1 2 3 Come Do Some Nice Dice Activities With Me!

MY Y5'S LOVED playing with dice.   I did all sorts of fun activities with them to help reinforce math concepts with numbers 1 to 6, so I decided to design a dice packet complete with cards and activities. Click on the link to view/download this fun packet. Dice Activities That Teach Math Skills.

Dice are a wonderful vehicle for teaching your kiddo's to subitize.  Subitizing, was coined in 1949 by E.L. Kaufman. The term is derived from the Latin adjective subitus which means "sudden".  A person who has affectively mastered this skill immediately knows how many items there are, without having to stop and count them. 

According to studies most people can subitize up to 10.  Dominoes are also a fun way to get subitizing practice in.  Click on the link for my Dominoe Math Packet.

With that in mind, I thought it would be helpful to have a set of big dice flashcards to use for practice.  Print, laminate & trim the cards and fasten them together with a split ring.  Flash a card and have children call out that number.  To whole-group assess, flash a card and have children silently hold up that many fingers.  You can tell at a glance who is having difficulty.

The packet includes a set of large teacher dice cards, a smaller set for students to sequence, + a mini set so you can play a whole-group game of "Show Me What I Need To Make __________."  Teacher holds up her big card and asks children to show them what they need to make another number.  i.e. I hold up the #2 dice, and ask children to show me what other dice they need to make the sum of 5.  They would hopefully show me the #3 card. 

I've also included math symbol cards, so students can make equations, a bookmark you can use as a whole-group assessment game, a roll & dot dice game, 2 trace-write and match worksheets, + a What's Missing? activity. 

Laminate a set of bookmarks and use them for another math dice activity.   Review the numbers orally and have children point to that number and count with you.  You can count from a certain number up to 6 or even count backwards. 

Make extra copies of the medium-sized cards so students can play a Memory Match game. They can match the dice to the number box, or the number word, or all three.  I've also included a cover so students can sequence the cards and make an Itty Bitty booklet.  There's a separate set of dice-number-number word cards to print, laminate and cut into puzzles too.

These are a wonderful whole-group assessment tool too.  Give students one M&MM (mighty math marker) to move to whatever number is called out.  After glancing around, jot down names of children and the numbers they are having problems identifying.  I used sticky notes and a clipboard. After the game, students can eat their candy. 

Children can also practice one-to-one correspondence, by having them place however many pony beads or other small items, onto the square that will match the number amount on the dice picture.   Click on the link to view/download the Dice Math Packet. 

As far as dice are concerned, I really like the large foam dice that they sell at The Dollar store.  They are easy for little ones to hold, don't fly on the floor as much, and are blessedly quiet!  If your Dollar Store doesn't have them, you can also purchase them from Oriental Trading.  They are only $4 for a dozen.  They come in an assortment of rainbow colors, so i also used them for patterning.

Another quiet way I had my students "roll dice" was to recycle those mini water bottles.  I'd toss two dice inside, fill with water and a bit of glitter and glue the caps shut with Gorilla Glue.

Students enjoyed shaking up the dice and then peeking on the bottom to see what their numbers were.  Use a drop of food coloring or a pinch of plastic seasonal confetti, for extra pizzazz or to make special ones for Halloween, Valentine's Day etc.

I wanted to include a photo here, so I Googled waterbottle dice and found a teacher who also uses them, over at Kids Count.  Shari has some math FREEBIES using dice as well.  Click on the link to check out her wonderful creativity. 

As mentioned yesterday, some clever person has come up with a little dice INSIDE a larger dice. Woo hoo for creativity.  I'm sure they'll be a hit with your kiddo's.  You can get a pack of 8 for only $2.28 from Pure Fun or $2.69 from On The Fly Supply.

One of my favorite ways to review the numbers on a dice was with a "magic trick".  I'd use a big foam dice and choose a child.  They'd come up to the front of the class, look at the dice and choose a number they wanted to show the other children. 

