Styled Image by Speech Language Pirates

 Boom Cards:

 The Cup Craze activity is ideal for individual or small group use. To use, choose color or black/ gray/ white. Print your mats on card stock and laminate for durability. Print, laminate, and cut the numbered circles, one set per participant, if using in place of cups. Print an optional recording sheet and any answer keys you are using.

You will need to provide a set of cups, plastic or paper with a two to three-ounce capacity, with a round bottom that can be written on for each participant. Turn the cups bottom up and use a super permanent marker to write the numbers 1, 2, and 3 three times each. One cup will be leftover.

 

Give each student a mat and a set of cups. They simply name the picture, count the syllables, and match a numbered cup (or circle) to the picture. They can mark or record their numbers on an optional recording sheet, on plain paper, or on a whiteboard.

Be sure to give Boom Cards digital task cards a whirl in your classroom! Mrs. Renz’ Class has a wonderful tutorial to get you started.

I’d love to hear how you balance digital learning with hands-on and paper/ pencil instruction in your classroom.

Stop by my store and check out what else is new!

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Recently a teacher left a comment about one of my resources that had me pondering the possibilities. She was searching for “something to inspire struggling” learners. Granted, pencil and paper games and activities are certainly more motivating than practice with flash cards and worksheets but I always find incorporating physical activity into practice and review to be the bee’s knees of motivation!

Imagine the pure joy exuded by a little fellow, new to our school and repeating first grade, when my co-worker and I set up a jungle walk complete with props (think river, rocks, trees, and stuffed animals) through the classroom as a review of positional concepts!

Thinking along these lines, I crafted an activity, Toss It!, for practicing or reviewing adding and subtracting basic facts or multiples of ten. For the do-it-yourself version, you will need paper plates, a marker to write numbers, an object to toss, and number cards.

I chose green paper plates to represent apple trees and blue plates for ponds but you are only limited by your imagination! Dinner-sized plates stayed in place better than luncheon/ dessert sized.

Be sure to try tossing your object beforehand as some will be too bouncy. Beanbags, Koosh balls, Tossimals, and balled-up paper all worked well. You too may find yourself in a toy aisle tossing a few on the floor to see what happens! Lindsy at Preschool Alphabet has directions for creating felt apple beanbags.

This activity is perfect for an individual or small group of students. You can also set up multiple stations (to reduce wait time) so your whole class can participate.

Decide on the equations you want your students to practice. Since I teach facts by mental strategies this is how I did mine. Here are a few examples to get you thinking.

To practice the addition fact strategy of counting up (or on), use number cards 1 to 9. Pick a card. Number one or two sets of plates 1, 2, and 3. Place your plates on the floor or a table. Toss it! Use your two numbers to say or write the addition equation.

You can make this activity as physically easy or challenging as you like by changing the distance between the tosser and the plates. Also, decide if the object must land directly on a plate (or close is good enough) and the consequences if it doesn’t, toss again or lose your turn. Take turns tossing.

Use number cards 3 to 12 to practice the subtraction fact strategy of counting down (or back). Pick a card. Number one or two sets of plates 1, 2, and 3. Toss it! Say or write the subtraction equation.

Choose any numbers between 0 and 10, label your plates, toss it, and double your number to review the addition doubles. You can also say or write the corresponding subtraction doubles equation. If you teach this as halves; label your plates with even numbers between 2 and 20. Toss it! Say or write the equation to subtract half of your number.

Additionally, you can add and subtract two-digit numbers and multiples of ten. You will need a set of commercial or self-made flashcards for the numbers 11-99.

Use number cards 11 to 49 for addition. Pick one. Number your plates with multiples of ten, 10 to 50. Toss it! Say or write your numbers. Add. Substitute number cards 50 to 99 for subtraction.

You can find a complete version of Apple Tree Toss It! for adding and subtracting basic facts and multiples of ten in my Teachers Pay Teachers store.

I’d love for you to share your favorite ways to incorporate physical movement into practice and review activities in the comments below.

Check out this Pinterest board for more apple-themed ideas!

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The Fourth of July arrived with family cookouts, backyard games, homemade ice cream, military bands, parades, fireworks, and yes… plenty of sparklers for kids of all ages.

Sparkler Clip Art by SillyODesign

I’ve crafted a free math activity, American Flag Collect and Sort, to share with you and rounded up a variety of activities with patriotic sparkle to help your little ones safely celebrate the Fourth of July (and other patriotic holidays).

