Now that state testing has ended, I am trying to focus a lot on reinforcing basic mutliplication facts since it's so important to know them for skills in the next grade level and beyond. I was looking through the "Really Good Stuff" catalog and came across some multiplication tricks on posters and I thought I would share what I learned!
Multiplying 2's - Double the number (Duh...)
Multiplying 3's - I learned to put the multiples of 3 to the tune of Jingle Bells (3,6,9-12,15-18,21-24-27-30,33 Hey! I also discovered that children can use their hands to help them find a product of a 3 times table. Explain to students that each of their fingers are divided into three parts. If they are multiplying 3 x 2, then they count all the parts on two fingers.
Multiplying 4's - Double the number you are multiplying by two times. There is also this chant to teach them to remember 4's.
Multiplication has just begun
Four times facts are so much fun
4 X 1 = 4 Will you please go shut the door!
4 X 2 = 8 Let’s go eat some chocolate cake!
4 X 3 = 12 Put the books up on the shelf.
4 X 4 = 16 My you are so very keen!
4 X 5 = 20 I like to eat bread with honey.
4 X 6 = 24 Boogie down on the dance floor!
4 X 7 = 28 There is no food on my plate
4 X 8 = 32 There’s a stinky shoe, P- U
4 X 9 = 36 Here’s something that we can fix!
4 X 10 = 40 Explorers were looking for gold and glory
4 X 11 = 44 We want to hear the lion’s roar!
4 X 12 = 48 You know I can barely wait!
You will be- so surprised
How fast you learn to mem-or-ize
Multiplying by 5's - They all end in a 5 or 0.
Mutliplying 6's - When you multiply an even number by six, the number you are multiplying by will be in the ones and the tens place will be half of that. For example, 6 x 4 4 will be in the ones and tens number will be 2 so the answer is 24.
Multiplying 7's - There isn't really a trick for this one, but I heard that 7x6=42 is the hardest math fact to remember. Make a big glittery sign out of it so they don't forget it.
Multiplying 8's - I recommend making up poems or rhymes to remember the 8's. 8x8=64, Close your mouth and shut the door! 5,6,7,8! 56=7x8!
Multiplying 9's - The hand trick is the fastest and easiest way to remember do the 9's. Put your hands flat on the table in front of you. Your fingers represent the numbers 1-10. Bend the finger of the number you are multiplying by down. Then number of fingers to the left of the bent finger is your tens digit. Then number of fingers to the right of the bent finger is your ones digit.
Multiplying 10's - Take the number you are multiplying by and add a 0.
Multiplying 11's - Take the number you are multiplying by and double the digits. 11 x 4 = 44
Multiplying 12's - Take the number you are multiplying 12 by and multiply that by 10. Then multiply the tens digit in that number by 2 and add them together to get your answer. 12 x 4 (4x10=40) (4x2=8) 40+8=48
I also strongly recommend making pictures or stories to go along with the tough ones to help them remember.
What ideas or tricks do you guys use??
Songs for Teaching Difficult Math Concepts
So, I know I have been horrible about posting lately! I have been going through some personal issues and therefore, blogging has been the LAST thing on my mind...
I gave our state standardized Math test today and it was a LONG, boring day! As I was walking around, I started thinking about songs. I have written several songs to teach math concepts this year and when a tune pops into my head, I just have to write it down. Here are a couple of I thought of today!
Relationships in Measurement
Tune: She'll Be Comin' Round the Mountain
Kilometers and miles measure length, or distance!
Kilometers and miles measure length, or distance!
Kilometers and miles measure distance far and wide,
Kilometers and miles measure length!
Pounds and grams measure weight, or mass!
Pounds and grams measure weight, or mass!
Pounds and grams measure mass all around,
Pounds and grams measure weight!
Liters or quarts measure liquid, or capacity!
Liters or quarts measure liquid, or capacity!
Liters or quarts measure capacities of all sorts,
Liters or quarts measure liquid, or capacity!
Another song I wrote is helpful in teaching kids about the three types of lines. (Lines, line segments, and rays)
Types of Lines
Tune: If You're Happy and You Know It
A line has two arrows on the end. X X
A line has two arrows on the end. X X
A line has two arrows that keep going on forever.
A line has two arrows on the end. X X
A ray has an arrow and a point. X X
A ray has an arrow and a point. X X
A ray travels only in one direction
A ray has an arrow and a point. X X
A line segment has two end points. X X
A line segment has two end points. X X
A line segment stops, it only has two dots.