I reminded the class NOT to shout out the answer, or they'd ruin the trick.  Carefully, so they didn't reveal the face of the dice and the number to me, they'd keep it facing the class and hold it above their head.  I stood behind the child so I could see the number on the back of the dice.  I'd pretend to be "reading" their minds and then ask: "Are you looking at the number 3?" 

I also had a dice and would show them that number.  To their utter amazement they were looking at that number!  "Do it again!  Do it again!" could be heard, as well as, "How did you do that?"  I did not reveal the answer to the trick 'til I was done using this as a number review game.  I told my students I'd let them know the answer, when everyone could recognize numbers 1 to 6, then they could practice and do the trick for their families.  

One of the parents of my Y5's told me at conferences that her son Garret couldn't wait to find out.  She asked about the trick, so  I showed her and shared the secret.  Karen taught high school math and wondered how she could do it with her students.  I told her to use it as a math problem.  Demonstrate the trick and then have students try and figure out how it was mathematically done.  She reported back that it was a HUGE success, and has used it every year! 

The secret?  The front and back numbers of a dice, when added together, will always-equal 7, so if you are looking at the number 5, your students will be looking at the number 2.  Cool huh?   I hope you have as much fun with this as I do. 

I found this photo of a tot with a jumbo dice and thought that would be a really fun size for this activity.  Even after searching, I could not find a source to buy just one jumbo dice.  I found really humongous "cheese" ones with green dots (Go Packers!), but nothing this size.  Anyone out there know?  You can leave a comment here, or shoot me an e-mail: diane@teachwithme.com

Thanks for visiting today.  I design and blog daily, so I hope you can stop by again tomorrow for the newest FREEBIES.  You can PIN anything from my site.  Just think how much easier our lives would be, if more people made the time to share. 

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"I am learning all of the time.  My tombstone will be my diploma." -Eartha Kitt

1-2-3 Come Do Some Spider Stuff With Me!

Even though I am absolutely creeped out by spiders, I LOVED teaching our spider unit to my Y5's.  These spiders were cute and not creepy. The reason I hate real ones, is a huge pine spider dropped from the ceiling onto my shoulder, when I was lying on a cot at our cottage.  I was only 5, but I still remember it. Yikes!

Anything I design with shapes seems to be downloaded quite often, so I decided to whip together some 2D flat shape activities, featuring some sweet spiders. 

These lessons are quite versatile.  Use them for independent math centers, table top lessons, a Daily 5 option, review, game, or even a whole-group assessment!

Inky is a quick and easy "craftivity."  Students trace, cut and glue their spider slider together.  Add some wiggle eyes for extra pizzazz and have students trace and color the shapes.  Cut slits and insert the shape slider. 

Teacher calls out a shape and children slide their strip up and down 'til they locate Inky's "tongue."  If you want to whole-group assess, have students show you their answer. 

Click on the link to view/download the spider slider shape craftivity.

Peek-A-Eek is another "craftivity" that you can simply make for yourself and share as a read-aloud to review the basic 2D-flat shapes.  

I used a file folder to make my easy-reader sturdier. 

If you want your kiddo's to have their own, simply trim some folders and have them glue the cover (circle web page) to the front, and the hexagon web page to the inside. 

Make a fluffy spider, by gluing a black pom pom to the center of the hexagon shape.  This is the last page.  

Trim and assemble the rest of the pages.  Cut the "web window" shapes out so that the spider will peek through all of the pages.  Click on the link to view/download Peek-A-Eek the spider shape booklet.

Spin A Spider is also quick and easy.  Your little ones will enjoy taking turns spinning.  Whatever shape they spin, they color or bingo dot the matching  spider on their web. 

I've included spider cards with the shapes as well as the shape words on them.  Laminate and trim into puzzles. 

