Engaging Manipulatives

Hello there! Today I am here from K's Classroom Kreations to share some quick and simple math ideas.
One of my favorite ways to inspire and engage my young students (first grade) is through the use of themed manipulatives. I like to gather seasonal items from craft stores, party supply stores, and dollar stores. I store everything in one box- easy to keep track of and swap out.

Sometimes the objects are seasonal like these bats, eyeballs, acorns, pumpkin beads/pie plates, and jingle bells. I pull them out as the season approaches.

Sometimes I like to use more generic objects as game pieces (cars, dinosaur toys, bugs, mini erasers).

 

These counters came from a teaching supply store and come in all different themes (ocean, transportation, pets, farm animals, etc.).

I am sure if you search your house or classroom you can find tons of small objects to reuse. We use them as counters when solving word problems, game pieces for themed games, and manipulatives for center time.
One simple math game for decomposing numbers is Bellies Up/Bellies Down where students drop a handful of bug toys (you can give them a number to start with) and then count how many are facing up and down. This helps with finding combinations of a certain number. A variety of counter types could be used. The game can also be played with two different colored items (like buttons or pom-poms). Students can count how many of each color are in a handful or scoop of objects.

Do you have any manipulatives that your students love using? I'd love to hear from you and hope you  can inspire your young students as well!

A Quest for Apps

Hi, this is Brandi from The Research Based Classroom. One thing I didn't think much about when I decided to move from first to fifth was resetting up my iPads. So I started on a quest to find some great apps for fifth grade. It was a little harder than I thought it would be. First off, when looking for apps for first grade I found a great blog called Best Math Apps and Websites for PreK, Kindergarten, First Grade and Second Grade. I found some great things for first grade there. You can see a blogpost I wrote about some of my favorite math apps I found on the site here. I really thought I would find something like that for fifth grade... but no such luck. However, I did find some really great free apps that I want to share with you.

Did you know that the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) makes apps? Free apps!

1. Pick-a-Path: Uses powers of ten, negative numbers, fractions, decimals and more. 7 different levels each with 7 different puzzles.
2. Equivalent Fractions: Create equivalent fractions and match them to their location on a number line.
3. Math Concentration: Play alone or with a partner to match whole numbers, shapes, fractions or multiplication facts to equivalent representations.
4. Deep Sea Duel: Play alone or with a partner to collect numbers that will reach a specified sum. This game not only has 10 levels, but it gets harder as you become more successful. It also has a negative rational number option.

The Math Learning Center has some great electronic manipulatives too. Also all for free.

1. Number Rack: This app is probably more for younger grades, but I'm leaving it on the iPad. You never know. It is a virtual Rekenrek, which is my favorite math tool in first grade.
2. Geoboard: Think perimeter, area, fractions, angles & more!
3. Number Pieces Basic and Number Pieces: These two apps use base ten pieces. Students can also record and label their thinking and work on the app. Number Pieces is the more advanced version and it has additional features for representing larger numbers, and for multiplication, and division.
4. Number Line: Visualize number sequences and model strategies for addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.
5. Number Frames: At first I thought this was more for lower grades. But custom frames can be made to help visualize factors, products, fractional parts & more.
6. Pattern Shapes: Explore fractions and geometry in a multitude of ways.

Pattern Shapes

Number Line

Number Pieces

Number Pieces

My quest isn't over yet, I'm still looking for some great apps. I'd love to hear about your favorite apps!

Building Mathematical Flexibility with the Math Rack

Hi, this is Brandi, from The Research Based Classroom. Do you teach kindergarten or first grade? Are you constantly trying to build mathematical flexibility? Whether you call it a Rekenrek or a Math Rack, you have to try this tool.

A rekenrek (wreck in wreck) is a Dutch math tool that uses two sets of ten beads. Each set of ten is made from five red and five white beads. Just the format alone helps students to start thinking about groups of five and ten. The large rack shown above comes with a removable cover so you can "hide" beads behind it.

I started with this tool by just letting the students explore and talk about the characteristics of the tool itself. Then using only one bar of the math rack I ask students to tell me how many beads they see. Learning to subitize the five and ten is a huge skill for five and six year olds and it takes some time before I start telling addition and subtraction stories. Putting the math into context through story problems helps young mathematicians make sense of the operation you are asking them to do. Later in the year as my students become proficient within ten, I move toward using both rows of beads to work with numbers up to 20.

What I found to be really great with this tool is the number of addition and subtraction strategies that my students discovered themselves and then taught to each other. The math talk is so important for this. They were counting up, counting on, doubling, halving, making ten, using doubles plus one and so on. Every strategy I used to teach was discovered by the students themselves and then taught to each other. As they became more flexible with their numbers, the discussions became more precise and I gradually increased the difficulty. At the beginning of the year I used this tool every single day for 5 to 10 minutes. Now that we are at the end of the year I'm still using it every single week.  Give it a try and you'll love it. My only disappointment is that I didn't find this tool years ago.

My young mathematicians also use student size math racks for working with partners or individually.

And they use the free app version.

My full size Math Rack at Math Learning Center is available here. They also have a free guide to using the Rekenrek here. And you can get the free app for the iPad or the web app for browsers here. The small student size rack is available here.  And a great definition of subitizing  can be found here.