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Math Connections

 This page is definitely a work in progress.  I have many more things to add, but I had to at

least make a start at getting this page online.  You can't finish what you haven't begun! :)

 

 

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Shapes

 

* Cindy Circle

I am Cindy Circle.

Watch me turn.
Round and round,

And you will learn.
I’m not straight,

And I don’t bend.
My outside edges

Never end.
~ Author Unknown

 

* Sammy Square

Sammy Square is my name.
My four sides are just the same.
Turn me around, I don’t care.
I’m always the same.

I’m Sammy Square!

~ Author Unknown

 

* Tommy Triangle

Tommy Triangle is the name for me.
Count my sides---there’s one, two, three.

~ Author Unknown

 

* Ricky Rectangle

Ricky Rectangle is my name.
My four sides are not the same.
Two are short and two are long.
Count my sides. Come along----one, two, three, four.

~ Author Unknown

 

* Danny Diamond

I am Danny Diamond.
I am like a kite.
But I’m really just a square
Whose corners are pulled tight.

~ Author Unknown

 

* Opal Oval

Opal Oval is my name.
The circle and I are not the same.
The circle is round, as round as can be.
I am shaped like an egg, as you can see.

~ Author Unknown

 

* Shape Song
(tune: "The Farmer in the Dell")

A circle's like a ball,
A circle's like a ball,
Round and round
It never stops.
A circle's like a ball!

A square is like a box,
A square is like a box,
It has four sides,
They are the same.
A square is like a box!

A triangle has 3 sides,
A triangle has 3 sides,
Up the mountain,
Down, and back.
A triangle has 3 sides!

A rectangle has 4 sides,
A rectangle has 4 sides,
Two are long, and
Two are short.
A rectangle has 4 sides!

~ Author Unknown

 

* Shapes Songs: Peggy shared these songs that she'd written after being frustrated at not being able to find songs to teach about these shapes.  For star they just sing "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star."  She says that once the kids know the songs really well, that she purposely sings a line incorrectly so the kids can catch the mistake and they love it!  Then she'll "forget" the line and have them sing it for her.  She uses this strategy with lots of songs, but not with sounds.  Thanks Peggy, for sharing your talent with everyone! :)

 

Oval

(tune: Farmer In the Dell)

An oval's like an egg,

An oval's like an egg.

It's like a circle,

Squished up flat.

An oval's like an egg.

 

Diamond

(tune: Farmer In the Dell)

A diamond's like a kite.

A diamond's like a kite.

I took two corners,

Pulled them tight.

A diamond's like a kite.

 ~ Peggy

Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

 

* Heart Poem: This is Peggy's heart poem. :)

 

Roses are red,

Violets are blue,

A heart shows our love

To all of you.

~ Peggy

Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

 

* Shapes Bulletin Board: Make each shape below BIG for the bulletin board and each one a different color.

 

I am Mama Circle, round like a pie.

(draw a lady's face on the circle)


I am Baby Triangle, three sides have I.

(draw a baby with pacifier, asleep))


I am Papa Square, my sides are four.

(face with a collar at the bottom of the square)


I am Uncle Rectangle, shaped like a door.

(face with a moustache and tie with shirt buttons and a pocket)

 

* Shapes Book:  Provide each student with a book with the following text.  Each student will color, cut out, and glue the correct shape to each page.

 

This is a circle.  It has no corners.

 

This is a square.  It has 4 sides that are all the same.

 

This is a triangle.  It has 3 sides.

 

This is a rectangle.  It has 2 long sides and 2 short sides.

 

This is an oval.  It looks like a skinny circle.

 

This is a diamond.  It has 4 angles. OR It looks like a kite.

 

After repeated readings, you can then ask the following riddles.

 

What shape has no corners? (circle or oval)

 

What shape has 4 sides that are all the same?

 

What shape has 3 sides?

 

What shape has 2 long sides and 2 short sides?

 

What shape looks like a skinny circle?

 

What shape looks like a kite?

 

* Simple Shape Book:  Use Ellison die-cut shapes and text printed on the computer.  Have students glue the appropriate shape to each construction paper page.  Each page is 1/4 of a sheet of construction paper.