Besides putting together a puzzle, use the cards for a Memory Match, or "I Have; Who Has?" game.  There's also a "Match the spider shape to the shape word" activity.  Students can use the spinner to fill in this worksheet as well.   Click on the link to view/download the Spin A Spider game packet.

Finally, I made a Spider Shape game, that matches the other themed ones that have been so popular. 

Run off the shape tiles on a variety of colors of construction paper; laminate and trim.  Students place the tile onto the matching spider card. Click on the above link to view/download. 

Thanks for visiting today.  I design and try to blog daily, so I hope you can pop  by tomorrow to grab a few more FREEBIES. If there's something you need, drop me an e-mail with your request and I'll see what I can do: diane@teachwithme.com

  "To LOVE what you do and feel that it matters-what could be more fun?" -Katherine Graham.  (I am so blessed to be doing what I so enjoy! I hope my endeavors make your life a little easier and teaching even more fun. )

1-2 3 Come Do Some Skelton Activities With Me!

Since it's October, it seemed fitting to plug in a few skeletons, so I was diddling around with the idea of making a math packet around the play on words "Numb Skulls." 

If you don't do Halloween-themed things, the skulls are perfect for a pirate theme too, or perhaps you can use them as centers when your kiddo's study about bones and the human body.

I think your students will enjoy rolling 2 dice to make additon or subtraction equations on their "Numb Skull" and then solving them.  They write in their answer and color that many teeth. 

Students can play independently or with a partner.   Once I started designing with the skulls, more ideas kept popping into my brain, 'til I had a whopping 46-page Numb Skull packet that covers a variety of Common Core State Standards!

Lots of the items are very versatile.  The number cards with number words, can be cut into puzzles, or run off so students can make an Itty Bitty Counting booklet, which is a nice activity for your Daily 5 word work.

You can also use them for a Memory Match game, or to play "I Have; Who Has?"  Add the "Kaboom!" bomb cards to make things more exciting. 

The packet includes:                                                            A Numb Skull slider, where students trace the numbers from 0-30, or insert a skip counting by 2's, 3's, 5's, or 10's number strip. 

There's also a slider for counting backwards from 10 to 0 and 20 to 0.

I've included several games as well. There's A Numb Skull addition and subtraction game, plus  a Count to 100 Numb Skull game, where students add the dice that they roll and then  X-off that many skulls 'til they have added their way to 100.

Skull number cards from 0-120 also provide options for even more games.  Since the numbers are at the top of the skull, play a game of "What number am I thinking of?"

Students choose a card and then give classmates clues.  i.e. "My number is odd. It's greater than 20, but less than 27.  When you add 11 and 10 together, you'll know my number.

I've also included matching math symbol cards, so students can make equations. Use the blank skull cards to program with whatever, or to make groups/sets for the equations students create.

There are some Trace and Write the numbers from 0-120 worksheets, as well as quite a few What's Missing worksheets for numbers 0-120, plus all of the skip counted numbers.

There are several puzzles that you can use in a variety of ways, as well as Odd Todd and Even Steven skeleton sorting mats.  When students have completed whatever you deem appropriate, give them a certificate of praise for a job well done.

Click on the link to view/download the Numb Skull Math packet. 

Since I get quite a few requests for telling time activities, I decided to whip together a Numb Skull clock and a few telling time to the hour and half hour games too.

This packet includes analog as well as digital time cards that you can use as flashcards, or to play games with.   Click on the link to view/down load the It's Numb Skull Time packet.

Well that's it for today; thanks for visiting.  I'm off to take a drive in the country with my hubby. 

The fall colors have peaked and a windy afternoon with a bit of rain, threatens their ability to cling onto branches for too much longer. 

Even though it's a bit chilly, a nice cup of apple cider at our farmer's market will warm things up.                                                                                      Wishing you a lovely day.

"One man who has a mind and knows it, can always beat ten men who haven't and don't." -George Bernard Shaw

1-2-3 Come Play Some Leaf Games With Me!

