Kindergarten Number Corner: Days in School

Tomorrow will be our 10th day of Number Corner! The kids love it and teachers are doing such an amazing job working though all the kinks. In Kindergarten, the days in school workout will continue in to October and can be pretty tricky. Let's dig into Dots, Links & Numbers and make sure everything is correctly in place for all the changes that will happen on Day 11.

Dots

Preparation

The first thing you need is ten copies of the Days in School Activities 1 - 2 Teacher Master. You can find this in your Number Corner Binder, September, behind the Teacher Masters tab.

There are a lot of different ten frames you could use from the kit, but use these because they are smaller. You are going to collect dots all the way up to 100, so big ones will take up a ton of room in your display. You also don't want to use the student ten frame mats because they are going to need those for some of the games coming up.

Next, cut them out according to the guide lines, so they look like this:

You should currently be using 1 of these and have 9 dots (5 red on top and 4 blue on bottom). If you do not have dot stickers, please let Amanda or your AP know and we will get you soon. They are so much easier and neater than drawing the dots or taping each day!

Tomorrow, on Day 10, you will put your final blue dot. 

On Wednesday, Day 11 you will move this over to another part of your board and start fresh on a new ten frame. 

Routine

Make sure to read the routine for each day in your Number Corner binder. Each day, you have a student point at the dots while the class counts. Ask the students how many there will be after today's dot is added. Add the new dot and count again to confirm the total. 

Links

Preparation

All you need is a push pen to hang the links on. Today, you should have 5 red links and 4 blue links. Tomorrow you will add your last blue link. The picture below, shows the colors reversed, but same idea.

Routine

Each day you follow the same procedure for the links as the dots. Once you have a chain of ten, you will put a second push pin right next to the first and start a  new chain - using the same colors as the first. 

Classroom Number Line

Preparation

Using 2 different color sentence strips, prepare 18 number line (9 in each color). Measure and mark the strips, as shown below.

Tomorrow you will label the last dot on the first strip as 10 and mark it with a special, color, sticker, or shape. On Wednesday, you will add the second strip in the other color and begin working your way to 20. Here is what it will look like after day 20, you are just repeating the same process!

Routine

Each day point and read the numbers on your number line, and then work with input from the class to record the next number.

Please make any updates to your Number Corner board so you will be on track for Day 10 and beyond. Here is a visual from the Teacher's Edition that clearly shows what your board will look like after Wednesday!

Norman the Number Rack!

1st and 2nd grade have been doing a ton of work with the number rack during Unit 1 and Kindergartners will get to join the fun in Unit 2. The number rack has been incredible in helping students visualize and decompose numbers, subitize, develop strategies for adding and subtracting, compare numbers, and so much more!

Some teachers have made the number rack even more fun and exciting in the classroom...meet Norman!

This is a great anchor chart from Ms. A at KALE to remind students where to start and what the different sides of the number rack mean. She also has an awesome system and organization for distributing their number racks during carpet time. 

Such fun ideas to make math even more exciting!

Organizing Work Places

It has been so amazing to see how excited students are to play new work places! Battling Bugs has been quite the 2nd grade hit this week. Work places are really fun and engaging for students, but require a lot of organization on the teacher side.

It is recommended that you keep your work places in the tray sorter that was provided.

You can choose to store the work places in tubs, but that requires a lot more counter space and some of the game boards store better if they can stay flat. As we are moving away from manipulative exploration, towards the math games - most should fit nicely in the tray sorter. 

Putting the work place recording sheets in page protectors will save a ton of copies and make them more fun for students to play and record! Store all the materials they need in the tray, so students can just grab and play!

Choosing Work Places

It is so exciting to see students learning and playing so many new workplaces. They are really enjoying them, and getting so much hands on practice with challenging skills!

There has been a lot of talk among teams about students choosing their own work place. Bridges suggests letting students choose and using a workplace folder to track where they have been. This can be challenging for a few reasons, including: having another folder to manage, students keep track of where they have been so it could be hard for the teacher to quickly see if they are continuously choosing the same work place, and they would need to be reprinted and updated for each unit. 

KACD's 2nd grade teachers came up with a great system that will hopefully spur more ideas!