 

click on image to enlarge

 

* Marshmallow Shapes:  Use marshmallows and toothpicks to form shapes.  I had to model each shape several times before some of my students could do theirs.  And to make the short sides of the rectangle you'll need to break the toothpicks in half.  When we finished, we glued the marshmallow "points" to construction paper to hang in the hall.

 

click on image to enlarge

 

* Shape Sort: Divide a file folder into 4 columns.  Place a different colored construction paper shape at the top of each column (square, triangle, circle, rectangle).  Then have students sort pictures into each column according to what shape the object in the picture is closest to in shape.

 

circle: clock, orange, ball, plate, Ritz cracker, mirror, bowl

square: block, box, gift, TV, Wheat Thin, saltine cracker, computer monitor

triangle: slice of pizza, slice of cake, Dorito, snack cracker, slice of pie

rectangle: door, brick, mirror, table, bulletin board

 

* I Spy Shapes Game:  Play I Spy with shapes.  Give each student a turn to walk around the room with a pointer and point to things in the classroom that are similar in size to shapes.  When they point to the item, they identify what shape it resembles.

 

* Use shapes in your calendar pockets instead of calendar cut-outs.  Have students identify the shape each day along with the date.

 

* Hokey Pokey with Shapes:  We do the Shapes Hokey Pokey.  I cut out shapes (each in a different color) and laminate them.  (If you laminate the paper, then use the Ellison machine to cut them out, it will save you lots of cutting time.)  Then we hold a different shape in each hand.  Instead of putting our "right hand in" we sing put the "red square in" or whatever shape and color it is.

 

* Stencils:  I also have some very old but good stencil patterns for shapes.  When working on a particular shape, I provide that stencil and a large sheet of paper and have the students work at using the stencil to make many of the particular shape on the page.  Then they color them.  If so inclined, they can turn their shapes into pictures.  Using stencils is also a great fine motor activity.  It takes some skill to be able to follow around the inside of the stencil in a continuous line.

 

* Have students grab on to a rope and use it to form a specific shape.

 

* Snacks:  Use shape snacks to reinforce the concept.

Circle - cookies, gum balls, Ritz crackers, Little Debbie Fudge Rounds, donuts, M&Ms, SweetTarts, Fruit Loops and many other cereals, banana slices, wiener slices

Square - saltine crackers, Nekot sandwich crackers, cheese slices, Little Debbie Zebra Cakes, Honey Grahams cereal, Quaker Oat Squares cereal

Triangle - pizza slices, Doritos, snack crackers

Rectangle - Little Debbie Frosted Fudge Cakes, Pop Tarts, Pop Tart Snack Stixs, graham crackers

Cone - Bugles, ice cream cone

Sphere - gumballs, cereal (Cocoa Puffs I think are round balls, round candies that come in the "handle" of the pinwheels

Cube - cheese chunks, ham chunks, pineapple chunks, watermelon chunks

Cylinder - wieners or sausage with ends cut off

 

*Geometric Shapes:  I recently purchased some plastic geometric shapes to help my students in learning about them to meet the criteria for the state benchmark.  I had introduced them the previous day and we'd already been using a can of green beans as a model for a cylinder and a ball as a model of a sphere.  Then I added a wooden block to represent a rectangular prism and a different kind of wooden block for the cube.

 

After that, I began pulling out one of the plastic geometric shapes at a time and letting a student identify the shape by name.  If they could identify it, they got to hold the shape.  At the end, we were a couple of shapes short, so I decided to let them play the "Dirty Santa" game, but I didn't tell them.  I told the two students in the small group that if they could identify a shape that someone else had, then they could take their shape.  Each student who didn't have a shape had a chance to take someone else's if they could identify the shape.  (There is no winner or loser)  We played this game over and over and they never tired of it.  When I finally put the shapes up, they still wanted to continue playing.  And I was amazed at the end that they could identify by name so many of the shapes.  One of my lowest students identified the rectangular prism!!  I was so excited with the results of this activity and it wasn't even planned.  It was just one of those light bulb moments!