You can make all sorts of number games and math centers with these leaf cards.  Print, laminate and trim.  There are 2 sets of cards: the bear with a leaf, as well as the yellow maple leaf.  Students can play independently or with a partner.  Children can match number cards to number word cards, or mix and match the sets and match numbers to numbers etc. 

Besides the Memory Match games, toss a set of cards in a basket and have children choose one to play I Have; Who Has? "I have the number one card; who has the matching number one word card?"  Add the "Kaboom" bomb cards, to make the game even more fun.  There are many more games and ideas listed in the 3-page tip-list that's included in the packet. 

I've also included mini-leaf tiles. so students can choose a numbered leaf card and count out that many leaves. They can sort odd & even numbers onto a leaf math mat, (included) or use the leaf math symbol cards to make addition and subtraction equations, or show greater and less than.

If you'd like your students to sequence and collate the cards into their own itty bitty booklet, run off the cards plus the cover master.  Click on the link to view/download the Leaf Math Game packet.

For more leaf game fun, you can prit off a set of alphabet leaf cards. There's a set of separate uppercase and lowercase letter cards too, as well as a blank set for you to program with whatever. A "What Else Can I Do With the Cards?" is a list of other ideas and games you can play with the alphabet leaf cards. Click on the link to view/download the Alphabet Leaf Cards

Thanks for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN away.  To ensure that "pinners" return to THIS blog article; click on the green title at the top, it will turn black; now click on the "Pin it" button on the burgundy menu bar.  If you'd like to take a look at all of the wonderful educational items that I pin, click on the heart button to the right of the blog. I write and design every day, so I hope you can stop by tomorrow for the latest FREEBIES hot off the press!

"The universe is transformation.  Our life is what our thoughts make it." -Marcus Aurelius

1-2-3 Come Play Some Interesting and Fun Math Games With Me!

Are you looking for some quick and easy ideas to do for the 1st day of school? Then I think you'll enjoy these simple bubble activities.

Start things off, by leaving the "I'm bubbling with excitement that you are in my class." bookmarks, as a cute surprise left on your students' desks.  I found this sweet saying on Pinterest as valentine cards with heart bubbles. Click on the link to check out this creative teacher's original post. 

Adding a small bottle of bubbles is an inexpensive way to help make children feel especially welcome.  (The Dollar Store sells 3 to 6 in a pack.  You can also buy a box of 20 mini wedding bubbles at most craft stores.)

Let students know that they will be allowed to blow bubbles at recess or at the end of the day.  Have them count how many bubbles they blew in 1 breath and then graph the results. (Template included.) What a simple icebreaker sure to get your kiddos excited about being in school.

To incorporate more math, print off the bubble picture cards, laminate and trim. 

I've included cards from 1 to 20.

To help strengthen upper body muscles, students lie on they tummies and sequence the cards in the proper order.  Using opalescent flat-backed glass "marbles" as manipulatives, (they look like "real" bubbles) they make a group/set above the number card to show "how many".  

So things don't get cluttered, use the larger glass "bubbles" for numbers less than 10 and the smaller ones for numbers 11-20. The "marbles" provide hands-on fun, and make counting more interesting. They are an inexpensive manipulative. 

Where did I get this idea? While in Hobby Lobby, I overheard a little girl ask her mom if she could buy a bag of them. 

When her mom asked her why she wanted them, "Kara" replied: "Because they are flat bubbles that won't pop!" I thought, "Wow! What can I make with 'flat bubbles'?" and the rest is history...

I've also included a set of number-word bubbles.  Run the templates off on blue construction paper, laminate & trim. Older students can match the number word bubble, to the picture cards.

For more fun, run off the "bubble wand" on a variety of colors of construction paper, cut out the centers and laminate so they can double as a "magnifying glass" for students to "spy" and cover numbers or whatever.  

