Five For Friday

I missed last Friday because I was so sick, but I'm feeling better, so time to link up for 5 for Friday from Doodle Bugs Teaching!

Five random things from this week:

 

 

This week has been absolutely crazy busy!  We started the weekend with a little baseball. Tyler was playing catcher here:

 

Then we did a little shopping at Build a Bear Workshop.

 

 

 

Which was a little safer than the shopping we did at the pet store - ( I really need to learn to say the word no).  As I had mentioned previously - Cody had a snake that escaped his cage, and after tearing apart and putting back together the house several times, we have not been able to find him, so we got him a replacement. This one is a little bigger, and hopefully not able to sneak out of the cage.

 

 

But... we also got new pets for Tyler and Luke while we were there.  Can I use the excuse that I was medicated (I've been taking medicine for bronchitis)?

 

 

This week at school we were lucky enough to have a mom of one of the students come in and teach us origami.  The kids LOVED it!  She will be coming once a month and we can't wait to learn more!

 

 

And last but not least, this week we have awards assemblies at our school and Luke was honored with the Citizenship award for his class.

A good citizen deserves a bearded dragon right?

 

Thanks to Jen at Hello Literacy for making these fun number buttons! You can grab your set of numbers here!

 



October Currently

Wow!  October already!  And... I am super late for the party, but I can't miss Farley's fabulous Currently!  So here it is..

 

Our district has set aside monthly collaboration time for teachers at different schools to get together to share ideas for teaching our common units.  Each month a different teacher from each grade goes and brings back what they learn.  This month is my month, so I will be going today.  I always hate having a sub because it is more work.  I also have a challenging class, so I usually come back to bad notes :(  But.. on the bright side, I am excited to work with teachers that I don't normally see on a day to day basis.

I have been sick for most of September and I am just over it!  I am on day 8 of the antibiotics and just starting to feel a slight improvement.  I just want the sickies to go away!

As my treat for you I have a problem solving freebie for you to download over at TpT!

 

 

 

  You can download it here

 

And... don't forget to enter to win the World's Quietest pencil sharpener (now in pink) - in the color of your choice here.

Win The Quietest Pencil Sharpener (In PINK - or your choice of colors)!

Even though I live in a house full of boys, anything in pink is cool according to my kiddos.  As one of them says, "Pink is the new black!"  Tyler even custom ordered pink men's Reebok for back to school.

So, when my boys were looking over my shoulder as I checked my email from Troy, at Classroom Friendly Supplies announcing their new PINK quietest sharpener they were excited to say the least.  "Mom you can get it pink!"  They know that I love my sharpener that is in my classroom, and now they want one of the pink ones for at home.

 

You can also get a pink sharpener for your home or classroom here - and the best part? Part of the proceeds of every sale will be donated to cancer research and awareness.  This is very dear to my family's hearts because we lost both of my in-laws to cancer.

 

And even better, you have the chance to win one of these amazing sharpeners! You can pick pink or any of the other colors they offer (green, red, blue, or black).  Just enter using the Rafflecoptor below:

 

(To sweeten the deal - you will also win an item of your choice from my TpT store as well!)

 

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Problem Solving Math Journals

At the beginning of the year, we talked about why we wanted to be better mathematicians.  The final conclusion of our discussion was that we needed to be able to solve problems.  To help us become better problem solvers, we solve LOTS of problems!  We use our math journals four times daily, and weekly solve a problem as a whole group.  Here is a glimpse at some of our problem solving:

At the beginning of each unit, I print out several problems from my math journals (available here on TpT) that fit with that unit.  I then put them into folders and gave a folder to each student.

 

The students then work on solving them as part of their independent work.  Occasionally we will go over them whole group if they are having problems or if I see interesting approaches to problem-solving that I want to share.

This week we worked on the following problem because we are working on rounding and estimating:

 

We read the problem out loud and then worked together to solve it.

 

Yes, they are wearing pajamas - it was spirit week at our school for our high school Homecoming celebration.  Our town is small and has only one high school, so the whole community really gets behind it which is fun!  Most of the businesses in town are decorated in honor of it:

 

(And now back to our regularly scheduled programming about problem solving! LOL!)

Here are a few samples of answers from my kiddos:

 

In our state, 4th graders start answering constructed response questions on the state tests for math, so I want them to be prepared!

 

 

 

 



Karate Math Facts Practice: A Fun and Effective Learning Method

Do your students struggle with math facts? Discover how my karate math program - Kicking It Math can be the key to mastering math facts effortlessly!