 

*I Have, Who Has? Game: To review our 2nd graders for the MCT I just created this game.  Print it on card stock, laminate and cut the pages in half horizontally.  There are enough cards for a class of 20.  Each student gets a card and turns their card to face the group (which stands in a circle) and when it's their turn, they read their card, say their shape and then read their question at the bottom.  (The cards should be shuffled so the students won't know who's turn will be next)  They will have to be able to identify their shape to know if it's their turn to read and then be able to read their question.  At the end, everyone with a polygon steps to the middle of the circle! :)

 

I Have, Who Has? Game printable

 

*Literacy Connections:

The Greedy Triangle - Marilyn Burns

The Shape of Things - Dayle Ann Dodds

I See Shapes - Marcia Fries

 

*Sites:

Shapes Are Everywhere! emergent reader

http://www.teachersbookbag.com/shapes.html

 

Shapes At School (printable)

http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/class/pdfs/2005F/050902_bp8.pdf

 

Sorting printable (incorporates Spanish)

http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/class/pdfs/2004F/041210_bp7.pdf

 

Preschool Education Music & Songs: Shapes

http://www.preschooleducation.com/sshape.shtml

 

Preschool Education Arts & Crafts: Shapes
http://www.preschooleducation.com/ashape.shtml

 

Shapes ! Lesson Plan

http://www.atozteacherstuff.com/lessons/Shapes.shtml

 

Fun With Shapes!

http://www.atozteacherstuff.com/lessons/shapes_fun.shtml

 

Geometric Shapes (Grades 1 - 2)

http://www.lessonplanspage.com/MathCIGeometricShapesKidPixIdea12.htm

 

Shape Activities
http://childfun.com/themes/shapes.shtml

 

Shapes
http://www.canteach.ca/elementary/songspoems82.html

 

First Shapes
http://www.first-school.ws/theme/shapes.htm


Shapes Printable Memory Game
http://www.bry-backmanor.org/dilite/diact32.html

 

Shapes
http://www.littlegiraffes.com/shapes.html

 

DLTK's Learning Our Shapes

http://www.dltk-kids.com/shapes/index.htm

 

Things That Are Round printable book

http://www.shapebooks.com/sb/1278.pdf

 

Book Ideas for The Shape of Things by Dayle Ann Dodds

http://www.ri.net/schools/Central_Falls/ch/heazak/shape/shapes.html

 

DLTK's Shapes Mobile

http://www.dltk-kids.com/crafts/miscellaneous/mstarmobile.html

 

Book Ideas for The Shape of Things by Dayle Ann Dodds

http://www.ri.net/schools/Central_Falls/ch/heazak/shape/shapes.html

 

I See Shapes

http://www.hubbardscupboard.org/i_see_shapes.html

 

Circle Theme

http://stepbystepcc.com/shapes/circle.html

 

Triangle Theme

http://stepbystepcc.com/shapes/triangle.html

 

Square Theme

http://stepbystepcc.com/shapes/square.html

 

Diamond Theme

http://stepbystepcc.com/shapes/diamond.html

 

Rectangle Theme

http://stepbystepcc.com/shapes/rectangle.html

 

Shapes Theme

http://stepbystepcc.com/shapes/shapes.html

 

Oval Theme

http://stepbystepcc.com/shapes/oval.html

 

Star Theme

http://stepbystepcc.com/shapes/star.html

 

Heart Theme

http://stepbystepcc.com/shapes/heart.html

 

Math Forum: Varnelle's Primary Math

http://mathforum.org/varnelle/kgeo.html

 

Hokey Pokey with Shapes

http://www.lessonplanspage.com/MathMusicHokeyPokeyShapesIdeaPK.htm

 

Shapes!

http://www.lessonplanspage.com/Math5GeometricShapesPK.htm

 

Geometry (two dimensional objects)

http://www.lessonplanspage.com/Math2DObjects.htm

 

premath

http://www.preschoolbystormie.com/premath.htm

 

Shapes Theme

http://www.everythingpreschool.com/themes/shapes/index.htm

 

Geometry Lessons

http://www.geocities.com/smilecdg/geometryles.html

 

Shapes

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/themes/shapes.shtml

 

Shapes

http://www.hummingbirded.com/number_shape.html#shapes

 