For a "get the wiggles" out game, have students use their paper bubble wands, to find hidden bubbles around the room, or use them as an assessment tool for a whole group identification activity.  i.e. you display a bubble card and students raise their wand if they know the answer, providing a quick way to whole group assess comprehension.  Play "Swish."  After the number is correctly identified, have students swish their wand that many times. (Swish left-right-left for a number 3 bubble card.)

Click on the link to view/download the Back To School Bubble Math Activity Packet.

Thanks for visiting.  As always, feel free to PIN away.  If you'd like to see all of he excellent educational things I spend too much time Pinning, simply click on the "Follow Me" heart to the right of the blog.

"Imagination is more important than knowledge.  Knowledge is limited.  Imagination encircles the world." -Einstein

A Spook-tacular Math Game:Haunted Fact Family Houses!

Since the Fact Family Schoolhouses were such a huge hit for back to school, I decided to make a Fact Family set for October too.

This  "craftivity" and game help reinforce addition and subtraction math standards in a fun way.

The 17-page packet includes:

• Fact Family "craftivity" templates.
• Fact Family spinner game templates.
• Directions and link for a home-school math connection for fact family online homework skill building practice
• Directions and sample of how to make mini dry erase envelope boards.
• Fact Family T-bar "mad-minute" skill sheets +
• A certificate of praise.

If your students did the Schoolhouse Packet, they are already "empowered"! This one will be a real self-esteem builder for them.

Click on the link to view/download Fact Family Haunted House Packet.

Thank you for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN anything you think others might find useful.

"Let us endeavor so to live, that when we die, even the undertaker will be sorry." - Mark Twain

Let's Keep Things Rolling! More Math Games With A Dice Theme

I made Dice Game Stuff to go with the addition, subtraction, greater & less than dice games featured in the last 2 articles.

Click on the link to view/download the packet.

Whenever I taught a concept to my Y5’s I liked to stick with a theme.

It kept things simple, organized and less complicated for them.

I also had everything I needed handy and things just seem to flow from one transition into the next.

I could also overlap the various subjects too.

Here are some things you can do with these items:

The Make your own dice is a nice home-school connection where students can practice their cutting skills, something for a sub folder, or that extra activity students can do when they’ve finished everything else.

Run it off on cardstock. Give students a jingle bell to glue inside for added fun.

The large red dice make perfect flashcards when young students are learning to identify groups with a number.

Print them off, laminate, cut them out and keep them with your calendar or story time “stuff”.

You can also punch a hole in one corner and put them on a split ring.

Run off the smaller copies for students to make a split ring flipbook as well.  You flash your large number and they flip through their little ones to see who can find it the fastest.

Run off the Smaller Red-Dot Dice, laminate and cut out and make Memory Match Concentration games. Students can match them dice to dice or dice to number.

Laminate the number and symbol cards as well.  These too, can be used as Memory Match games or have students make equations with them.

Students can roll real dice, make an equation with the laminated paper dice, and then write down the equation on a sheet of scratch paper.

Set the timer to ring after 5 minutes.  Students can play individually or with a partner.

The person with the most equations completed when the timer rings, is the winner.

The traceable number flashcards offer a nice way to review skip counting by 2’s, 3’s and 5’s.

I’m always looking for easy and interesting ways to plug that concept in, for a quick review my kiddo’s would think was fun, so they’d want to continue practicing.

I made covers for the traceable flashcards so they can be turned into Itty Bitty booklets.

Run off extra sets on different colors to make Memory Match Concentration games.  You can also play I Have; Who Has? with them as well.

I hope you enjoy getting things rolling with your little ones and they have fun with these activities.

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Thanks for visiting!

"Life is a great big canvas and you should throw all the paint you can on it."  -Danny Kaye

Is it greater than, less than, or equal to? Whatever it is, it's in the bag!

Yesterday I posted the fun addition and subtraction dice games.

