Pot of Gold Secret Code Words and More

Are you in need of a FUN activity to engage your class and
allow your students to have fun at the same time?
Try using secret code words!
Secret code words are a GREAT engaging way to practice
number recognition, letter recognition,
and putting letters together to make words.

Here is a little learner in action..He is using the code breaker sheet to write sight words.

Here is another student working on building CVC words.

There is a code breaker sheet and printables that are ready to be used.
One page has two letter words and the other has three letter words.
Here is a glimpse of the two letter printable.

Here is a student example.

I also created pots with the same words on them as the printable.
These are great to be printed onto cardstock and laminated.
Although they require a little more prep, they are able to be used over and over again.
Here is a look at this center in action.

But learning can always be fun in many more ways.

This shamrock game is a great way to see who can compare numbers.
Each shamrock has four numbers on it.
I ask my students to circle the largest number.
I love being able to pick and choose which numbers my students compare.
There are smaller number shamrocks and larger number shamrocks.

This rainbow activity is also differentiated.There are color coded versions.
Students can choose a color.
They can also complete one set of rainbows
then do another.

My students look at the number in the middle of the rainbow.
They add the number that comes before it to the left side of the rainbow.
They also add the number that comes after it to the right side of the rainbow.

Here are some rainbows in action during math centers in my classroom.

Here is a FUN Patty’s Day addition game board.
Students use unifix cube as game pieces.
They pick up an addition card and answer the addition question.
If they answer it correctly, they can roll a die and move that many spaces.

And to help improve addition skills, I LOVE these ten frame addition puzzles.
My students take them and lay out ONE side on the table.
Then they use the have to use their math skills to make sure both sides add up to the center amount, making it a self checking puzzle.

Check out the 8 puzzle below. The left side has 6 squares filled in.
When you add the two from the right side.6+2=8

I love reviewing addition even when we have moved on to subtraction.
Why?
When I continue to allow my students work with addition,
they tend to not forget and they start paying attention to the sign from the beginning.

Subtraction is equally as fun.

This pot of gold is more hands on.Students use the subtraction sentence to take away the gold coins.

Here are more subtraction problems in action.
And even more.
When my students understand addition better, we play this game.
My students take the gold coin. They complete the math problem. They put the gold coin in the answer pot.