A to Z Kids Stuff Shapes

http://www.atozkidsstuff.com/shapes.html

 

Shapes

http://www.icomm.ca/daycare/cardsi13.html

 

Shapes Poems for Preschoolers

http://www.dltk-teach.com/shapes/mpoem.htm

 

Mrs. Jones - Sing Along: What Is This Shape?

http://www.mrsjones.org/songs/shapes2.html

 

Shapes

http://www.perpetualpreschool.com/preschool_themes/shapes/shapes.htm

 

Shapes Preschool Activities, Worksheets, & Flashcards

http://www.first-school.ws/theme/shapes_preschool_printables.htm

 

 

Patterns

 

Seems like we've patterned about everything there is, but I still have students who have trouble with patterning.  These are some of the things that we've done:

 

* pattern using Ellison die-cuts .. you can do this on paper, on calculator or cash register tape, sentence strips, pocketcharts, floor, table, or headbands.  We've used the mini die-cuts and the regular die-cuts.  The mini ones are the ones that we prefer as they take up less room.

 

* Fruit Loops

* stickers

* stamps

* colored mini marshmallows

* plastic Easter eggs

* conversation hearts candy

* M&Ms

* small holiday pictures

* Smarties

* Skittles

* Bingo stampers

* Unifix cubes

* Links

* colored cubes

* calendar pieces

* hand movements

* commercial wooden beads with pattern cards

* bear counters

* all kinds of other manipulatives that we use for counters

* for AB patterns we made beaded and paper candycanes, the flag, Dr. Seuss hat

 

* Provide patterns for students to copy or patterns for them to extend. Glue Ellison die-cuts into patterns on strips of construction paper or sentence strips (cut down to the appropriate size) and laminate. Make sure to leave them room on the strip to extend their pattern or reproduce it (underneath).

 

* Use the larger size die-cuts in the pocketchart for students to pattern, extend a pattern, or reproduce a pattern.

 

* You can also provide the student with a card indicating what kind of pattern they need to make, then have them use the provided materials to form the pattern indicated on the card.

 

* Number patterns - writing numbers to 100 using a 100s chart grid, writing by 2s, 5s, 10s

 

* Pieces of number charts where students had to fill in the missing number - this came from Saxon Math.  It really forces the student to look at the surrounding numbers to figure out the pattern.

 

* I polled some teachers this summer to see if there was a consensus on the order to teach patterning ... there was not.  So this is the sequence that I came up with after looking at the results of the poll:

August

AB

September

 ABB

October

AAB

November

 AABB

December

 AAABBB

January

ABC

February AABBCC

March

AABC

April

AABBC

May

ABCD

 

Susan had this idea on how to keep up with what pattern to use for each month.

 

<<I am rather unorganized, so I was trying to think of a way to know what to do each month.
I had a thought!  I could write the correct pattern for each month on the back of my calendar cards. I have the word Nov.  I put up above the calendar and I could write the pattern on the back.
>>

 

Great idea, Susan, thanks for sharing.  I emailed her back and told her that I couldn't remember the sequence either, so that's one of the great things about having a website.  Post it on your website and you'll always know where it's at and you won't lose it (hopefully)! :)

 

*Number Patterns: Write number patterns on sentence strips leaving out numbers of the pattern. Laminate. Have students complete the patterns by writing in the missing numbers with Vis-a-Via pens, fill in with number cards (also made from sentence strips), or using manipulatives such as plastic number tiles that you can purchase or milk jug tops that you can program by sticking on a round blank sticker (for yard sales) and labeling with a number. If you don't happen to have a supply of milk jug tops, then you can use blank wooden blocks or plastic disks if you have those. (The plastic disks can be purchased at Wal-Mart)

 

* Sites:

Basket Patterns printable

http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/class/pdfs/2006F/061027_bp4.pdf

 

Patterning Activities

http://www.vcsc.k12.in.us/th/interim/PatterningActivities.htm

 

Patterns of Numbers

http://www.aaamath.com/B/kinder.htm#topic3

 

Patterning is Chapter 9
http://maththeirway.com/NEWSLETTER/newsletter.html
 

Patterns Here, There, and Everywhere
http://142.3.219.38/RR/database/RR.09.96/hanlin1.html

 

Math Forum: Varnelle's Primary Math

http://mathforum.org/varnelle/kgeo2.html
 

 

Numbers/Counting

 

* Make large page size numbers on the computer and copy one per student.  Have student could out the correct number of objects to match the number and glue it on the number.  Ex. Number 2 might have 2 hearts glued on it.