Students check the box when they choose which work place to visit. The workplace icons are attached at the top using velcr so it is easy to switch them when work places change. The teachers have already printed all the work place for the year and cut, laminated, and attached velcro so they will be really easy to change in and out. The chart is laminated, so when you change a workplace you erase all the x's so students know they have not yet visited that workplace. 

If assigning work places, you could also use a similar chart and just write days of the week in the boxes. So many possibilities!

If you come up with a great system, please snap a picture and share!

Number Racks!

Today was an exciting day in 1st grade because not only did students get introduced to the number rack, but they also got to make their own! 2nd grade also got to do this earlier in the week.

Students were so interested in the number rack and could not wait to show their combinations on the large teacher model. It is incredible how much the number rack helps students how numbers can be broken down in many ways.

Tip: Don't worry about your students getting the number rack that they made each time you work with them in class. They are just a class tool that everyone contributed to building, so it doesn't matter if they are using their own or not! Many teachers chose to not even have student's write their names on them - this will really help with efficiently distributing them for lessons (especially since they are frequently used for quick warm ups!)

You have a large display Number Rack that came in your kit, but the Math Learning Center also has an app you can download. 

Here is a great video about how to use Number Racks with students. 

Finally, here is a link to more great activities you can try!

1st Grade Popsicles

All week 1st graders have been doing different activities through the context of Popsicles. The goal of this very first module is to expose students to different mathematical concepts, allow the teacher to informally assess what background information students are coming in with, and practice many different routines and procedures they will use throughout the year. The primary math in this unit is counting by 2's and working with students to develop more fluency with skip counting.

It is completely fine that students need more practice counting, using white boards, and reading graphs. The beauty of Bridges is that everything will spiral back in later units. Here are some awesome popsicle charts, graphs, and student problem solving work.

Preparing to Teach Lessons

This week, teachers have been doing the most amazing job of internalizing and preparing to teach Bridges lessons. It has been so incredible to watch everyone take their own spin and let their teacher personality shine through. A common trend in this feeling (and showing) of preparedness is well annotated lesson plans that you can review right before you teach and even glance at during the lesson.

Here is an example from a 1st grade teacher at KALE, Mr. H and a 1st grade teacher at KACD, Ms. A.

Great preparation work!!

CGI Charts

Is it Day 2 and there are already so many amazing things happening during CGI. Students are showing so much tenacity with their approach to problem solving - even if that means drawing and counting lots of circles!

During the discourse, the teacher records student strategies on chart paper so students can reference the strategies shared when they do other problems of the same type. It is very intentional that the chart is not created on a smart board or white board. We want students to be able to see the strategies and use them.

Most of our teachers have at least 2 classes per day and the organization of this can feel pretty overwhelming. Mr. F at KALE came up with an amazing display to keep his charts organized for students. He has room for a weeks worth of charts from both of his classes and clips to easily put the most current problem on the top of the stack. Thanks for sharing your great system!

1st Day of School!

Today was such an exciting day! It was so great to have classrooms full of kids again. There are so many great things to share from today. Last year, we got Mathlete shirts for our teachers who helped with Curriculum selection. It seems the idea of being a Math team has caught on :)

Example 1 from KALE:

Example 2 from KACE:

4th Grade Teacher: "What is someone called who does Math?"

Kippster: "A Mathlete?"

Happy Monday!

Bridges Implementation: Four Tips

We are so excited to begin using Bridges as our primary resource for teaching math next year! There will definitely be some bumps along the way, but we know it is going to be great for our kids. I frequently read the Bridges Implementation blog and want to share some tips that were posted by a teacher implementing Bridges for the first year.

Tip #1: Routines for Talking & Sharing
Think, pair, shares are a major part of the Bridges math lesson. Make sure you set up strong routines for sharing with partners and sharing with a whole class. When time to share as a class, think strategically about who you want to share: random by Popsicle stick? student who you listened in on during the pair portion?

Tip #2: Select which problems you will work through
Time is going to be tight. We are taking lessons that were intended to be taught in a whole group model and putting them into a rotational model. We will have to keep lessons moving, and may not have time to do all the examples every day. When reading the lessons, think about which problems are most important to the days work. Be strategic with your time!

Tip #3: Use your small group time well!

