Base 10 {knowing you're ready to trade in}

I'm really working on building number sense with my kids this year.  I've beefed up my calendar and am working in more counting, grouping and just thinking about what numbers mean.  My 1st graders are able to count base 10 blocks in front of them but the wording of the standardized tests threw them {don't get me started} so I decided to have them dive in and look at grouping as much as possible.  In the words of Mr. Wonka himself, we're going sideways, slantways, longways and backways with place value.

One station was to take a Base 10 card and write the number.  I got these for free from TpT.

Another station was the reverse skill where they chose a number and had to build it.  If they could figure out then tens and ones by looking at the number I let them do that.  But the kids who still need some place value help had to count out the ones and then make groups of ten to trade in.

A third similar, but still different, station was to choose a dot card, count the amount and build it.

And then there was that group of little kinders that just. didn't. get it.  I even made up a little jingle about trading for a 10 but hey, if you can't count to ten, it doesn't do much good to sing, am I right?  :)  So for these little babies, I made a workmat.  And it made all the difference in the world!

Here we are, actually working through it as a group.  I picked a number and we all counted it out as ones.  Once we had the right amount, we filled up the ones on our workmat and pushed them over to the ten outline to double check that we had enough to trade in.  After I checked, they traded their 10 ones by giving them to me and receiving a ten stick.  Then they finished putting the rest of their ones on the workmat and we counted by adding on.  {10...ll, 12, 13}

The next day, they practiced without me {sshhhh...kind of} with these color coded baggies I made.  They chose a bag practiced just counting one to one and knowing when there were enough to trade in for a 10 stick.

You can download your free workmat by clicking the yellow picture above or this picture of it below. There are actually a few options.  I preferred to have my ones all scattered but there is also a workmat with the ones in an array of two rows of five.  Then both of those pages are also duplicated with a place for two 10s in case you want to be able to work on teen numbers.

Let me know if these help you out!  I have a feeling it'll be a regular tool in my room for a while.  :)  Happy trading in!

Calendar Confessions {making it work}

I have a confession.  It's really bad.  Especially as a kindergarten teacher.

I am awful at calendar.  And because I'm awful at calendar, my students' number sense was lacking.  Ugh.  Major confession.  Don't tell anyone.

There just never seemed to be time to do calendar first thing in the morning {last year we went immediately into workshop and this year we have specials right away} so I always have to fit it into math.  And I forget.  Last year I was lucky to even get the date changed so one of my personal goals this year was to make my calendar better.  I use this set that I put on magnets to keep on the dry erase board.  You could also use these pieces with velcro dots on a bulletin board or in a pocket chart.

So we do it in a routine...the same way every day.  It's the only way to remember.  We figure out the date and say it all together.  We sing our Addam's Family Days of the Week song.  We sing our Macarena Months of the Year song.

We look at yesterday's "___th day of school" number in the pocket chart and figure out what comes next.  We check to see if it follows the patterns {starts the same as the other numbers in the row & ends the same as the other numbers in the column}.

Then we use our number of the day to count by 5 with tallies.  We whisper count until we get to the fifth slash number and we say those loud.  Then we add sticks to the pocket chart and talk about place value.  We add a dot to our ten frames and practice counting by 10s.

Then we figure out yesterday, today and tomorrow while the meteorologist checks the weather.  We color in our weather graph {by Cara Carroll}, hang our weather photo and sing the weather song.

Whew!  Then it's time for lunch!!!  :)

I'm feeling fairly confident that we're going to know our two-digit numbers this year!!  Woo-hoo!  :)

fun {and meaningful} number sense activities.

You've probably seen those number anchor charts on Pinterest.  I LOVE them.  I thought there was no way under the starry heavens that my kids would actually be able to make them.  Yes, I have half 1st graders this year which makes a big difference but I also have half ESL students.  And it's still basically the beginning of the year.  {I feel like this until Valentine's Day.}

But I tried it.  On a day when the Superintendent was visiting.  And was supposed to specifically visit my classroom.  Ha!  Sometimes I even amaze myself with my crazy antics.

After lots of modeling, though, it worked beautifully!  My kids worked cooperatively.  They counted accurately.  The superintendent never made it to my room - remember, my luck is that I'm only visited while on Pinterest ;) - but these anchor charts are lovely and I encourage you to make them for your own classroom!  I have them hanging in my room because my kids still refer back to them.

In my hunt for number sense activities I also found this packet by Vickie Plant.  {I love her.}  These number mats are just part of the awesome packet.  I used them as a scavenger hunt.  I passed out all of the representation cards {tallies, fingers, ten frames, shapes, number words, dice, dominoes} and put the number mats on different tables in the room.  The kids had to figure out their amount then find the number mat it belonged in.