 

* Manipulatives:  Math manipulatives can be used for many math activities, but I'm going to stick them here for lack of a better place.  We use them for counting, adding, subtracting, patterning, graphing, more/less, etc.  This is a picture of the math manipulatives that I keep out all the time.  Then we also have the thematic manipulatives that only come out when we're working on that theme.  I like to keep some things "new" so that they'll be novel when we want to use them.

 

 

I'm going to start at the left top of the picture and identify what's in each container.  Buttons, mini carrot erasers (but we're not allowed to call them erasers .. we have to call them counters :)), mini sunglasses erasers, mini fish erasers, mini flower erasers, frog erasers, keys, flower erasers, mini felt numbers, shoe erasers, sunflower erasers, apple erasers, foam numbers, round plastic chips, glass stones, plastic bears/dogs/cats, river rocks, pennies, mini die-cuts for gluing, laminated die-cuts for using in the pocketchart, farm animals, marker tops, plastic fish, colored cubes, plastic frogs.  We also have Unifix cubes on another shelf.  And by the way, some of this stuff does belong with themes, like the farm animals, carrots, shamrocks, etc.

 

* Counting backwards - Use the book 5 Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed.  Counting backwards from 10 is a MS Kindergarten Benchmark objective.  

 

* Counting backwards - Of course the kids also like the old standby of the rocket takeoff .. 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, BLAST OFF!!!  I think they just like to yell! :)

 

* Going to St. Ives
As I was going to St. Ives
I met a man with seven wives.
Every wife had seven sacks,
Every cat had seven kits.
Kits, cats, sacks, and wives,
How many were going to St. Ives?
~Mother Goose

 

Ten Black Dots - Donald Crews
make pictures using 10 black dots

 

Ten Black Dots

http://www.kindernetonline.com/classbooks9.html

 

*Right Number of Elephants
brainstorm other ways you could use one elephant, two elephants, etc.

Use elephant die-cuts for counting, sequencing, patterning, etc.  To use for counting, write a number on each elephant and have students count out the correct number of peanuts to match the elephant.

 

* The Three Little Pigs

 

* The Three Bears

Have manipulatives for students to count .. 3 bowls, 3 spoons, 3 bears, 3 chairs, 3 beds, etc.

 

* Show Me, Tell Me game: Display numbers on cards.  Students take turns indicating a number.  Teacher says "Show me." and student displays the correct number of fingers or manipulatives.  Then the teacher says "Tell me." and the student says the correct number name.

 

* Counting activity: Use half sheet of black construction paper for each number. Add a
yellow Ellison cut out of the moon.  Program the moon with a number.  Laminate.  Also, laminate several sheets of yellow construction paper (or one might be enough).  Cut enough mini die-cut  stars from the yellow paper as needed.  The students count out the stars to match the number on the moon and add them to the mat.

 

* Play Number Detective:  Give students "magic glasses" (glasses with clear or no lens) and a pointer and have them take turns snooping around the room looking for a specified number.  Once they find the number, the pointer and glasses goes to the next student for their turn.  It may help some students to carry a number card around with them to be used as a model.

 

* Number Chants

Make a circle and that is all
Make a circle and that is all
Make a circle and that is all
Writing the number zero.

Come right down and that is all
Come right down and that is all
Come right down and that is all
Writing the number one.

Half way around and slide to the right
Half way around and slide to the right
Half way around and slide to the right
Writing the number two.

Half way around and around again
Half way around and around again
Half way around and around again
Writing the number three.

Down, slide, cut in the half
Down, slide, cut in the half
Down, slide, cut in the half
Writing the number four.

Down and around, give it a hat
Down and around, give it a hat
Down and around, give it a hat
Writing the number five.

Come right down and make a curl
Come right down and make a curl
Come right down and make a curl
Writing the number six.