There will be recommendations in unit plans for what to do during small groups, but it is up to you as the teacher to know your kids and what they need. Make the most of your small group time, and differentiate for each group.

Tip #4: Know the objective for the day

Bridges does an amazing job of constantly introducing and spiraling related concepts in a days lessons, but know exactly what your kids need to know on a given day, from a given lesson. Having a clear vision of the goal for the day will help you cut back the lesson and fit in the allotted time and keep your lesson focused. 

Awesome Resource: Word Problem Generator

Last week in Boston, I was able to hear Greg Tang speak and it was incredible! I could have listened to him talk about strong math instruction all day. Besides being a great speaker and mathematical thinker, Greg Tang also write children's books about math. If you have not checked them out, I highly recommend them. A few of my favorites...

During his talk, he shared a new free resource on his website. 

With this tool, you can select an operation, problem time, location of the unknown, and the number range. You can either print a list of problems or you can display to project and work on together as a class. Students can also use this independently. There is a hint button that will give them a model to help solve. It is a really awesome tool!

Guess My Number

Last week, I was in Boston at the NCTM conference and learned lots of great things that I am excited to share. 1 great session was hosted by Math Solutions (Marilyn Burns) company and focused on using the ten frame to play games and build numeracy. This game is really simple, does not require a lot of prep, and has lots of built in differentiation opportunities.

Game 1: Guess My Number with the Ten Frame

Materials Needed: Ten Frame, two colored chips

In this activity, you will give students a series of clues and they will build a guess of your number on their frame. After each clue, students should have the chance to talk through their predictions and why it is a good guess. Really focus on the discussion and why their predictions are changing.

Here is an example string of clues:
1) My number is more than 6
2) My number is less than 9
3) My number is even

You can mix the clues up to review any content that your students are struggling with (doubles facts, multiples, 1 more/ 1 less, so many possibilities!) Make sure your last clue gives them enough information to figure out the number.

Geometry Password

There are a lot of math topics in elementary school that require constant spiraling for students to retain the information. Shapes are on of those skills that just need to be part of a routine and frequently referenced for students to learn and remember the information. Mrs. R at KACE came up with a great routine to help her 2nd graders practice naming shapes. 

Each time they line up to enter the room, they must name a 2D and 3D shape to enter, both fun and useful review :) 

Behavior Routines to Practice Challenging Concepts

In the classroom, there are so many issues that come up that teachers create special incentive systems to help motivate better choices.  Having a routine that students practice daily really helps them to focus on specific behaviors and can be used to build their skills on more challenging math topics. In 2nd grade, some students were having trouble during computer time. They were not treating the computers well, purposely causing them to malfunction, and not focusing on iStation or ST Math.

To help with this, Ms. M decided to give students points each day that they showed integrity with the computers. Rather than giving them a tally mark or coloring in a box each day, she used it as a teachable moment with fractions. See below for how class points are tracked and all the rich math conversations and practice that can be incorporated in this behavior routine. Also, notice that the reward is also academic rather than a treat or non academic time :) Great ideas, Ms. M!

Focus on Fluency: Red Light/ Green Light: Couting by Ones

Counting practice daily is really important because it helps students build and maintain counting skills, as well as serves as a foundation for adding and subtracting within 100.

Here is a quick and easy game that will both practice counting and help kids get their wiggles out.

1) Say a number between 1 and 100.
2) When you say "green light" students begin running in place and counting aloud together, beginning with the number you said.
3) When you say "red light" students stop counting and freeze.  Any students who are still counting or moving after you say "red light" sit down until the next game.
4) Continue playing starting with a new number each time you say "green light".
5) Play until only a few students are left standing, then have everyone stand and play again.

A suggested sequence of start numbers: 15, 28, 35, 48, 55, 68

Focus on Fluency: Shake Those Disks

Here is another fun activity from Eureka math that can be used to build fact fluency. This one takes a bit of prep work and probably about 5 - 10 minutes to play.

Students will play in partners, for each pair you need:
(6) two color disks, beans, or coins (you can make them by spray painting one side of beans)

(1) Shake Those Disks 6 board

Instructions:

1) Once students are in partners, tell them they will take turns as the "shaker" and "recorder".

