Got lots of left-over greeting cards? Here’s one fun way I found to use them with kindergarten and first graders. I sort the cards into two categories and the students try and figure out my rule. In the example above, I sorted the cards into pumpkins and hearts. It was pretty easy for students to figure that one out. But, after that, they can get pretty tricky and student really need to look carefully for similarities within groups: cats vs…
Above are the two estimation jars we used at a recent family math night event. Below are the estimation slips students filled out. Click on the image to print a copy.
Our most recent Family Math Night event was done at an International Baccalaureate (IB) elementary school. The two teachers I was working with to organize the event wanted to find a way to include an inquiry-based question for students to answer. Their students have had a lot of practice with inquiry-based curriculm, which is a heavy component in the IB program, so it would have been a missed opportunity had we not tied IB in with math night. We decided…
This book is TOO FUN! The illustrations alone are priceless. It’s a Halloween twist on the traditional The 12 Days of Christmas song. I always like to read the story first without too many interruptions. Although, be sure to have the students see if they can find the dog on each of the pages! They love that. Then we get into the math. With my younger students, we use Unifix cubes to determine the total number of gifts on day…
Jigsaw puzzles are great educational tools. Not only are they fun but they can help develop your child’s reasoning and problem-solving skills. And, of course, there’s nothing like the sense of satisfaction kids feel when they place that final piece into their puzzle. In addition to using commercial puzzles, it’s a lot of fun to have your child make her own jigsaw puzzle. Use one of her drawings or coloring books pages or even an enlarged photo and glue it…