Easy To Make Math Game For Practicing Math Facts

My students absolutely LOVE this game for practicing their math facts!  You can watch the video below to see how we use it for practicing multiplication, but it can be easily adapted for other skills as well (including sight words or vocabulary words)!

I give complete directions in the post below, as well as some ideas for modifications you can make.

I am so excited to share this little game with you because it is a Pinterest inspired activity that I actually got around to making instead of just pinning!  I know I'm not the only one who pins something with the best intentions, but somehow never uses it.

Anyway, I ran across this pin from Primarily Speaking. I knew it would be a great way for my kiddos to practice their addition and multiplication facts.  My students always love playing games and I love finding ways for them to get better at their math facts.  Us teachers need to be sneaky sometimes!

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 found these 5 gallon paint stir sticks at Wal-Mart for 38 cents.  I grabbed four of them to start. You can also find a pack of 40 of them at Amazon for even less.

Then using a sharpie, I sectioned off parts and numbered each one.  I determined what numbers to write on the paint stick based on the dice and operation I was going to use with it.  The picture above is an addition version. 

For example, if you are making an addition version using a six sided die, you would determine all possible sums from the die.  If the sum already occurred I skipped it. Here is a little "cheat sheet" below:

1 + 1 = 2

1 + 2 = 3

1 + 3 = 4

1 + 4 = 5

1 + 5 = 6

1 + 6 = 7

2 + 6 = 8

3 + 6 = 9

4 + 6 = 10

5 + 6 = 11

6 + 6 = 12

If you are making a multiplication version using a 6 sided die, you would determine all possible products from the die.  If the product already occurred I skipped it.

1 X 1 = 1

1 X 2 = 2

1 X 3 = 3

1 X 4 = 4

1 X 5 = 5

1 X 6 = 6

 2 X 4 = 8

   2 X 5 = 10

   2 X 6 = 12

 3 X 3 = 9

  3 X 5 = 15

  3 X 6 = 18

 4 X 4 = 16

 4 X 5 = 20

 4 X 6 = 24

 5 X 5 = 25

 5 X 6 = 30

 6 X 6 = 36

 I used the red/yellow disks instead of the linking cubes because I happen to have a lot more of these (just in case the kiddos manage to lose one or two). Each student picks a color and then lines up their pieces around the paint stick.

The students take turns rolling the dice.  They find the sum (if they are using the addition version) or product (with the multiplication version) and then take their opponent's piece away from that number.  The object of the game is to take as many pieces of the other player's pieces as you can.  If they roll a number that has already been removed, they simply lost that turn and it is the next player's turn.

 

They absolutely loved the game and begged to play all week long!  You can easily modify this game for greater or less challenge by changing the numbers or the amount of dice you use.  You could even make a division or subtraction version if you want by using one die that has bigger numbers than the other.  For bigger numbered dice use these or these double dice (add the 2 numbers together). Easy, cheap, and fun!

For more ideas like this, be sure to follow my Pinterest Boards to see what other things I have pinned!

Currently November 2014

I was looking at some of our Accelerated Math (AM) print outs and noticed that we are over 25% of the way through with this school year.  I know I should have realized that since we finished the first quarter, but somehow seeing that had a bigger impact. This year is literally FLYING by!  It is already November and that means it is time to link up with Farley for Currently! I am so excited to be her sponsor this month!

Listening: My boys have been elaborately sorting and trading their Halloween candy all day long!  They even paid some taxes to their parents (without even being asked!).

Loving:  I may have bought three new pairs of shoes this week when I went to buy Luke new shoes.  But I NEEDED new boots, ballet flats, and mules, so totally justified - right? LOL!

Thinking: One awesome thing about teaching in Nevada is that we get a day off in honor of Nevada Day - which happened to land on Halloween this year!  Woo Hoo!  Nevada Day is technically October 31st, but they changed it to the last Friday of the month for celebration reasons.  I am loving my much needed three day weekend!

Wanting: As I sit typing this, I am wanting a new office chair.  This one has definitely seen better days!  It is on my Christmas list this year, so hopefully Santa comes through!

Needing: I have a half day sub this week for professional development and I have to prepare lesson plans for it.  Am I the only one who HATES planning for a sub??? Especially on a PD day - it seems like double the work!

Reading: I have been wanting to read Number Talks forever and luckily our admin purchased a book for each grade level to share.  I am the lucky one to have it first!  I will share some ideas I learn when I finish it!