While I was making those example Baggies, I thought how perfect this idea would be for the greater than, less than concept, as the Baggies are clear, and when flipped over would reveal the opposite symbol!

All I had to do was include a small square that said = on it, for students to cover the < > signs, when they rolled doubles, and I was in business!

Students can either work independently or choose a partner and play against them, seeing who can solve the most equations before the timer rings.

Here’s how to play the game:

Children roll 2 dice and find that equation on their paper.

They rewrite it, and then show it in their manipulative Baggie, flipping the bag to whatever side they need to show greater than or less than, or covering the symbol with an equals sign if they roll doubles.

If they roll the same 2 dice that they already have an equation for, they lose their turn.

Baggie Manipulatives:

Put 10 buttons, or whatever manipulatives you have, in large Ziploc Baggies.   Draw a greater than sign in the middle. Trace a black line above and below it.

Give it a few seconds to dry and then flip it over and retrace to make the less than symbol. Using index cards or old file folders, cut squares and label them with equal signs. Tuck one in each baggie.  I’ve also made greater than and less than label templates if you want to stick those on the top of your Baggies to help your students associate the words with the symbols.

Simply put a 30-on-a-page Avery label sheet into your printer and print.  Students move the manipulatives to the right and left to show the equation they rolled.  For example: 5 < 6,   3 = 3,  4 > 1

Click on the link to view/download Greater Than Less Than Dice Game

My Baggie idea was inspired by Mrs. T’s addition Baggies on her First Grade Blog. Click on the link to see how this creative teacher uses her Baggies.

If you like this greater than less than game, you will also enjoy Alligobbler.  It's a quick and easy "craftivity" where you make an aligator out of a long envelope.

His toothy grin is the symbol. Students have fun "feeding" him numbers.

Click on the link to view/download Alligobbler.

Feel free to PIN anything on my site you find worthwhile. 

Do you have a greater than  /  less than concept that helps your students understand things?  I'd enjoy hearing from you. diane@teachwithme.com You can also post a comment here as well.

Do drop in tomorrow for another teaching tip, until then, remember:

"Students don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care!"

Math Games That Teach

My Y5’s really enjoyed Tummy Time and hauling out a tub of manipulatives to “play” with.

I put that word in quotations because they thought they were playing, but in reality, they were reinforcing a huge number of math skills as well as strengthening their upper body, by being on their tummies and working on exercising those fine motor skills as well, which helped to strengthen their finger muscles, that is so important in developing their ability to write.

One of their favorite tubs was the tanagram pattern blocks.  I had a variety of puzzle-sheets for them to fill in , by placing the colorful tanagram blocks on them, as well as a variety of patterning strips for them to complete.

I like making up monthly activities that follow the same format, because it empowers students, as once they’ve played a game, or learned the directions, they can get down to business to practice the skill.

This builds their self-esteem, they get better at the activity, and the teacher is freed up to work one-on-one with struggling students, or do assessing, because other children can work independently because they know what to do.

I decided to make some monthly tanagram pattern block sheets that involved dice, as number recognition is a skill that the Y5’s needed to acquire.

Students can play independently, with a partner, or in groups of 2 to 4.

Whatever number they roll, they trace that tanagram piece, the tanagram’s number, and then place the tanagram over that piece.

You can also have students color their papers to match the real tanagrams.

The first child to complete their seasonal tanagram picture, by rolling all of the numbers and covering them, is the winner.

Click on the link to view/download Pattern Block Tanagrams on a Roll Dice Game

I hope you enjoy adding this game to your bag of tricks.

Do you have one you can share with us?  I’d enjoy hearing from you. diane@teachwithme.com or feel free to leave a comment here, especially if you use one of my ideas.

You may also PIN anything on my site that you think will help others. I truly feel life is all about sharing.  Just think how easy our teaching would be, if everyone took the time to post just one thing on the internet that turned the light bulb on for kids!

Have a great day and may all your puzzles be fun to solve!