Free Number Sense Boosters

Could your students’ number sense use a boost? These quick and simple activities improve number sense while engaging your students.

Latest from the Blog

Blog Header: Math Intervention What it is... and is not

What Is Math Intervention?

Let’s get this out of the way right now. Math intervention does NOT mean pulling a group of kids aside and helping them to complete their work after a whole group lesson.    Another end of the spectrum? Math intervention does NOT mean stopping your instruction to “work on number

Read More »
Blog Header: Why Dedicated Time for Math Intervention is a Must

Why You Need Dedicated Time for Math Intervention

The number one, most important thing you can do for students who are struggling in math is to meet them where they are and focus on increasing their understanding of numbers and operations.  That’s it! The secret to math success!  But here’s the thing, you can not do this without

Read More »
Blog Header: An Independent Practice Strategy for Small Group Math

Independent Practice Strategy

My third-grade teacher always told us Practice doesn’t make perfect. Practice makes permanent! When we were practicing our cursive lettering he wanted us to be sure not to get sloppy and practice incorrectly- the habits we formed during practice would be hard to break! The same is true of our

Read More »
Blog Header: Planning for Intervention Why you need to plan intervention Sequences

Why You Need to Plan Intervention Sequences

  It’s a trap we have all fallen into.    You teach your math lesson for the day and then pull aside the group that didn’t quite get it yet. You work on the independent practice together.    Here’s the problem. The next day? You’re likely working with the same

Read More »
Blog Header: Supporting All Students Deficit vs. Asset Based Thinking

Deficit vs. Asset Based Thinking In Math Class

A few years back I was talking with a colleague after a staff meeting. I mentioned that I had recently had a breakthrough with a student who had a multitude of “gaps” in their learning. This student was in an upper elementary grade level but had a very early primary

Read More »
Blog Header: Don't Introduce Place Value Like This

Introducing Place Value to 1st and 2nd Graders

It’s a common activity used for introducing place value. You give your students a pile of crackers, pretzel sticks and chocolate chips. You tell your students that the crackers are the hundreds, pretzel sticks are the tens and chocolate chips are the ones. You and your students take turns building

Read More »

The Simple & Effective Guide To Understanding Math Facts

Addition & Subtraction Strategies. Fact Fluency.   Fact Memorization.   Three different sides of the same coin. Thinking about teaching math facts as being learned at each of these three levels will change your perspective on instruction altogether! Addition & Subtraction Strategies Counting on fingers, using manipulatives, using a number

Read More »

FREE Printable Math Manipulatives

Why Use Printable Math Manipulatives?  Using a research-based CRA progression your students will move from concrete tools to drawings and representational models and will ultimately be proficient with abstract equations and ideas. Without manipulatives in the hands of our students we are missing the first and arguably most critical step!

Read More »

Getting Started with Tier 3 Math Intervention

My first year teaching math intervention I was in over my head by the second week of school. Funny thing is, by the second week of school I really hadn’t done anything other than assessing students and starting to form groups.   I was given the advice to look at

Read More »