This American flag-themed activity engages preschoolers, kindergarteners, and beginning first graders on several levels. Your youngest learners can enhance their fine motor skills and match/ identify colors. Older learners can count, write numbers, represent quantities with ten frames and tally marks, graph, and compare quantities.

You will need:

• Card stock or paper for printing selected pages, American Flag Collect & Sort
• Laminator, optional
• 25 one-half inch counters (pompoms, buttons, or M & M’s) in red, white, and blue for each pair of players, with a more or less even color distribution

To play American Flag Collect & Sort:

• Place 25 red, white, and blue counters in the spaces on the American flag mat.
• Take turns with a partner.
• Spin or roll.
• Collect one counter that matches your color. Place the counter on your sorting mat, if using. If all the counters that match your color have been collected, you lose your turn.
• Play until all the counters have been collected.

Count to find out how many of each color you collected. Which color did you collect the most of and the fewest of? Count to find out how many counters you collected in all. Who collected the most or the fewest?

Follow-up with one or both of the recording sheets. The circles can be colored to match the color words.

Read my blog post about this same activity with a candy corn theme.

Check out these links for more patriotic math, books, crafts, and snacks!

• Fourth of July Counting Game by Playdough to Plato
• Fourth of July Addition Activity by the STEM laboratory
• Star Spangled Math Activities by A Little Pinch of Perfect
• Patriotic Bump! Number Recognition Game by Pocketful of Centers
• Patriotic Hunt by Classroom Down the Hall
• 18 Patriotic Picture Books by No Time For Flashcards
• Fourth of July Books for K Through 2nd by Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas
• American Flag Collaboration Poster by Art With Jenny K
• Popsicle Stick Flags by ginger snap crafts
• Patriotic Parade Streamers by alpha mom
• Edible Flag by The Educators’ Spin On It
• Red, White, and Blue Fun Fruit Cones by My Kids Lick The Bowl
• Patriotic Chocolate Covered Strawberries by Princess Pinky Girl

The post How to Add a Sparkle to Summertime Learning appeared first on Just Ask Judy.

Time for listening to crickets chirp, swimming in sparkling lakes, and daydreaming.

Time for picking berries, eating a picnic lunch at the park, and running through the backyard sprinkler.

Time for making mud pies, chasing after the ice cream truck, and exploring in the woods.

Time for playing kickball in the neighborhood, catching fireflies, and lying on the grass counting stars.

Summertime gives our kids the time for all of these things and more.

Summer should also be a time for learning. Summer learning loss is a real phenomenon that unfortunately, accumulates over time. Summer learning loss in math is typically greater than reading. Surprisingly, reading as few as four to five books over the summer can prevent this loss in reading (Do Kids Really Have “Summer Learning Loss”?).

Whether it occurs at home or through school and community-based programs, summer learning can be critical for academic success. The recommendation for integrating academic learning with hands-on and enrichment activities resonates with me.

I love the idea of encouraging kids to read a plethora of materials, with different people, in unique ways, and in a variety of places. If you love this idea too, you’ll want to click on these links for free resources.

• No Time For Flashcards’ Summer Reading Calendars
• The Measured Mom’s Summer Reading Challenge
• A Teachable Teacher’s Summer Reading Challenge List
• The Chirping Moms’ Summer Reading Bingo

Education World’s suggestion for keeping a record of bedtimes and rising times lends itself to not only telling time but also determining elapsed time and graphing data.

I have a free telling time (what a surprise!) to the hour and half-hour bug themed resource to share. This is an engaging task card activity with a twist that is perfect for first-grade practice or review. It is designed for use with small groups (2-4 students) but could be completed by an individual.

There is a set of 24 task cards that includes three copies of eight different bug images. Students pick a card and find the matching image on their recording sheet. They find the matching letter and write the time. Who can be the first to collect all eight bugs?

A color set of the telling time task cards along with a recording sheet and answer key is available as a free download from my Teacher’s Pay Teacher’s store. The recording sheet has a line without a colon for writing the time.

A black/ gray/ white set of the telling time task cards is available as a separate download. This set also includes a recording sheet with the colon already given. It also has an answer key in red.

Simply print, laminate (if desired), and cut the task cards. I use cardstock for durability. You will need one set for each small group. Print a recording sheet for each student and an answer key for each group. Each student will also need a pencil and crayons.

Shuffle the task cards and place in a pile. For this activity, you’ll want a well-shuffled deck. Students take turns drawing the top card and writing the time on their recording sheet.

