1-2-3 Come Make Some 10 Frames With Me

Thinking about numbers using frames of 10, can be a helpful and easy way for students to learn basic number facts. A 10 frame is a simple graphic tool that allows people to  “see” numbers. They will help your students with number sense, place value, patterns and relationships, as well as subitizing.

While researching 10 frames, I found a wonderful 10 frame game your students can play.  There's no reading involved, a voice tells you what to do. The four games that can be played with their applet, help to develop counting and addition skills. Children can independently play: How Many, Build, Fill and Add.  Click on the above link to hop on over.

I also took a look at YouTube to see if I could find some quick explanations.  There's a  Ten Frame 4-minute video that does a nice job. Click on the link to pop over. For a 1 minute 10-frame explanation click on that link.

Since I planned all of my teaching around various themes each month, I decided to make 10 Frames featuring the most popular ones I could think of.   Working on the same procedures can get a bit boring, but if you switch things up with different 10 frame templates, students will get excited to continue practicing skills.

There are a lot of ways to use these 10 frames.  They certainly enhance number sense.  They also help students subitize:recognize at a glance, domino and dice patterns without having to count the dots. 

Besides the obvious uses, I've also made a set of numbers, number words, and math symbols ( plus, minus, equals, greater and less than) so students can make equations and play a variety of other games. i.e.  Match the 10 frame to the number card, or number word, to play a Memory Match game, or play "I Have; Who Has?"  

To practice subitizing, use them as flashcards to see who can call out the correct number first. They are also nice in a math center, using manipulatives and dry erase markers to fill them in.  To make manipulatives to add to the 10 frames, simply run off extra pages of the 10-filled 10 frame and cut them into squares.  

I'm in the process of making some for each month, and started with September.  I just finished apple 10 frames, owl 10 frames and pirate 10 frames.  Click on the links to zip on over to download these freebies.  I also have pumpkins, leaves, scarecrows, frogs, stars, bats, spiders, dinosaurs and bees in the works, to round out fall, before I begin ones for winter.  If there is a theme that you'd like 10 frames for, shoot me an e-mail and I'll add it to my list, and let you know when I've completed it. diane@teachwithme.com

Thanks for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN anything you think others might enjoy.  My "Pin It" button is at the top.  If you'd like to take a peek at all of the awesome-educational things I spend way too much time pinning, simply click on the "Follow Me" heart to the right.

"My mother said I must always be intolerant of ignorance, but understanding of illiteracy, because some people, unable to go to school, were more educated and more intelligent than some college professors." -Maya Angelou

1-2-3 Come Have Fun Becoming a Pirate and Writing With Me!

Since pirates continue to be an extremely popular theme, I've been working on a variety of activities this week.

I just completed these two, so if you are looking for a fun writing prompt before students leave for spring break, I think your students will enjoy making a class book entitled: Arrrr You Ready For Spring Break?

If your spring break has come and gone, you can make this booklet in May or June and have students write about what they are going to be doing over the summer. 

This class book is entitled: Arrrr You Ready For Summer Vacation?

I've included insert pages for both.  There's a girl pirate page, as well as one for the boys.

Students trace the beginning sentence and then complete the thought.

When they are done, they illustrate their page.

Make the book even more of a keepsake by having students glue their school picture over the face of the pirate and then color it.

Collect the pages, laminate and collate the book.

Make sure you do a sample for yourself as well.

When you read the book to your class, have each student come up and read their own page.

Making a monthly class book is a wonderful way to show student progress and are great items to set out for Parent-Teacher conferences.

Click on the link to view/print the Arrrrr You Ready spring and summer writing prompt packet.

Thanks for visiting today.  Be sure and check back in a week to see what other pirate things I've designed, and if you're into "mustache mania" you'll love the mustache activities I'll be posting tomorrow!

Feel free to PIN anything you think others might find helpful.

"Don't ignore the small things.  The kite flies because of its tail." -Hawaiian Proberb