Math Tubs

The kids are excited about playing Top It!  This game is just like "War" - you flip over a card, and the highest value wins.  If you have a tie, you have a "top off" and flip over another card.  The way we play, Aces are low, Jacks = 11, Queens = 12, and Kings = 13.

We are learning how to tell time and are very excited about it!  To practice, the kids worked in groups to put together time puzzles, matching analog and digital clocks.   In SK, we focus on the hour and 1/2 hour.

Solving subtraction problems using an egg carton calculator!  Each problem began with 12 and the kids removed eggs to find the answer.  A great way to understand how subtraction works.

Everyone had fun using the iPads to practice math concepts such as addition, money, and time.

Counting by 2's

If you're like me, you count by 2's a lot.  I find myself counting by 2's much more than 5's or 10's - it's just so handy.  I noticed while making our 2x2 necklace, that several kids could count by 2's by rote, but were unable to count actual objects.  Well, that would not do!

So, we practiced counting objects by 2's.

 First, the kids wrote numbers 1-30 then highlighted them, counting by 2's.

They used the number chart to help them count beads strung onto chenille strips by 2's.  I made a lot of strips using different beads and numbers.  By the end the kids were doing a much better job of counting by 2's and felt confident.

 The next week we switched it up by having the kids count different kinds of objects.

I filled several bags with different items that could be counted easily by 2's.  Right now, I made sure that the amounts are even, but as they become more advanced, odd numbers would be a fun challenge.

The kids dumped the bag out onto one side of the tray and then slide the objects over by 2's to the other side.  For many, this activity made a lot of sense and they really started to get it!  The kids used a recording sheet to write down their numbers and number grids to help them count if needed.

In a few weeks, we'll revisit these activities and check for progress.

Math Tubs

As we near the 100th day of school, we are working on counting and writing to 100.  The hundreds number chart is a very important concept in our Everyday Math curriculum.  To help the kids understand the patterns in the chart, they put together hundred chart puzzles.  After matching numbers on the chart for awhile, they challenged themselves by putting together the puzzles independently. 

More challenges!  These pattern block puzzles ask you to use specific pieces to fit inside the shape.  Some are harder than they look!

Everyone is doing a great job at tallying!  We tallied "snowballs" (aka cotton balls) for practice.  The snowballs are moved one at a time across the tray to by tallied.  At the end, the kids counted the tallies.  They are learning that you can count tallies faster when you count by 5's!

Simple addition was practiced using dice.  The kids are doing a great job understanding how number sentences work and are beginning to solve problems quickly!

Holiday Math

While we spent a lot of the holiday season focusing on literature links to language arts concepts and arts projects, we also worked on several key math concepts and introduced some new ones.  Here's a peek at what we were up to in math during the month of December.

The kids "bought toys" by counting out the change for the price of the item pictured on the card.  This was a fun way to work with money and begin to count mixed coins.  Many kids quickly realized that they could use dimes to count by 10's to "buy" a bigger ticketed item.

Yum!  Sorting, graphing, and tallying gumdrops was fun!  After completing the worksheet, the kids created 3-D sculptures out of the gumdrops using toothpicks to connect them.

The biggest concept reinforced this month was teen numbers.  After completing a teen number addition sheet with a teacher (10 + a single digit = a teen number), the kids matched their answers to colored ornaments and added a yellow star.  These turned out so nice, we displayed them on our classroom bulletin board!

Teen number identification was further reinforced by a round of Teen Number Go Fish.  Played like regular Go Fish, the kids asked for and matched teen numbers.  "Do you have an 18?"  "No, go fish!"

When working with addition, we are learning how to create number addition sentences.  Here, dominoes are being used.  The kids add together each side of the domino and come up with the sum.  At this point, we are not concerned if a child can add in his or her head, we just want them to understand how a number sentence works and use strategies (counting dots, objects, etc.) to find the answer.  After practicing this on a worksheet a few times, they will begin to write the number sentences more independently.

Math Tubs

Math Tubs are a Friday tradition in SK. There are always four tubs going on at one time. Each week, the kids will complete two math tub activities and then do the other two the following week. The tubs are often game based and spark discovery. Let's see what we did this week....

Sorting money was a favorite activity this week. To play, the kids roll a die covered with money, then they find the coin, and lastly, it gets sorted into a muffin tin.

Pattern making with little colored dots. The kids really challenged themselves with multi-step and complicated patterns.

Can you tell with patterns were made by a boy and which were made by a girl?! Both did a great job, while keeping their personal preferences in mind!

Using geo boards to create the pattern block shapes out of rubber bands. Making a hexagon proved to be challenging. After forming the pattern block shapes, the kids could create whatever they wanted.

It was fun to fill in animal pictures with pattern blocks! The kids are learning how the shapes fit together and can be manipulated to form pictures.

Math Tubs

Math Tubs are a Friday tradition in SK. There are always four tubs going on at one time. Each week, the kids will complete two math tub activities and then do the other two the following week. The tubs are often game based and spark discovery. Let's see what we did this week....

Fun patterning with Fruit Loops.  Afterwards, everyone got to eat their pattern necklaces!

 Working on math apps on the ipads.  The kids counted money, solved tangram puzzles, and made patterns.

 Do you know all of our pattern block shapes?  This pattern block ID sheet will teach you the rhombus, trapezoid, and hexagon shapes.  Practice with your child at home.

 Everyone enjoyed counting beads onto pipe cleaners.  This activity practices number recognition and one-to-one correspondence.

Math Tubs

Math Tubs are a Friday tradition in SK. There are always four tubs going on at one time. Each week, the kids will complete two math tub activities and then do the other two the following week.  The tubs are often game based and spark discovery.  Let's see what we did this week....

Here we are working on our first round of Math Tubs.  The kids are so excited and engaged.

Since the kids are working in small groups, we have time to work one-on-one and assess progress.

Pattern blocks is a HUGE part of Math Tubs - we will do them nearly every week.  The blocks assist with shape recognition, spacial discrimination, problem solving, patterning, and more.  They are also interesting shapes - kids are learning about the rhombus, trapezoid, and hexagon.

Here, we used the pattern block shape stencils to make shape people!

Exploring money by scrubbing it clean with baking soda and water.  As the kids cleaned the money, they were also given the opportunity to really get to look at each individual coin.

One-to-one correspondence is so important to furthering math concepts.  Here, the kids numbered two hands from 1-10 and then made the corresponding number of dots.