of ALL TIME GREATS!
Yes…I love baseball  (  GO  SF  GIANTS!  )
But
This is SOOOO  much MORE!

It’s about never giving up.

Keep trying.

When others tell you that YOU are CRAZY…

BELIEVE IN YOURSELF!

I  LOVE  THAT!
SO How do I give my 6-year-old FIRSTIES
a chance to EXPLORE their dreams?
To “think OUTSIDE the BOX”?
To go the extra mile?

Recently, I have been exploring STEAM.

30 minutes of FREE PLAY???
NO.
I don’t call it that!
( Even if it makes my OCD heart skip a beat!)
STEAM!
Science, Technology, Engineering, Art & Math
Now…this is NOT your
“Teacher KICKS BACK while kids DO WHATEVER THEY WANT!”
This is a structured time of the week
( ANY DAY WILL WORK…
add this to your lesson plans)
where kids get “tools” to BUILD!
They make a PLAN, they put their plan into action,
they learn from failures and their successes, and they do it again!

During STEAM, I tell them they are building a city.

We brainstorm
(chart with pictures – Lots of EL students )
ALL of the things WE want
in a PERFECT city!
(They want LOTS of PARKS…grass…Ice cream stores…etc )
And then I group them into groups of 4.
I switch them each week.
I get out their “TOOLS”…

Toy Blocks for kids to build STEAM cities.

Blocks…Garage Sale & “FRIENDS” donations

MArshmallows and toothpicks for ENGINEERS!

Their FAVORITE!
Toothpicks & marshmallows.
Engineers in ACTION!

Math Blocks for STEAM

Math Blocks…Want to learn about “sides”, “corners”, “flats”, “rolls” ?
Use them!

Lincoln Logs for STEAM

Oldie but a goodie!
They LOVE to follow the picture DIAGRAMS!

Math Manipulatives to use for STEAM

Get out your MATH Manipulatives…and let them PLAY!
NO! Not “PLAY” 🙂  …BUILD!
Build a CITY!

Cubes for STEAM

CUBES!

Legos for STEAM

And the ALL TIME  FAVORITE…..
LEGOS!
Giant TUB!
I ask Parents to donate a small baggie of their “extras” from home.
We add them to the tub!
I may need a LARGER tub! 🙂
And so… don’t forget.
If you want to encourage kids to DREAM BIG!
We have to let them do it!

Create, problem-solve, share, plan, explore.  STEAM

I hope the future leaders of our country can do ALL of it!
(Better start teaching them HOW!)
And remember…you need to be a part of it also.
I  do.
We do.
You do.
WOW!
Excuse me.
I have some “creating” to do with those legos!

MAYBE…We can read a book on building, BUILD IT, and then WRITE about it!

INTEGRATE!

Here are some classroom resources to help

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The Day the Boys found Dice

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My boys have found…DICE for games!

Math games need dice!

Bring it ON!

My boys found the DICE today! Let the games BEGIN!

The dice were rolling! Let the games BEGIN!

The learning, discussions, & giggles were contagious! YES!

I must THANK the Dollar Store & Target $1 Spot

for making their “dreams come true!”

I Love to have games in my classroom!

We PLAY LOTS of GAMES!

 I once had a parent ask me if ALL we did was play games….

each day her daughter would go home & MOM would ask..

” What did you do at school today?”

Daughter….”Oh, we just played games...”

YES!  BUT…

We play MY games…

educational games….

games that reinforce concepts I am teaching!

GOOD GAMES! 🙂

So, today,

MY BOYS  FOUND….DICE!

Their world has changed FOREVER!

I have small dice, large dice, EXTRA LARGE FOAM DICE! LOTS!

We are working on beginning addition…

( YOU know where I am going with this!)

Roll…..ADD….Color!

We got out the dice games & had a ball!

Here is my FALL DICE GAMES...

7 games in one packet!

Learning is FUN!

But to share…A FREEBIE!

Let them Play! Dice games are so FUN!

So CHEERS to games that make learning FUN!

LEAVE me a COMMENT…

What games do YOU play in your classroom??? 🙂

You never know..I may choose someone to GIVE a GAME to!

WINK ,WINK!  Leave a comment to ENTER!  🙂 

  Wendy   1stgradefireworks