Scoot! Renaming Numbers

Have you ever played Scoot? It's very easy to play, and I've created a version for you to use to review or preview place value relationships below.

If you've never heard of Scoot, here's how you play:

1. Give each child a recording sheet. They will keep their sheet and pencil with them during the game.
2. Place a task card face down at each person's seat. 
3. When you say "Go." students turn over the card at their seat and write the answer on the appropriate square of their recording sheet.
4. When you say "Scoot!" students move to the next seat (cards stay--kids move) and do the next problem.
5. At the end of the game, review answers.

Here's a copy of the game I made:

Click here for a copy.

My kids really enjoyed playing this game today and it seemed to help them understand renaming numbers a little more than they did before. That should really help next week when we do numerical representations and larger numbers. I hope you enjoy it!

~Farrah

Writing at Home

Do you have your children write at home?  Writing is something you can easily add into your nightly routines to help students practice and build their writing skills.

I recently created 20 different fall-themed writing pages.  You could print out individual pages based on the activities you do during the week and on the weekend.  Going to the apple orchard?  Come home and print the apple paper and have your child write about what they did.  Spending the day raking leaves?  Have your child write an imaginative story about what they could build with their pile of leaves.

Click the picture above to come on over and download the file for FREE!  I'd love to hear how you decide to use the pages with your child at home!

Race to 100!

Hi, there! It's Farrah, from ThinkShareTeach with a quick and easy game that's a great review for place value. All you need is a die and a set of base ten blocks. If you don't have access to base ten blocks, you could go digital and use these from the National Library of Virtual Manipulatives. Players simply take turns rolling the die and collecting the number of cubes indicated on it. As soon as the player is able, he should exchange the ten cubes for a long. If another player catches someone with more than ten cubes, he/she must put them all back and start over. The first person to trade 10 longs in for a flat is the winner! Here's a printable set of instructions you might like:

Click HERE for the file.

For a variation, try racing to 1000. Instructions are included in the document. Only have one player? Race against the clock! How quickly can you make it to 100? Can you beat your best time?

Practicing Punctuation through Poetry

I love to write poetry, chants, raps and plays. Children love them too. How often do your children come home from school saying the words to a poem or song? Usually they can't get it out of their head and pretty soon your saying or singing it to. I know my grandson does it all the time! So I decided to write some poems

and chants for Back to School. This is a Rap called, "Where's the Teacher?" which includes an activity to help your child practice punctuation which is a English Language Arts Common Core Standards for 1st and 2nd Grade. This particular poem has both questions and answers and when practicing it also has children use lots of expression. First have your child learn the poem and practice reading it with accuracy and fluency, (Common Core Reading standards RL.1.10 and RF.2.4)

Talk about the different kinds of sentences in the chant: statements and questions. (Although Uh oh! has an exclamation mark it is not the focus of this activity) Then use the activity below to practice using the question mark and period by having your child write the missing punctuation marks. To download your copy just click on either poem.

You can find more about these poems and chants by clicking on the picture below.

Thanks for all you do to make a difference for your children.Hope you will come over and check out my blog for other free poems.

Standards for Mathematical Practice 101

There is a world of information about the Common Core Standards!  It can be very complicated if you try to take it in all at once.  I've been teaching for 35 years, and it's definitely not easy to understand.

There are basically 2 parts:  The ELAs, or the English Language Arts, and the Mathematics.

Let's talk about the Math.  There are 2 parts to the math.  One part, the Standards for Mathematical Content, is different for every grade level.  The other part, the Standards for Mathematical Practice, refer to math practices that are essential for all grade levels.

You can read more about the Standards for Mathematical Practice on my blog, Elementary Matters.  I've explained the 8 Math Practice Standards, trying to put it in somewhat easier language.  I hope I've been able to do that!

A-Z to get ready for Kindergarten

Hello! This is Michelle from Apples and ABC's~

I can't imagine what it is like having only a couple of weeks left with your precious little one before they become a BIG Kindergartner! :)  I can relate, because I do teach Kinder.  If I were a parent (which I am not yet...) I would want to know how I could make my child's transition into school as easy as possible.  There is so much your child will learn this first year of school, beyond the academic curriculum.  It is such a year of growth that is priceless to watch as their teacher.

 A simple way you can prepare your child for Kindergarten is by having them become familiar with the letters.  Some of you may be thinking, HELLO!  I know this!  But believe it or not, several students come into Kindergarten not knowing the difference between numbers and letters, and they will graduate knowing the basics of reading.  I made a free set of "Apple Alphabet Cards" that you can print and practice learning the letters with your student.  Click on the picture to pick up a free set of the upper and lower case letters at my TpT store.

Here are some things that you can do with the letters:

-Match the letters by upper and lower case

-Place the letters in ABC order

-Find all of the letters in their name

-You can set a couple of them on the table and ask your child to find the ___.

-Use them as flash cards

This corresponds with the Common Core Standard:

RF.K.1: Recognize and name all upper- and lower case letters

I hope this is something that you can use at home with your child (or if you are a teacher, in the classroom!)

Michelle