Dice, Dominoes, and Cards Galore! Math Workstation Freebies

As promised on my previous post, I've got some math goodies to share with you! Yes, I know, I should be posting all of my cutesy fall crafts, but I honestly haven't gotten to do ANY yet! Unbelievable, I know! But, I have one fun week ahead of me--bats, pumpkins, spiders, candy corn, and leaves galore! Until we get to all that excitement, here are some math goodies.

 

For the last few years, I've really wanted to teach math small groups, but I just haven't been able to manage it--or maybe I might have been too afraid to try managing it! This year, I decided I just had to jump in, or at least dip in my pretty little toesies! After reading and loving Debbie Diller's Math Workstations book, I have found that I {sadly}cannot make that method work in my classroom--not sure exactly why! Instead, I'm formatting my math workstations and small groups much like my reading--a little mix of Daily 5 inspiration and Debbie Diller, too!  So far, I'm loving it!

 

Here are some of the activities I've added to my dice/dominoes station. They include Roll the Dice Addition and Subtraction, Domino Addition and Subtraction, and Addition Bump!

 

I've also attempted a playing cards station, which has been really successful. I've been teaching the kiddos a new game a week, and they've been doing really well! They also use the posters below to brush up on the game rules in case they aren't sure...Just click to grab yours as well! The games include I Spy Addition, Addition War, Quick Draw, Tens Go Fish, and Tens Memory Match.

 

 

Here is one last freebie--my version of a domino parking lot :) Hope these can make math centers a little more fun in your classroom!

 

 

Hope to be back soon with some Fall Fun! Thanks for stopping by!



Math Facts Practice: "Scoot" (Freebie) and "Math Telephone"

The last few weeks, my firsties and I have really been focusing on getting their math facts memorized--especially since we're moving on to harder skills where it is sooo important to know those facts in a flash! To make this basic skills practice a little more exciting, we've been trying out some new (maybe just new to me:) games in class.  My kiddos have always enjoyed doing whiteboard races and playing "Swat!," but those were getting a little old.

When I heard about the game, "Scoot," we just had to give it a try! The kids loved it right away, and I did too! Here is how you can play with your class...

First, number your students' desks...if your students' nametags already have their class numbers on them, you don't have to worry about this. 

Next, put a flashcard on each desk.  (Easy, peasy!)

Have the students solve the problem on their desk and record it on the corresponding numbered box on the recording sheet. 

Say, "Scoot," to signal that it is time to rotate to the next desk and solve the next problem in its corresponding box. 

When the students have rotated through every seat and solved every problem, check over the answer sheet with the whole class.  My kiddos really enjoy using a red crayon during this step to "be the teacher" as we share our answers.

Here is a quick freebie for you if you'd like to try "Scoot" in your class.  I made two different recording sheets--one for addition and one for subtraction.  It really helped speed up the game and keep my students' work neater to have the addition and subtraction symbols already in the table rather than just an empty box.  Just click the picture below to download!

We also tried a game of "Math Telephone," which was pretty fun and totally inspired by my favorite indoor recess game as a child!  I put the students in rows and gave them whiteboards.  Then, I held up a flashcard, and the person in the front of the row recorded and solved the problem while the other kiddos did the same on their boards.  When the first person in the row figured out the answer, they whispered it to the person behind them, who passed the answer back.  The last person in the row stood up and shared the answer aloud.  If they got it right, their team earned a point.  Then, everybody shifted up, so different kiddos would be responsible for solving and sharing the answer.  I liked this because it kept them all engaged, gave them a chance to talk with purpose, and got them moving, which was great for my wigglers!

What do you do for math facts practice?  I'd love to try some of your ideas out too!