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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
Addition with Regrouping… The Place Value Way!
A few months ago, I wrote a post on using place value strategies to add two 2-digit numbers. If you remember, students were decomposing numbers into tens and ones and combining like units. By using base ten blocks, students were able to easily make the connection between the digits in
Keywords are NOT the Key to Word Problems
Solving word problems is hard. Word problem keywords seem like a logical solution but this strategy will make solving word problems even more difficult. Like really, really hard. In a world where reading comprehension, logical thinking, math computation, and visualization come together, word problems were born. As teachers, we are
Fluency Through Flexibility Book Review
A few weeks ago Fluency through Flexibility: How to Build Number Sense showed up on my doorstep. I devoured the introduction and was immediately taken with the straight forward, research-based, easy to follow nature of the text. I was hooked. So often, when reading a professional text, I agree and
How You Can Use Addition to Teach Place Value
If you are on Facebook, surely, you have seen rants about how Common Core Math is the WORST. Seemingly elaborate diagrams are drawn to add simple numbers such as 19 + 6. Students are drawing number bonds to break apart the 6 into a 1 and a 5, are circling
Numbers are CREEPILY Flexible
The fall can be such a fun time in the classroom. Instead of trying to fight the excitement around Halloween, lean into it with a fun math craft! There are so many different ways to represent the same exact value! Challenge students to see the flexibility in ways we can
5 And Above, Give It A Shove… No Really….
“5 and above, give it a shove. 4 and below, let it go” “5 or more, raise the score, 4 or less, let it rest”… No, really, let this rhyme rest already. I propose that we let these poems go. While they might seem like a great trick to get
8 Simple Activities for Effective Place Value Differentiation
I originally published this blog post in 2014. Back then, the title was “Why 2nd Grade LOVES Base Ten Blocks”. I still think that base ten blocks are an amazing tool for 2nd-grade students. But my thinking has changed. If I were to rewrite that title now it would sound
Free Place Value Vocabulary Game
This fun, easy and FREE place value game is meant to help your students with their place value vocabulary for whole numbers or decimals. Your 4th & 5th-grade students will enjoy playing this hangman style game which is ideal for math centers at the beginning of the school year. Set-up
