Why not empower kids to create their own addition problems to solve? They love it! Here’s an activity I do with kindergartners and first graders. An easy way to adapt the lesson for beginning of the school year kindergartners is to have them simply place stickers (less than 10) and write the total.
Kids who have a strong number sense can compose and decompose numbers, make reasonable estimates, and use numbers in flexible ways. Here’s a great example. (Aligns to the Common Core State Standards in Mathematics: Mathematical Practices – Look for and make use of structures.)
I just read that the Texas State Board of Education is getting rid of calcuators in the elementary grades. It’s a good thing, too, because I’ve no doubt that every kindergarten through fifth grade teacher hands their students calculators so that these teachers can get out of doing what they love doing…teaching. Honestly. Although not approved yet, it’s only a matter of time. Because, as we all know, politicians know best. And, yes board members, you are politicians. I remember…
Here’s a super fun, super easy way to address one of the Grade 2 content standards: Work with equal groups to understand multiplication. This can also be done with stickers! CCSS: 2.OA.4 (although not done using rectangular arrays)
Watchthe video below to see how simple objects like tiles, stickers, rubber stamps, dice, and graph paper help teach students important concepts in number theory: factors, primes, composites, and square numbers…not to mention the great reinforcement of multiplication facts. Grades 2 – 5 CCSS: 2.OA.4; 2.NBT.2; 3.OA.1; 3.OA.3; 3.OA.5; 3.OA.7; 4.OA.1; 4.OA.4