Slide to the right, come right down
Slide to the right, come right down
Slide to the right, come right down
Writing the number seven.

Make an "S" and go straight home
Make an "S" and go straight home
Make an "S" and go straight home
Writing the number eight.

Make a circle and come right down
Make a circle and come right down
Make a circle and come right down
Writing the number nine.

Make a one and make an "0"
Make a one and make an "0"
Make a one and make an "0"
Writing the number ten.

 

* More Number Chants - These were shared by Wendy.  Thanks for sharing Wendy! :)
 

Number one

Is like a stick,

A straight line down,
That's very quick!

 

For Number two,
Go right and around,
Then make a line
Across the ground.
Go right and around,
What will it be?
 Go around again,
And you'll have a three!

Down and across,
Make a corner square.
Add a straight line
And four is there!

Down and around

And then you stop.
Complete the five
With a line on top!
    

With a curve and a loop,
There are no tricks
In learning to make

A perfect six.

From left to right
Make a line that's straight,
Then slant back down,
Your seven is great!

Curve left then right

The sneaky snake waits
Till the tail slides up,
He's made an eight.
    

A circle first
And then a line.
It's so easy to make
The number nine.

 

* The M&M Counting Book - provide a bag of M&Ms for each student and follow the activities in the book.  For younger students, you might want to have M&M overhead manipulatives (teacher made) to use on the overhead for them to use as a model if needed.  You can make the manipulatives by using a graphics program and making a small circle with "M&M" written inside it.   Try to make your circle as close to the size of a regular M&M as possible, but large enough for your group to easily see.  Then copy and paste that graphic over the whole page and print onto a transparencies.  Color appropriate colors according to the M&M book and cut out.  Make sure you color with permanent markers or the ink will come off on your hands, unlike a real M&M!! :)

 

* Identifying Two Digit Numbers: I use an overhead one hundred chart weekly with my students to work on 2 digit number identification (1st gr benchmark).  I'm only working with 2 students on this, so I made up a game that they love.  I put the chart on the overhead and then they each pick a color for their marker.  I say a number between 10 and 99 and they come up and point to the number with a pointer on the whiteboard (where I have the chart projected). If they point to the correct number, I put a marker of their color on the number.  Who ever has the most markers on the board at the end wins. I have colored overhead discs that we use as markers.  (All this was purchased)  Sometimes if we're running short of time I'll tell them up front that they're only going to get 5 turns before the game will end.  They ask to play every day.  They're doing first grade Saxon Math, and struggling at this point, so we do Saxon Math M/W/F and "Fun Math" on T/Th.  Fun Math are hands-on-activities like this one I've created to reinforce the skills they're struggling with in Saxon.

 

* Counting by 2s, 5s, & 10s:  I use my number chart and "highlighter tape" to help my students see the patterns of counting by 2s, 5s, & 10s.  The highlighter tape is actually cling on bookcovers that I purchased by the box at Office Depot.  You just cut the film to the size you need, then it easily sticks and and can be easily removed without any sticky residue.  Eventually dust and grime will get stuck to the back, so you just throw it away and cut new pieces.  I've been using the same box for years!

 

 

 

* Number Patterns: I also use the same method above to help my students identify missing numbers or ordering numbers smallest to largest (1st grade Saxon Math).  For instance: Put the following numbers in order from smallest to largest [12, 9, 35, 26]  I would put a piece of highlighter tape on all 4 numbers.  Then they could SEE which numbers are closest (smallest) and farther away (largest) from 1.  This has helped somewhat with this very abstract concept.

 

*Place Value: I have my students practice place value using the pocketchart.  I make heading cards for "ones", "tens", and "hundreds."  Then I write numbers on 3x5 cards with ONE digit in a different color marker.  The students sort the number cards into the appropriate column according to the place value for the digit that's a different color.  Ex. 336  This number card would be placed in the "tens" column, because the red 3 is in the tens place.

 

*Beach Ball Place Value: Write numbers on an inflated beach ball in the same way as explained above (one digit in a different color).  Toss the ball to a student and have him/her give the place value for the number that's under their thumb.