The first time the image is matched, the student colors (or marks in some fashion) the image on the recording sheet. You may want them to underline or circle the image and only color after completion of the activity. Create a “discard” pile and reshuffle the cards as needed.

The activity continues until one student has colored (collected) all eight different images or for a less competitive version until all students have colored each image. Students can use the answer key to check their responses, after each round or after completion of the activity.

Be sure to check out the other task card sets in my Collect Them All series. There are four different summer-themed sets currently available.

• Beach Numbers- Tens & Ones (base ten, expanded form, number word)
• Summer Camp- Ten Less & Ten More (to 100 or 120)
• Backyard Barbecue- Count By’s (ones, twos, fives, tens, backward from 30)
• Cool in the Pool – Comparing Numbers (two-digit numbers)
• Summer Bundle- First Grade Number Skills (money-saver)

Click here for your free color telling time task cards.
Click here for your free black/ gray/ white telling time task cards.

Find more ideas and resources for summer learning (and fun) on my Pinterest board.

The post Make Time for Summer Learning (Free Download) appeared first on Just Ask Judy.

Counting on is typically one of the first addition fact strategies to be taught. Children progress developmentally from counting objects and fingers to counting abstractly; from counting all to counting on from the first number, then from the greater number.

I found a vertical number path and the concept of counting up to be beneficial for my students. You can also use a horizontal number line and the concept of counting on for everything in this post. I encourage you to use the method that works for you and your students!

Your students are ready when…

• You provided experiences to help them develop a conceptual understanding of addition through the manipulation of concrete objects in the context of problem-solving.

• You helped them discover the number combinations or bonds for a given number, at least to 10 (i.e. 0 and 5, 1 and 4, 2 and 3 make 5).

• Your students are fluent in saying the forward number word sequence to at least 10 if not 20. They can count forwards from a given number, although some may still need a number line for support.

• Your students can assign cardinal meaning to the first addend. They understand that counting 7 objects and saying the number 7 to represent a set have the same meaning.

I know you have seen numerous addition activities and games that use dominoes, playing cards, or two dice with pips. These are wonderful ways to develop an understanding of addition but when it’s time to transition to counting on, these activities might encourage your students to continue counting all.

Ways you can help your students transition…

• Instead of using two dice with pips, use one die with numbers 1-6, 0-9, or 0-10. Modify the second die with pips by covering four, five, and six with masking tape and drawing another set of pips for one, two, and three or draw the pips for one, two, and three 2 times with a permanent marker on a blank die or wooden cube. Now, your students will be encouraged to count on/ up from the first number. Some students will still count abstractly by starting with one, even without seeing a set to count. Using a number line to start counting from the first number can be helpful.

• Use a set (or two) of number cards along with the ace, two, and three from a deck of playing cards. Use any number cards (2-9) that you already have on hand or print the ones in this free Activities for Counting Up download. Students can pick a number card and a playing card to practice counting on from the first number. They can also write the numbers counted on a whiteboard or piece of paper. You might want them to draw lines for the numbers counted on as placeholders. They can also write the corresponding addition equation.

• Use the penny or crayon dice or the spinners to count up from a given number. This activity can be completed by one student or by a small group taking turns. Roll or spin. Count up that many times from the number given on the recording sheet. Write the numbers. Write the addition equation. The recording sheets may also be used on their own by asking your students to count up an assigned number (one, two, or three) from each given number.

These activities are perfect for teacher modeling, small instructional groups, or independent math stations. What are your favorite activities for teaching or practicing the count up addition fact strategy?

Check out my newest addition fact strategy resources, available for purchase in my Teachers Pay Teachers store.

• Piggy Bank Count Up is the perfect activity for practicing the count up addition fact strategy in kindergarten or first grade.
• Spin to Win- Ladybug Addition has a game mat for each of my addition fact strategies, making it an ideal resource for helping to develop fact fluency in first and second grades.

Credits for crayon photos in blog title image: Westmoreland Learning and Snapshots and Smiles.

The post How to Transition From Counting All to Counting On appeared first on Just Ask Judy.

Whether you live in the city and are teaching a unit about farms or you live in the country and you’re catering to your kids’ interests, I’ve crafted some farm themed number recognition and number sense resources for you, including a freebie, to meet the needs of your pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, and early first grade students.

Your students with a solid sense of number will easily understand the concepts of one less and one more than a number with minimal instruction on your part. Other students would benefit from the opportunity to develop a solid understanding through the use of concrete manipulatives.

This flexible One Less One More cow themed freebie can easily be used with both groups and everyone in between.

