This is THE chapter I couldn’t wait to get to.
I mean, if we are training our little ones to be independent during reading,
why not during math as well?
Math is the KEY time to practice and work.
I know I personally NEED to practice math skills many times to master them.
{Flashback to Calculus in High School.
I knew I was the dumbest person in the room…
BUT I had to get the ideas explained multiple times and
often found myself re-reading why the “formula” works.
One time explaining didn’t work for me.
Maybe it doesn’t work for Kinders either..}
The Math Daily 3 consists of
Math by Myself*
Math Writing
Math with Someone*
The teacher can do conferencing, group instruction and support, and assessing while the other students are doing math related activities for the Math Daily 3.
*These parts of Math 3 should be hands on practice of math concepts.
If you are teaching a NEW concept, these areas should be used to
review and practice units already taught.
The Math Writing area should be when students write out math problems
and concepts, eventually they will be able to create their own math problems.
What MATERIALS do you need to begin?
Game Boards
Dice
Counters
Cards
Specific Math Tools by Subject
Material Organization Station
Notebooks or Journals
Whiteboards
Dry Erase Markers
Clipboards
Number Lines
Ten Frames
When I inhertited my classroom, I sadly had almost NONE of these things.
But do you need to by a ton of things?
Nope…
Let’s get on Pinterest and grab ideas for great math manipulatives.
What have my students been doing during their independent time
BEFORE you started Math Daily 5?
Workbook pages?
{GAG- our workbook pages have like 4 problems on them each.
It take 2 minutes to complete the sheet.
And they are usually NOT worth the prep time to get them out or tear the sheets out.}
Most math workbooks don’t require higher order thinking either…
Also, there are some amazing and FUN
{Maybe we should say “highly educational?”}
manipulatives out there… so what materials COULD we use that we are not using already?
Here are some FUN ones!
Here are some FUN ones!
This chapter got me thinking of ways I can really step up my Math Station game in my own classroom.
I LOVE teaching math and my students learn it sooo fast…
why not allow them more time to apply what they have learned?
I need to make a goal of sharing more of the math activities we do on here to share.
Most of my math, actually almost all of it, doesn’t occur on paper at all.
Let me show you some ways I use math manipulative to teach and
practice 2D and 3D Shapes.
{These ideas could be used stations for student practice.}
Most of my students can identify flat shapes when they enter K,
so after we make sure they know the name of their shapes,
we work on knowing the parts of the shape and building their shapes.
Here my students are using Pull & Peel Licorice to make a flat shape.
We also play this Perfection like game called Scramble.
It has two sides instead of one so you can play against a person or team vs. team.
Here is the link to this game, but don’t buy it from Amazon.
It is EXPENSIVE using this link.
I want you to see the cover of it and wait for it to go on sale.
I bought this game for less than $10 on Black Friday last year.
I like this game because it makes the two students on one
team talk to each other about the shapes as they play.
There are more than one type of star or X shape.
They have to communicate and describe their shapes to be successful.
When we teach that flat shapes make solid shapes, my kids SEE it, but do they GET it?
Well, I found these flat to sold shapes from Carson Dellosa.
They are called geometric nets.
They are called geometric nets.
You can use these with your students to SHOW them the flat shapes that make solid shapes
AND then they can make the solid shapes.
{You can also have your student GUESS which SOLID shape it will be,
TRACE it onto their own paper,
then MAKE it themselves…
just an idea that works in the classroom.
Cutting is a little tough though.}
With this shape, my class guesses that it is a STAR…
But it turns into a pyramid.
We also use marshmallows or gumdrops and toothpicks to CONSTRUCT solid shapes.
It works best if my students have a cube as the example.
They need to pick up the cube and touch it, flip it, and work to build it.
Also, I found this AMAZING set from Learning Resources called Dive into Shapes
You take the pieces and MAKE 3D shapes and more.
There are cards to follow and guide students who need it.
And it is also FUN to let them just create with this too.
I persoanlly bought this for my own daughter to play with
and she CRIED when I took it to school.
I had to remind her that SHE was coming to my school to play with it next year.
She loved this set and so did my students.
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Great share, Mary!
Jennifer
First Grade Blue SKies
I am reading this book too! I am enjoying your blog because I am moving to Kindergarten this year and I am excited and nervous. I love ALL your ideas. Thank you.
Great ideas! Thanks!
Great stuff! Thanks