A line segment has two end points. X X
The X's mean clap.
I hope these songs are helpful. I like to put them in poweroints so the kids can easily learn the words as we sing along!
I gave our state standardized Math test today and it was a LONG, boring day! As I was walking around, I started thinking about songs. I have written several songs to teach math concepts this year and when a tune pops into my head, I just have to write it down. Here are a couple of I thought of today!
Relationships in Measurement
Tune: She'll Be Comin' Round the Mountain
Kilometers and miles measure length, or distance!
Kilometers and miles measure length, or distance!
Kilometers and miles measure distance far and wide,
Kilometers and miles measure length!
Pounds and grams measure weight, or mass!
Pounds and grams measure weight, or mass!
Pounds and grams measure mass all around,
Pounds and grams measure weight!
Liters or quarts measure liquid, or capacity!
Liters or quarts measure liquid, or capacity!
Liters or quarts measure capacities of all sorts,
Liters or quarts measure liquid, or capacity!
Another song I wrote is helpful in teaching kids about the three types of lines. (Lines, line segments, and rays)
Types of Lines
Tune: If You're Happy and You Know It
A line has two arrows on the end. X X
A line has two arrows on the end. X X
A line has two arrows that keep going on forever.
A line has two arrows on the end. X X
A ray has an arrow and a point. X X
A ray has an arrow and a point. X X
A ray travels only in one direction
A ray has an arrow and a point. X X
A line segment has two end points. X X
A line segment has two end points. X X
A line segment stops, it only has two dots.
A line segment has two end points. X X
The X's mean clap.
I hope these songs are helpful. I like to put them in poweroints so the kids can easily learn the words as we sing along!
Math Centers
After taking the MAP test three times this year to measure student progress, I've gotten my scores and they are disappointing. We correlated the MAP scores to our state standardized test scores and according to the data, 10 out of 16 of my students are not the "Met" level in Math. In other words, if they were to take our state standardized test (PASS-Palmetto Achievement of State Standards) today, they would not pass. How ironic is that??
So, in light of that information, my administration suggested that I start doing Math Centers to review skills students struggled with. I went back to the first unit on Place Value and we did these activities. I will add more later because I did these in just one day. Visit this link for several place value powerpoints and resources.
What activities do you use to teach and review place value? I would love more ideas and so would everyone else!!
So, in light of that information, my administration suggested that I start doing Math Centers to review skills students struggled with. I went back to the first unit on Place Value and we did these activities. I will add more later because I did these in just one day. Visit this link for several place value powerpoints and resources.
What activities do you use to teach and review place value? I would love more ideas and so would everyone else!!
Tunes for Geography
So, I know how horrible I have been about posting lately, but before you give me a hard time, just know that I've been on Spring Break and my mind has been on nothing but reading and relaxing for nearly 7 days now. It has been so refreshing and I'm kind of having a hard time making myself do anything school related.
Nonetheless, I feel I owe you faithful friends something useful. I'm sharing two songs today because I am in a cheerful mood. These songs were written by one of my amazing colleagues. Seriously, I have used more of her curriculum materials this year than anything else and they have been so helpful starting out a year with a brand new curriculum.
The first is a song to teach younger children about what city, state, and country they live in. I am using where I live as the example in the song but you can adapt it to your needs.
Where Do We Live? (Tune: Adam's Family)
Where do we live? * *
Where do we live? * *
Where do we live? Where do we live?
Where do we live * *
Our continent's North America
The US is our country
Our state is South Carolina
Our city is Greenville!
That's where we live, * *
that's where we live, * *
that's where we live, that's where we live,
that's where we live. * *
Whenever you see a * it means snap your fingers
This next song teaches children the continents. I'm sure many of you may already know a song or chant for this, but I'm sharing anyway because it's different!
The Continent Song (Tune: Are You Sleeping?/Where is Thumpkin?)
Nonetheless, I feel I owe you faithful friends something useful. I'm sharing two songs today because I am in a cheerful mood. These songs were written by one of my amazing colleagues. Seriously, I have used more of her curriculum materials this year than anything else and they have been so helpful starting out a year with a brand new curriculum.
The first is a song to teach younger children about what city, state, and country they live in. I am using where I live as the example in the song but you can adapt it to your needs.
Where Do We Live? (Tune: Adam's Family)
Where do we live? * *
Where do we live? * *
Where do we live? Where do we live?
Where do we live * *
Our continent's North America
The US is our country
Our state is South Carolina
Our city is Greenville!