2) The shaker shakes the beans and tosses them on the table.

3) The recorder then records the roll on the Shakes Those Disks board.

Example: If the shaker tolls 4 red and 2  white, the recorder puts an X on the graph above the 4 and 2 number bond.

4) Players switch roles.

You can play this with any amount of beans, depending on which facts you want to focus on. The goal is for students to build automaticity with facts within 10. 

Have fun!

Cognitively Guided Instruction: Introduction

One of the most helpful resources in learning more about CGI is the book Children's Mathematics: Cognitively Guided Instruction. They recently came out with a new edition and it is full of incredible resources. As I really spend time on each chapter, I will share with you key takeaways, as I know teachers don't always have the time to read through entire books about teaching strategies :)

Introduction: The book starts by explaining the ideas behind CGI and the goals of teaching math in this way. It does not promise to provide a model for the perfect CGI classroom, because each one is unique. Rather, the goal of the book is to give teachers the chance to collaboratively and independently make sense of the principles in relation to their own classes and teaching styles. In elementary school we are learning about whole numbers which should provide a foundation for learning about fractions and decimals, and lead to a seamless transition to learning algebra. 

The introduction really just set the stage for how to approach the reading and principles that will be presented, stay tuned for chapter 1 that focuses on children thinking and problem types...

CGI Charts & Number Lines

Yesterday, I spent the morning at KAO and was amazed by the awesome job they are doing with CGI story problems. Kindergarten can be especially challenging, because everything is new to them but kindergartners were digging in with so many different strategies and couldn't wait to tell you all about them.

In our PD last week we talked a lot about how to get kids to try out other strategies and one idea Ms.R came up with was providing students with a number line. We didn't want to print the number line on the paper because that would choose their strategy for them, so they decided to put number lines on the table alongside the cubes that students can write on and tape to their papers.

So many students were doing great work with the number line and many were drawing their own rather than using the print out. It has really increased the use of different strategies in their room!

Here are the charts from the 2 classes that show all the amazing strategies that these Kindergartners are coming up with:

Also, notice the great idea around taping another chart paper over the first, so you do not have to re write the problem for both classes. Nice time saving trick for teachers who have 2 classes per day :)

So excited to see how these students continue to grow as mathematicians!

Focus on Fluency: Happy Counting

I have been reviewing Eureka Math to see if it would be a good resource for our teachers to use next year. One strength that the program has is fluency routines. Each day there are awesome routines that teachers can use to build fluency in counting and operations. Here is 1 of them:

Happy Counting

Explanation of Signals:

Count up                                          

Count down                                              

Stop

1) Tell students what you want them to count by and what number to start on (example: by ones starting at zero)
2) Point up as students count, signal to stop, and switch directions. Continue, mixing up.
3) Students play for 30 seconds with a partner.


This could also be a fun brain break for students to get up, move around, and play with friends. Try it out and let me know what you think!

Cognitively Guided Instruction Book Study

Since winter break, many more teachers have begun working on a CGI problem solving block. It is so exciting to see the work that our students are doing, all the strategies that they are showing, and the conversations that they are having about Math. With all these new trials, there have been many questions come up that have pushed my own knowledge of CGI.

I got the newest CGI book a couple months ago and reading it has been on my list for quite some time. I know that there are some amazing things in it and I cannot wait to learn more about CGI and continue to work with our teachers. I am going to read each chapter and create a post with a summary of that chapter, key takeaways, and some questions to think about. I think it will be really helpful to have a reference for what is in the book and where to find information about certain topics. I will begin reading and posting tomorrow and go chapter by chapter through the book.

Please feel free to order the book and read along with me :)

Unit Planning Template

Welcome back! I hope you all had a restful winter break. It has been so great to see teachers and students back and working hard this week.

On Monday, the math planners met and worked on Quarter 3 planning. We focused on planning at the unit level to ensure we are starting at the most basic level of the standard and working our way up the highest rigor point.

To help us, we used this unit planing template. It allows us to see the mastery items for each day lined up and check the progression. Are we getting at every part of the standard? Is the order logical? Can we accomplish this in one day?

Here is an annotated version of the template with instructions. Teachers are doing such a great job using this to plan and I am excited to see the results for our first unit test!