Check out the whole packet and Vickie's blog, Primary Press.  She has the best ideas.  You're welcome.  ;)

Apple Math {limited time only FREEBIE}

I love fall.  And not just because of pumpkin spice lattes.  Because I've only had two.  I love apples, leaves, pumpkins, cake, Thanksgiving, the smells of it, the weather...everything.  {I'm not sure how cake ended up in there but hey, let's go with it.}

My K-1 teammate and I are doing an entire integrated unit of all things fall as we compare urban and rural communities.  Starting with apples...in every content area.  That's right!  All. the. subjects.

I found these awesome apple workmats from Life Over C's.  We used them a few days, just practicing making number sentences and adding numbers together with "apples" {pom poms} on the workmats. They recorded their number sentences which helped me know who was getting it and who wasn't.

After practicing, I gave them a number sentence to glue down.  They had to tell me the answer before finding the basket with the answer on it.  Then they finger painted apples to show the amounts.  For the kinders who struggled with adding {the few that haven't mastered number ID or rote counting} I gave them a mat without the number sentence.  I just chose two numbers that I knew they needed to work on and they practiced counting the amount on individual trees.

I also used 10 Apples Up on Top for our math mentor text.  Since one of the 1st grade Common Core objectives is to order 3 numbers or amounts from least to greatest, we used this cute math activity from Kindergarten at Heart but added two more friends to help balance the apples.  We gave the students 3 number cards {primary number cards from the Investigations curriculum} for the kids to order.  Then they made fingerprint apples to represent the amounts.

For a non-math idea, I've started poetry notebooks this year and am so excited about it!  Like I said...apple everything...so an apple poem.  Obvi.  I got this one for free from What's the Buzz in First.  I'm going to make these much more interactive as we go on but for now, we're keeping it simple.  Read the poem {maybe add some hand motions if it's long or complicated}, highlight sight words {or letters, depending on ability}, illustrate it, practice reading it in all kinds of voices and then do something fun with the content.  Our fun project this week was the apple finger painting.  We'll also be sampling some apple products next week.

You're almost to the freebie.  First let's check in with Farley.  ;)

For a limited time only my brand new, literally just finished, haven't even used it yet Apple & Pumpkin tasting sheet is your treat.  I wanted to punch it up this year and do more than just graphing our favorite flavors.  Download, try it out and let me know what you think.  I'd love some great feedback on the TpT posting in return for your treaty treat.

Now I want a big ole mug of apple cider.  And a dress made of neoprene...thanks, Project Runway.  Happy October!

composing & decomposing {CC K.NBT.1}

Composing & decomposing numbers.  This is a term I had to keep going back to because as I was looking for new strategies and ways to teach it I was like..."Wait.  What does that even mean?!"  :)  Basically, composing and decomposing is an intro to place value and helping students see that a "10" is really made up of a group of ones.

Here are a few things that have worked for us.  Starting with...s-l-o-w it down.  This is a concept that takes their brains in a new direction of thinking so let your math centers hibernate for a week or so and focus on some good, whole group instruction and practice time.

{Sing it}

Harry Kindergarten has done it again.  He's revamped his Numbers in the Teens song to get the kids singing about groups of tens and extra ones.  I started introducing this during our math brain break time a couple of weeks in advance just to get them familiar with it.

Then we moved into "acting it out" while we sang along.  Each kid built a 10 tower using pop cubes of the same color.  All of the other pop cubes were spread out in the middle of the carpet.  As we sang along, I paused the video at each number so the kids could grab another "one" and double check their groups.  I told them the color of their ones didn't matter because I wanted the difference between the group of 10 and the single ones to be clear.

We repeated this to start the lesson for the next few days and as they got more familiar with adding a one, I didn't have to pause the song anymore.

{build it}

Next, I grabbed a dry erase board and wrote a random number from 11-19 to see if they could still build it when the numbers didn't go in order.  We practiced this for a few days as part of the lesson.  Then, to flip flop their thinking, I built a number using pop cubes and let the kids all have dry erase boards.  This was a little harder because some of them wanted to count all of my cubes instead of seeing the 10 tower as a known group.  {This was also a great teaching moment to explain WHY it matters how they write the numbers - if they wrote 15 as 51, I'd build 51 to show the difference.}

Again...practice for a few days.  :)

Once I was ready to introduce practice centers, this was an easy activity I knew they could do on their own.  The kids took turns writing a teen number while their friends built it.  {you can see our pre-built single colored 10 towers & multi-colored ones in this picture.}  They passed the dry erase board around so they could each practice being the teacher.

{draw it}

This could be done in a center but I used it as my last whole-group activity to get a better grasp of who was understanding the concept.  We did 11 and 12 together as I modeled how to draw on the board.  Then they finished the rest on their own.  {This folding didn't allow us to draw 19 but I figure if they could do 13-18, that was a pretty accurate measure.}  ;)

{add it}
We learned this game in partners and then they practiced on their own when it was time to rotate centers.  The first 10s frame is already built to keep that group intact.  My kids drew a number card, added that many counters to the second 10s frame and wrote the number sentence.  I also had them explain their board to their partner before erasing - "14 is a group of 10 plus 4 ones."

