Math
Over the course of the month of November, students continued to practice a multitude of math strands and concepts. Skills included adding and subtracting, developing fluency in single digits. They continued to learn the place values through the thousands place and enjoyed the fun game of “Roll to 100” as a group. Students took turns rolling a single die and we added on by pulling down the current number and then used fingers to add up numbers 1-6 to that number. The students continued to work at their own pace to add and subtract numbers using their choice of manipulatives, fingers, unifix cubes, base ten blocks, ten-frames, abacuses, number lines, and number grids. Most have moved from using the concrete objects to add and subtract numbers, to using number lines and number grids. Some have moved into mental math strategies. Most understand addition as “Some and some more” and subtraction as “Some and some went away”. They are working on adding and subtracting from a given number by jumping up and down on a number line, and have just begun starting to adding 10 and subtracting 10 by moving up and down on a number grid.
The first graders have also been practicing skip counting aloud, adding 2s, 5s and 10s from a varied starting point. On one of their field trip days, when they returned, they watched “Multiplication Rock” from “Schoolhouse Rock” numbers 1-5, where they saw and heard the skip counting in song.
Most students continue to practice identifying, and recognizing double digit numbers. They enjoyed playing “Monster Squeeze” where one student chooses a number between 1-100 on the Math Cabin number line. The rest of the students then guess their number as 2 students use monster pointers to squeeze in on the chosen number as the originator determines if the guess is greater than or less than their number. This game helps all students identify double digit numbers and compare numbers.
Students also are starting their “Writing Scrolls” where they practice writing their numbers in the correct direction, in order, as high as they can go. They love this activity and many have written up to 100. These scrolls will be continued to be added onto as they advance through the grades and some of the older children have written into the thousands.
First graders enjoy playing card and dice games. They continue to develop their number comparison skills as they play “Top It”. They like playing single cards, comparing the 2 cards flipped, and awarding the high card. Many have moved on to double cards, adding their two flipped cards then comparing them.
Students in first grade have also been working with money (coins). They have been learning the different attributes of the coins and how to recognize each coin. They are working on remembering the coin values and counting pennies as 1s, nickels as 5s, dimes as 10s and quarters as 25s. They are learning how to write values as cents and in dollar notation. Finally they have been working on exchanging pennies for nickels, dimes and quarters, and writing a value using pennies, nickels and dimes. They enjoyed playing “Roll and Count the Coins” where students roll dice and add that number of pennies, then exchange them for the least amount of coins.
First graders have also been practicing their geometry skills. After I read The Greedy Triangle, where a triangle keeps adding on their sides to become a new shape, students practiced recognizing, describing and drawing a variety of shapes. They drew triangles, quadrangles, pentagons, and hexagons. They, of course, became very creative in their interpretations of the figures.
I had the pleasure of preparing for our “Stone Soup” feast with the 1st graders for 2 days. On the first day, we talked about quantities of measurement, cups, tea and tablespoons, as we collaborated on creating zucchini muffins. We focused on fractions today as students cut potatoes in ½, 14 then 1/8th for the stone soup recipe.
I hope you all enjoy your weekend with the kids and have them help in the kitchen, and practice math!
-Jenni
PS-
Linked below are the “Fact Families” cards I recommend to further help in the automaticity of math facts. They would make a great gift….