I created two sets of nine number cards, 1 to 9 and 11 to 19, in color and black/ white, along with a mat, in color and black/ gray/ white, for showing quantities with counters. I also included a recording sheet.

Use the mat with counters for teaching the concepts of one less and one more or for providing support, as needed. I used black buttons to enhance the theme and color scheme, but any small counter can be used.

Students pick a number card; then use counters to show the quantity in the middle column of the mat. They can use additional counters to show one less and one more than the given quantity in the appropriate columns.

They can also slide the counters from the middle column to the one less column and remove one counter to show one less or slide to the one more column and add one counter to show one more.

Space has been provided to write the corresponding numbers at the top of each column. You can emphasize that the numbers are in counting order.

Students who understand the concept can simply pick a number card, match the letter on the card to their recording sheets, write the number picked in the middle column, and then write the numbers that are one less and one more than the given number the appropriate columns.

The cow number cards can be placed in a decorative container.

You can download this freebie, “Moo”ving Along One Less One More, from my Teachers Pay Teachers store.

Sticking with the farm theme, you can also purchase these farm-themed number mats for 0-20  in my TpT store, perfect for practicing number recognition, number formation, counting, and cardinality.

These number sense puzzles for 0-20 with a farm theme are ideal for an independent math station.

Be sure to click on the links below to explore more farm-themed ideas and resources.

• Paper Plate Pig
• Foam Cup Chick
• Wine Cork Sheep Craft
• Free Printable Farm Animal Bookmarks for Kids to Color
• Farm Muffin Tin Syllable Counting Game
• Piggy Snack
• Farm Picture-Word Cards

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The post Down on the Farm- Activities to Improve Number Sense appeared first on Just Ask Judy.

Although weekly spelling tests are an educational institution, around when I was a kid and apparently still a common approach to teaching spelling, it’s a one-size fits all approach when the kiddos in your classroom come in all different sizes, each with unique learning needs.

I created six free letter-name and within-word stage jelly bean sorts for you. Each sort has 12 to 16 words and pictures for two or three features. These are perfect for providing a little bit of seasonal skill reinforcement, with Easter just around the corner followed by the unofficial National Jelly Bean Day on April 22nd. Choose the sorts that best fit the instructional needs of your learners.

These sorts can be completed in several different ways. Your students can simply follow the code to color each jelly bean word. They can also cut out the words and physically sort them by features. They can write the words on the sorting page, a whiteboard, a piece of paper, or in a word study notebook.

Each sort has also been designed so that the colored jelly bean word cards can be cut out and used to make a repeating pattern. Your students can simply create the pattern or they can glue the jelly beans onto paper or a sentence strip.

And to keep the jelly bean theme going…

Jelly Bean Sort- Addition Fact Strategies is an open-ended resource, available for purchase in my TpT store, for sorting addition facts to 20 by mental strategies. You choose the strategies your first and second-grade learners need to practice or review.

Additional Jelly Bean Resources in My TpT Store

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What is a teacher to do?

Teaching these number combinations that equal ten was one of my biggest frustrations. After participating in numerous activities, my students would develop conceptual understanding and automaticity with these equations. Then, I would take the time to integrate learning this strategy with previously taught addition fact strategies. And we would move on to learning the next strategy.

But soon enough, I would discover just how elusive their retention was of those Make Ten facts! Sometimes, the sufficient number of repetitions needed to ensure mastery is simply way more than we think it should be.

I’m forever searching for new ways to engage students. The addition fact strategy game I’m sharing with you today was inspired by the heart dice game on Cul de sac Cool.

Why Try Give & Take Make Ten

This math game is perfect for kindergarten, first, and second grades. It provides built-in concrete and visual support for learning, reviewing, and retaining the Make Ten number combinations.

Knowing these number combinations with automaticity makes adding 7, 8, or 9 to a number that much easier and builds a foundation for adding larger numbers. Fluency with the Make Ten facts is essential for understanding and applying the strategy of using or making a ten to add.

And it’s free!

How to Play

This is a small group game. You need ten counters for each player. Place all the counters in the middle of the group in a container that enhances the theme.

Each player places four counters on their ten frame and writes the corresponding Make Ten equation (4 + 6  = 10; four plus how many more makes ten) on their recording sheet. Players take turns rolling the die, matching the pips to the directions sheet, and following the directions to give or take counters.

After each player’s turn, he/ she records the new equation. The object is to fill your ten frame with ten counters.

Click the highlighted words to download this free St. Patrick’s Day Give and Take Make Ten game from my Teachers Pay Teachers store.

