Math Monday--Missing Addends and a FREEBIE!

This week I have been introducing missing addends to my kindergarten kiddos. I'd like to think I've done some sneaky teaching...you know, playing games and having fun so that students don't even realize they're learning! 

One of our games is called Piggy Bank. The object is to make 5 using 2 numbers. Each student gets a piggy bank and a stack of cards with 0-5 pennies on it. 

 

I flipped over a card...let's say it had 3 pennies. Then students tried to flip over a card with 2 pennies. When they did so, they "banked" the cards (put the cards on their piggy bank).

 

 

The kids LOVED it! And they started getting faster and faster at recognizing what number they needed to make 5. 

We also used these cards to play a matching game. Students turned over a card and then had to say what they needed to make 5 (and match it, of course!). 

 

Click {HERE} for this FREEBIE!

My para played a board game to make 5. Kids rolled the dice, but didn't move the number shown. Instead they moved the number needed to make 5. So if they rolled a 3, then they moved 2 spaces. If they rolled a 6, they had to move backwards a space. Whoa, right?! It was tricky at first, but they got the hang of it. I wish I had gotten some pictures!  

With all of our games, I don't think my kids even realized they've been learning this week. Bwahaha!

Math Monday--Easter Math!

 It's almost here! It's getting so close I can taste it!

 

SPRING BREAK!!!

 

 Just 4 more days...

 

To celebrate spring and the upcoming break and Easter and the end of our addition and subtraction unit (we really believe in celebrating!), we are doing some EGG-cellent math this week!

 

Sorry for the pun. I know it was terrible. I blame it on needing spring break! 

 

SO! Back to this week. For my first activity, I have a basket filled with these little guys...some addition and some subtraction.

 

The kids pull out an egg and record their problem and answer on this recording sheet... 

 

...that I found in this super awesome freebie!

Click {HERE}for the freebie

 

The kids loved it!!

 

 

My second activity is the Great Egg Race partner game!

 

One partner rolls 2 dice, adds the numbers, and colors that number on their egg. The other partner repeats. The first player to color all of their numbers wins!

 

I found this activity (and a lot of other great ones) from this freebie!

Click {HERE} for the freebie

 

In less egg-y activities, other students race the clock to sort addition facts...

 

...and subtraction facts.

 

The last group works on the computer.
If you need any great computer games, try Sheppard Software. The games are SO much fun and great for lots of levels of learners. My personal faves are

Fruit Splat
Math Man
and
Monkey Drive
These are also great if you have an interactive board.

 

That's All Folks! Have a HOPPY Easter!

 

I know. That was another terrible pun. I REALLY need spring break!

Math Monday--ADDITION

It's ADDITION time!!!!! I don't know why, but I just LOVE this unit!!

Our students come in with a wiiiiiiiddddde range of background knowledge, so we start with a pre-test (which will also be our post-test).

Click {HERE} to see the test we use, and then use it, tweak it, or ignore it!  =)

We do A LOT of concrete activities to start our unit. Even the kids who come in knowing a lot about addition don't necessarily understand what they're doing, so I like to start with lots of manipulatives.

Our first activity is WHOOSH CLOUDS. The kids put blocks in the first small cloud, put blocks in the second small cloud, and then WHOOSH them into the big cloud at the bottom!

 

 

 

I just drew my whoosh clouds, but you can click {HERE} for whoosh clouds already made!

 

 

 

After that, I have to admit that I copied, borrowed, and stole my addition ideas from Mrs. Ricca's Kindergarten. Her ideas are genius, and you should TOTALLY check them out!!!! She combines literacy with her math and LOTS of concrete activities. Oh yeah, she has lots of FREEBIES, too!

 

Here's one of her ideas. Read If You Were a Plus Sign and then let students make a class book with their own addition stories.

 

 

Of course there is always the over achiever...   =)

So that's our addition intro. LOTS of concrete!

Sneak Peek at my Week (April 21)

We are standardized testing this week. Even though my kinders don't take the test, it affects our schedule and means my para-pro is gone to proctor all morning (NOOOOO!!). Somehow, we will try to carry on!

Science:

After reviewing plant parts and needs, we're going to focus on different plants that grow in different places.

Tuesday: Forests-We're going to research the layers of the forest on PebbleGo and begin an anchor chart. Then we'll begin our habitat book.

Click Here

Wednesday: Deserts-We're focusing on the cactus! After reading non-fiction books, we'll add to our anchor chart and habitat book. The best part? We're going to draw a cactus in our book and then add rice to it to look like the prickly part. Inspired by this pinterest pic:

 

Thursday: Oceans-We're focusing on kelp and phytoplankton. We're going to research a couple of websites and then make a class PPT. I found some pictures, and they have to sort the kelp from the phytoplankton, and then pick a pic of each to add to our PPT. I've never done a class PPT, so I hope it works!

Reading:

Our whole group reading is going to focus on Earth Day and recycling. We will watch a free BrainPop video on recycling (LOVE Moby and Annie!) and read some recycling books.

Our Class is Going Green!

Recycle!

 Then we will do some sorts on what items can we reused, reduced, and recycled (found in these TPT freebies):

Click Here

Click Here

We'll also do this adorable flipbook which goes along great with out science lessons about oceans, deserts, and forests (don't you love when things just work out like that!)

 

Click Here

Finally we're going to make headbands! Who doesn't love fancy, luxurious head-wear?!

Click Here

 

Math:

Testing is making our math time a little wonky, so math is short and sweet this week. We're going to be reviewing word problems and practicing addition fluency. Need a good math app to help with fluency? Try CodeSquad!!! The kids are absolutely in love with it, and up to 4 kids can play on 1 iPad. Check out this video to see how cool it is!

 

Writing:

We have been reading folk tales and fairy tales the last few weeks. This week's writing is going to focus around The Jolly Postman who delivers mail to all of the characters from these books (if you haven't read it, it's adorable!). For writing, we're going to discuss how to write things like letters and invitations.
 

The Jolly Postman

Here's a great and simple template I love using it to teach friendly letters:

Click Here

I hope my week gives you some ideas for your week! Click below to link up with your weekly plans!



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Click Here

Hey! Speaking of Mrs. Wills, she, Mrs. Jump's Class, and Kreative in Kinder are hosting an AWESOME giveaway for math products! Check it out by clicking on their links below!

 

 

 

 

New Teacher Blog, Math, and a FLASH Freebie!

I am super, off the charts, amazingly excited to be featured on Dana from Common to the Core's New Teacher Blog today! This gal is an AWESOME teacher and librarian-to-be, and she's always trying to help the new kid on the block. Thanks Dana!



Click the pic to visit Dana's blog



In other news....

Random Amanda fact: My favorite subject to teach is NOT math! I don't know what it is about math, but it's always harder for me to get stations organized and to differentiate. Therefore, I'm making math instruction my priority this year! Every year I pick a certain area to REALLY concentrate on (last year's area was starting Daily 5...BIG success! Yippee!), so I'm starting by creating some math activities.

Here's an addition sort I created to build fluency with number facts from 0+0 to 5+5. Students have  cards that each have an addition problem and a matching picture of unifix cubes. They sort the problems onto number mats based on the sum. There's also a recording sheet students can fill out.

    

I'm selling this in my newly launched TPT store, but it's FREE for the next 48 hours! I hope you can use it in your classroom! If you like it, I would appreciate some TPT love...it will help me build street cred as a seller  =)  THANKS!



Click the pic for a link to TPT...Thanks!