 

*Response Boards: One of my students' favorites is to use the mini whiteboards and markers.  (You can make your own boards by buying showerboard and cutting it into 1 foot squares and covering the edges with electrical tape.)  We play Write/Hide/Show.  I tell them to write a specific number, shape, etc., then they "hide it" (don't show to anyone), then "show" when I say, "Show."  They all turn them around and let me see.  I also have a board and am doing the same thing.  So they look at mine and if theirs isn't right they have to correct it.  And I can tell at a glance who knows and who doesn't.  And it's ok if they "cheat" off of someone or something, because I can see that too and they aren't embarrassed if they don't know.

 

* Erase It: I play a game with my kids that's easy and easily adaptable to skills/levels and they love it! I call it Erase It! I write numbers ( or you can use letters, sight words, whatever the skill, or even a mixture of these) scattered around the board. The students take turns coming to the board, pointing to a number they know and identifying it. If they're correct they get to erase it. They love erasing!! If they're incorrect, I tell them and the group the correct answer so everyone will know that number. ( So for the person who's next, if they're paying attention, they've been given the answer! ;) ) They sit down and we move to the next person's turn. They only get to erase if they give the correct answer. They keep answering until all the numbers are erased.

The only thing you have to watch is making sure you write low enough so that they can reach it and putting the numbers far enough apart so that they don't accidentally erase more than one ... because they are sometimes HAPPY erasers! :)

 

* Flashcard Games: use flashcards and turn it into different kinds of games (BANG for instance)  I made up one  that the kids named SMOKE.  I flash the card and they see who can say what's on the card the fastest.  The person who says it first gets it put in their pile.  The winner "smoked" the others.  :)
 
* Boardgames: make a path boardgame and then have them identify the number on the card to move around the path
 
* Overhead: I have a hundreds chart for the overhead.  Have each student choose a color from a bag of translucent chips.  I say a number and the student points to the number on the board or whatever you have the chart illuminated on.  If they identify the correct number, I cover the number with a colored translucent chip that they've chosen on the overhead chart.  If they're incorrect, I tell them the number.  Playing with one student I'd have a certain color chip as well and I'd cover the number with my chip.  But playing as a group, you'd just tell the number and move on to another player.  The person with 10 chips on the board first wins (or whatever number you choose). 
 
* Number Memory:  Play a form of memory game but they must identify the number to make the match.
 
* Fishin' Rodeo:  Use a fishing pole and fish labeled with numbers.  Have a fishing rodeo.  The person can only keep the fish if they can identify the number, otherwise they have to throw it back.  The person with the most fish wins. (of course the pole will have a magnet on it and the fish have paperclips on their mouths for "hooks")

* Sequencing numbers: label things like milk tops or anything that can be manipulated (cards, etc) and have them sequence them and them have them count them back to you.  Then have them write the numbers on a page with a grid with a block for each number (10 across).  Show them the number patterns and really focus on how so much of math is a pattern.

 

 

* Sites:

Numbers and Counting

http://www.aaamath.com/B/kinder.htm#topic3

 

Counting and Numbers is Chapters 5 & 6

http://maththeirway.com/NEWSLETTER/newsletter.html

 

The Counting Story

http://www.magickeys.com/books/count/index.html

 

 

Odd & Even

Odd & Even Song

(tune: BINGO)

 

There was a farmer who had a pig,

And Even was his name-o.

0, 2, 4, 6, 8; 0, 2, 4, 6, 8; 0, 2, 4, 6, 8;

And Even was his name-o.

 

There was a farmer who had a cow,

And Odd was her name-o.

1, 3, 5, 7, 9; 1, 3, 5, 7, 9; 1, 3, 5, 7, 9;

and Odd was her name-o.

~ Author Unknown

 

I made this song into an overhead transparency to use with my 2nd grade math class.  The printable for the transparency is below:

 

Odd & Even Song printable

 

*Odd/Even Grid: One of the activities that we do in Saxon Math is have the students color either the even or odd numbers in a number grid 1 - 20.  Numbers 1 - 10 on the top line, and numbers 11 - 20 on the bottom line.  One time they'll color in the even number boxes with a yellow crayon.  Then the next time they'll color in the odd number boxes. (Two separate grids)  This helps them to see the odd/even number patterns.