What is your favorite way to help your students retain the Make Ten addition facts? Comment below to share!

Before You Go…

Check out my seasonally themed spring, fall, and winter versions of Give & Take Make Ten, available for purchase separately or in a discounted bundle, to provide the repetition across time that may benefit some of your students. Each resource includes the same game in seven different themes.

Take advantage! Read more blog posts and find additional freebies for teaching addition fact strategies.

Stop by to visit the addition and subtraction section of my TpT store.

Title photo by Jordan Dunagan.

The post A Fun and Easy Way to Remember the Make Ten Facts appeared first on Just Ask Judy.

Ask yourself the following questions:

Can your students demonstrate consistent knowledge of a set of seven to ten letters and their corresponding sounds by:

• Looking at an individual letter and producing the corresponding consonant or short vowel sound? It’s okay to rely on a key word!
• Hearing an individual consonant or short vowel sound and saying or writing the corresponding letter?

Can they segment the individual sounds in a three-phoneme word?

Can they blend three phonemes to say a word?

 

If you answered each question affirmatively, then… Ready! Set! Go!

Digital Paper by RalphAndArthur; Clipart by Educlips 

One of my favorite tools for teaching decoding and encoding of phonetically regular words is a letter/ sound mat. I purchased mine from Carson-Dellosa and crafted my own letter cards (letters are aligned to overlap, digraph cards added). You can always use the cards that are sold with the mat. Find a similar Making Words pocket chart from Really Good Stuff.

This activity can be used with an individual or small group of students. For reading or spelling, you can use one mat hanging on a magnetic surface. For spelling, each student can also use their own mat on a flat surface.

Prepare your letter/ sound mat(s) by printing the free letter cards. Print on cardstock (easier for little ones to grab), laminate, and cut. You will need two sets of letters for each sound mat.

You can print the red vowel cards on white cardstock or the black vowel cards on colored cardstock. Place two sets of the same letter, one behind the other, in each pocket in alphabetical order. This allows your students to take one out and see exactly where to put it back.

If you have followed an instructional sequence of letters such as that suggested by the University of Oregon’s Big Ideas in Beginning Reading, you will have started off teaching letters and sounds that will naturally lead into reading and spelling two and three letter short vowel words.

For example, once you have successfully taught the letter names and sounds for a, m, t, s, i, f, and d, you can teach how to read and spell 14 words (am, sam, tam, dam, at, mat, sat, fat, it, sit, fit, mad, sad, if).

When using this approach, turn all other letters to the blank backside, showing only learned letters. If your students are secure in their knowledge of most letter names and sounds, leave all letters visible. You can use this activity with any list of phonetic words; self-created, from your reading basal, or from an Orton-Gillingham based manual.

There is a popular multi-sensory program which uses finger tapping for blending and segmenting sounds. This does provide for tactile input. For some reason, I prefer a thumbs up approach. I simply find it less confusing. The thumb and fingers can stay up to provide a visual reference.

To use the letter/ sound mat for spelling, you say a word (ex. sit). Students echo the word. Students segment the sounds (/s/ /i/ /t/) starting with thumbs up or by finger tapping. Students can segment first and then pull each letter to one of the bottom rows to spell the word or complete both steps simultaneously.

After the letters are in place, students touch each letter in sequence while producing the corresponding sounds, then blend the sounds to read. Put the letters back in place to be ready for the next word. You should provide corrective feedback as needed. Model segmenting the sounds or emphasizing the sound for a misplaced letter.

For reading, the teacher places letter cards (m-a-d), one at a time in one of the bottom rows while the students produce each sound using the finger tapping or thumbs up procedure. Students blend the sounds to read (mad). Provide support as needed. Put the letters back in place.

The letter/ sound mat is just one way to read and spell phonetically regular words. Most of the materials mentioned in this post on reviewing letters and sounds, including magnetic letter boards, can be used in a similar way for spelling. These free letter cards include consonant digraph and -ng/-nk cards joined with vowels to keep your learners progressing.

What is your favorite way to explicitly teach reading and spelling CVC words?

You can find additional CVC resources, including those linked below, in my Teachers Pay Teachers store to keep up the learning momentum.

• Systematic, Sequential CVC Word Lists
• CVC Short Vowel Cover Up
• Phonics Games and Activities With CVC Words

There’s still time to enter The Things We Love Giveaway in the post below!

Be sure to browse this Pinterest board for additional ideas and resources.

An InLinkz Link-up

 

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