That's where we live, * *
that's where we live, * *
that's where we live, that's where we live,
that's where we live. * *
Whenever you see a * it means snap your fingers
This next song teaches children the continents. I'm sure many of you may already know a song or chant for this, but I'm sharing anyway because it's different!
The Continent Song (Tune: Are You Sleeping?/Where is Thumpkin?)
North America, South America
Antarctica
Australia
Europe and Asia
Oops I forgot one!
Africa, Africa
I love both of these songs because they are so simple and easy to sing along with because of their familiar tunes. When I write my own songs, which I often do to go along with the content I teach, I often choose simple tunes that all of the kids know because it makes it so much easier when teaching them the song. I have plenty more songs where those came from but I'll save those for another day!
Math Games
I apologize for waiting so long to write another post! I have just been so busy wrapping up everything before Spring Break and then exhausted from all the hard work!
So, onto the good stuff! Our district's math coordinator came to talk to us yesterday about using math games to enhance student learning in the classroom. I learned some really great games for all grade levels, so those of you kindergarten and first grade teachers can actually use something from me!
1. Roll and Write (K-2)
Materials: 2 dice or number cubes, pencil/paper
Materials: 1 cup or a pair of cups, 1 set of two-colored counters or a pair, 2 colored markers (1 red/1 yellow), paper
Materials: no more than 30 pennies, 5-6 dimes and nickels, a few quarters, 1 dollar bill, 1 pair of dice
Materials: gameboard, 1 cup, 2 beans, paper, pencil
Materials: number cards 0-9, 2 of each
So, onto the good stuff! Our district's math coordinator came to talk to us yesterday about using math games to enhance student learning in the classroom. I learned some really great games for all grade levels, so those of you kindergarten and first grade teachers can actually use something from me!
1. Roll and Write (K-2)
Materials: 2 dice or number cubes, pencil/paper
- Player(s) roll two number cubes.
- Write two number sentences using the numbers rolled. (For kindergarten, have them verbalize the number sentence.)
- Circle the number you counted on from.
- Explain why you counted on from the number you did. (Students should start to catch on that you count on from the larger number.
Materials: 1 cup or a pair of cups, 1 set of two-colored counters or a pair, 2 colored markers (1 red/1 yellow), paper
- Students divide their paper to look like a large tic-tac-toe grid.
- Assign different combination target numbers to each pair, depending on what they can handle. For example, you might want some children to work on combinations of five counters while others are working on combinations of 10.
- Encourage students to predict what they think they'll see when they shake and spill the counters.
- Have the children begin their shaking and spilling. They record the number of red counters face up and the number of yellow counters that are face up and write it as a number sentence across the top of the tic-tac-toe grid. For example (7 yellow + 3 red = 10 counters)
Materials: no more than 30 pennies, 5-6 dimes and nickels, a few quarters, 1 dollar bill, 1 pair of dice
- Player 1 rolls the 2 dice, finds the sum of the two numbers, and takes the corresponding amount of money in coins of his/her choice.
- Player 1 decideds if he/she wants to make any trades and then passes the dice to player 2, who repeats the steps.
- The first person to get coins worth $1.00 wins.
- You and your students can decide on the rule for ending the game. Possibilities include requiring a roll that gives the winner exactly $1.00 or a roll that gives $1.00 or more.
Materials: gameboard, 1 cup, 2 beans, paper, pencil
- Put the two beans in a cup.
- The first player spills the beans onto the game board.
- The player adds the numbers the beans landed on. If a bean lands on a line, it can be thrown again.
- The player subtracts the answer from 50 using scratch paper if needed. For your challenge students, make them use mental math. (For example: The player spills the beans onto a 5 and a 2. The player says the sum is 7 and then subtracts that number from 50. 5-7=43.
- After each player spills the beans, his or her answer is subtracted from their last number on the score sheet.
- Players take turns spilling beans and subtracting until one player reaches zero.
- Variations: Play with 100 point spill the beans. Begin the game by subtracting from 100. Or how about a 3-bean game? Throw 3 beans and add the numbers together, then subtract from 100.
Materials: number cards 0-9, 2 of each
- One player shuffles the deck and places it with the numbers face down on the playing surface between the players.
- Each player draws 2 cards from the deck and uses them to make the largest number possible.
- The player who makes the larger number takes all the cards.
- The game is over when all of the cards have been used.
- The player with more cards wins.
- Variation: Players try to make the smallest number possible each time. The player who makes the greater number takes all of the cards. The player with fewer cards at the end wins.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)