Ever since my days of teaching 7th grade, I have wanted to help my students develop their math facts fluency.  So many of my students did not know their basic math facts, which made learning more advanced math concepts challenging!

That's why I turned to the powerful technique of karate to create an engaging and effective method of mastering math facts. Read on to discover how karate math facts can transform your students' learning experience."

This post contains affiliate links. I earn a small commission each time someone makes a purchase using one of my links, which helps to support the blog.  All opinions are my own and I only promote brands and products that I have used myself and truly love.


I would struggle to teach a student how to multiply 3/4 X 2/8 because they didn't know what 4X8 was.  So... when I started teaching elementary I vowed that my kiddos would not leave me without knowing their math facts.  But... how to do that?  A lot of people say, "They just have to memorize them." Well, true, but what if they don't WANT to memorize them?  What if there are too many facts to memorize and they just CAN'T do it? What then?

I started developing this math facts program with a karate twist!

The program works with key elements of brain research:

* Students can hold only 2-3 new pieces of information in their working memory at one time.  That is why each new practice session only includes 2 to 3 new facts and their opposites.

* Students learn best when they involve two or more senses in learning.  This program incorporates both oral and written practice.  Learners learn 90% of what they SAY and DO (Bloom, 1987).

* Students can remember things more easily when they connect new information with something they already know (Woolfolk, 1998).  All new math facts practice sheets include previously learned facts along with the new facts.  This isn't simply learning their 1s, then their 2s, etc. because that doesn't work.

* In this program, some of the harder math facts (such as 9X6 are taught in the middle rather than the end so the student really has more time to work on it).

* Another way to increase student memory is through verbal rehearsal.  When a student practices (at home or at school with a partner) and makes a mistake, they repeat the correct problem and answer three times to cement it in their brain.  They are presented the same problem three tries later to work through it again.

* Memory increases when dopamine is involved - basically if it is fun, kids will remember more!

So enough of the research and on to the fun!

Happy students wearing the "belts" they have won!

Yes, belts, as in karate belts.  The program involves a karate theme and the students pass levels to earn different belts.  They LOVE this!

We start by practicing our math facts orally.  Each student has their own key ring with "belts" that have the math facts on them - problems only on one side and problems and answers on the other.  One student says all of the problems and answers while the other student coaches, then they switch.  This takes about 2-3 minutes.



Here is a close-up of the cards.

Then we complete a timed math facts test.  The students have folders with their current level in a sheet protector.  They answer using a dry erase marker.  I only make copies at the beginning of the year!  Yay!

If they finish before the time is up, they raise their folder above their head, I collect them, grade them, and change the sheet out if they are all correct.

I have also included additional sets with less problems.

Their name is also changed on our level board.

 

I absolutely love the way that one of my teaching pals, Barbara, made her board.  You could make the belts on the sides using bulletin board paper cut in strips and folded. She even put her kiddos' pics on the karate kids to make pieces to move. LOVE!  I will definitely be doing this next year!

Since this picture I have also added my son, Luke and his buddy.  They have been working each day after school and are proud to be among the higher kids in my class.  The belts have become a hot commodity on the playground and many of the kids want them.

 

Here are some more pictures from other teachers who have used the program:

Nancy from The Apple Basket Teacher.

 and Beth Ann from Taming my Flock of Firsties used my addition version with her class. She took some photos of a few of the games in action.

 

Jennifer from Elementary School Garden has added an active component to the program in her classroom.

 

And she really knows how to celebrate those Black Belts!

I have been blown away by some of the feedback that I have received!

 

 

Have you implemented Kicking It Math in your classroom? I'd love to hear about it in the comments below or tag me on Twitter or Instagram.

I also now have digital versions of this program!

Addition

Multiplication

(Division and Subtraction coming soon!)

And while you're here, enter to win one of our fabulous giveaways!

 

You can buy these products at my Teachers Pay Teachers Store.

Multiplication Version

Division Version

Addition Version

Subtraction Version

or you can save a little money and get the bundles:

Multiplication/Division Bundle

Addition/Subtraction Bundle

Kicking It Math Bundle 

(Includes Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division, and Factors)

You can also find this resource at Amazon!

I have had requests to make additional versions including mixed addition and subtraction and mixed multiplication and division math facts.  If you would like to be notified when these are released (and save 50% of for the first 48 hours) please fill out this form.

  

Before you go, head on over to our giveaway page to enter our current giveaway!  Every week one lucky winner gets a $25 Teachers pay Teachers gift card!

 I would love to hear from you! ❤️

Have a question? Idea for a resource you might find helpful?

Be so kind and leave a comment below.