{practice it}
This week, in addition to our current review centers, I'm going to introduce this {free} matching activity from Clearly Kindergarten...

...as well as some of the fabulous games and practice centers from my friend Leslie at KindergartenWorks!

Hang in there.  They will get it!!  :)  And remember to enter for your chance to win an Origami Owl locket:

{winner chosen on Sunday at 5pm Eastern time}

Sight Word Dictionaries {dolch & fry}

My latest labor of love...  :)  I got so much great feedback on my Facebook page by asking about the sight word lists you all use in your classrooms.  And I hope I have accommodated everyone with my new sight word dictionaries!!

All of the packets include dictionary pages for each word with a place to read, trace and write or finish a phrase or sentence using the word in context.  There is also a large picture space for the students to draw meaningful pictures.  It is important that these dictionaries are personal to each student so it is more than okay if each child's picture or sentence is varied!  In fact, they should have differences.  Whatever will help that child understand what the sight word means - as long as it shows the right meaning - is ok!  :)  There are also a few different covers to choose from and flashcards of the words that you can put in a word work center or send home with your students.  They are color coded in case you end up getting more than one list and want to keep them separated...my OCD tendencies helping your organization!!

My ESL {English as Second Language} students have benefited from these SO much.  The phrases and sentences are very simple and often include other sight words.  Even if the phrases or sentences seem too simple for your students' reading levels, remember that the focus is on learning the sight words, so you don't want them to struggle with recalling the sentence.  Use your guided reading time to push them.  ;)

These can be kept at school, in your students' individual book bins or book baggies for independent reading time or they can be kept in homework folders.  Your students can add words at school with you then take them home to practice and study.  As of now, the dictionaries are available for....

{Dolch Pre-Primer}

{Dolch Primer}

{Fry Lists 1 & 2}

{Color Words & Numbers 0-10}

This totally came about as a fluke when I pulled out copy paper during Guided Reading one day because my ESL students were mixing up every sight word we'd introduced so far.  Once they had the words in an example sentence and a picture that made sense to them...bingo!  We're reading!!  :)  Please let me know how you like them and if you see your students' Sight Word fluency increase like mine did!!  This is by FAR one of my favorite creations...ev-er.  Check out more K faves at the Kindergarten Works Show & Tell party!!

Christmas math.

Pretty sure I've mentioned before that I'm not crazy about our math curriculum.  There are some great games and activities that the kids like to play but there are also some major holes as well as places that it just drags on too long.  Lucikly for you...that means making up new math centers...just in time for the holidays!  :)

{wreath counting}
Cut a wreath out of construction paper.  Write a number on the bow.  Let students use red finger paint to count berries and make an equal set!

Or if you don't want to cut them out yourself, click on the wreath below for a printable version.  ;)

{Christmas cookies}

Make some cookies - using holiday themed die cuts or by printing a coloring page like this one - then let the kids decorate them with "frosting" & "sprinkles."

Put the cookies on a baking sheet {tin foil} and write a number sentence!

The original idea came from Kinder by Kim and it was tweaked for our math practice.

{present representations}

To meet Common Core K.OA.3 use this present outline to represent a number in multiple ways.  Students can either show the amount using simple visuals {draw a picture set in one box, write the number word in one box, mark tallies in one box and write the numeral in another box} or...

If your students are ready for addition and subtraction, they can show multiple ways to make the amount using number sentences!

{candy cane measurement}
Measuring is always more fun with candy!  I like these sticks as opposed to the actual canes because they give a clearer starting point and end point.  First we went around the room and measured random objects.

Then we lined up ALL of our candy sticks up to measure the length of the whole room!

Use this sheet to measure the items in your classroom.  Bonus: some of the items are so large it takes teamwork and collaborating with a buddy to get it right.  ;)

{decorate the Christmas tree}
My kids loooove this counting activity on SmartExchange.  If you have a SmartBoard, you have to do it.  Your kids will flip.

If you don't have a SmartBoard, use this printable instead.  Roll a dice {or two} then put that many ornaments on the tree.  Your kids can color ornaments, glue foam ornaments or use plastic pieces to move on and off like a gameboard.

{shave Santa's beard}
This is a counting game I adapted into an addition and subtraction activity.  Roll a dice and place that many cotton balls on Santa's beard.  When his beard is full, you win!

For more of a challenge, add a + / - dice along with your dot cube.  The game will take longer as students sometimes add cotton balls and sometimes give Santa a shave by taking them away!

Click on any of the pictures for all 5 printable pages.  All free.  Enjoy this time with your students and Merry Christmas!  :)