What are you Currently up to?  Link up and share!

Five For Friday October 31, 2014

Happy Halloween! Time to link up with Doodle Bugs Teaching for Five for Friday! We have had a crazy busy fun filled week!  Lots of history and lots of candy make for an exhausting week!

My week started with a field trip for the Earth Science STEM class I am taking.  We all met at the Churchill County Museum in Fallon, NV (which we toured a bit before leaving) and then headed to a place called The Hidden Caves which were used by Native Americans.  It is the site of several archaeological digs, and they have opened it up to the public.  Here are a few pics from our visit:

 

 

 

 

Monday, I took my own class on a field trip to City Hall as part of our social studies curriculum.  They were able to meet and greet with the mayor and then take a tour of the building.  They had a ton of questions for our mayor!  They were also able to see voting in action as we are currently in the middle of early elections.

They were so surprised to see their teacher's picture on the wall (I am on the city council).

They even got bags of goodies!  They were filled with pencils, city pins, Nevada pins, along with candy and glow sticks.

We received dictionaries from the Rotary Club this week and they were so excited to each have their own!  They also noticed that there were resources in the dictionary such as a map of the United States, common conversions, and even a multiplication chart.  They were quite amazed by the longest word in the English language and were extremely thankful that I would not be putting it on our spelling test this week!

In Nevada, we celebrate Nevada Day on October 31st, so we actually have today off!  Yesterday we participated in a record breaking attempt at the most people singing Home Means Nevada as part of our state's 150th birthday celebration.

 

We also learned about the Pony Express - complete with a reenactment!  Photo creds to one of my third grade team members.

And since we have today off.. we celebrated with our Halloween party yesterday.

 

 

Be sure to link up and share your week as well!

Conference Tips For Teachers

 This week we have parent teacher conferences.  This is the first year that I am sitting on both sides of the table for the SAME conference.  Luke is in my class this year, so I really have a different perspective of what I would like to see in a conference as a parent.  Here are a few of the things that I prepared this week along with a few helpful tips that may help you get through your own conferences.

Let's face it, we all have busy lives and tend to forget things.  I send a notice home to let them know when their conference is scheduled, and then a second follow up reminder. These are the ones I sent home this year:

 

I found this AMAZING freebie from Jodi Southard from Fun-in First on TpT that had everything I needed already done for me!  Did I mention that it was FREE?  The best part?  Not only is it Free, but it is customizable!

 

Sometimes parent teacher conferences can be just as nerve wrecking (or even more) than our teacher evaluations!  I know that I am sometimes nervous to meet with parents (especially if there have been any issues with their child).  One way to ease those nerves is to remember that the parents are truly your partners.  They have their child's best interest at heart and most likely want to help you to help their child be successful in school.

The best way to open a conference is by sharing an anecdote about the child.  Parents appreciate the fact that you have taken the time to know their child.  A brief story about a comment made during a read aloud, an entry in their writer's notebook, or a compliment about their social interactions on the playground really personalizes the conference and makes it more satisfying for the parents.

If you have pictures to share - they will love them!

                                                       Yep!  That's my Luke's sweet face!

                                                                I love the look on her face!

Next, have the parent share their impressions of how school is going for their child.  Ask them to share what is going well for their child and what they think their child might be struggling with.  Ask them if they have any specific questions they would like to have answered during the conference.
 

Draw on their expertise when it comes to their child.  If you are having a problem with their child finishing work, you might ask, "Is this a problem at home?  What things seem to help the situation?"

Last year I had a student who had a hard time following directions.  At his parent teacher conference his mom suggested that sometimes he needed extra time to process and think about what you said.  She suggested giving a direction, waiting a minute or two, and then asking him if he remembered what he needed to do.  Once he verbally repeated what my directions were, he would get started.  It was almost like a miracle! 

Don't make snap judgements about parents or their parenting styles even if you have heard rumors from previous teachers.  Face each parent as if they are your ally in working with your student.  Remember, no one is a perfect parent, we each are trying to do the best we can with what we have. I hope I don't judge myself to harshly! :D

If you can, provide parents with resources to help their child including: internet sites, educational apps, and even extra worksheets.  Be creative in coming up with solutions and ways parents can help.


Don't forget to share reading resources as well.  As teachers we tend to throw around reading levels (Fountas & Pinnell, DRA, AR) but forget that this means nothing to the parent.  Have a few books available at the child's independent level to show the parent what it looks like.

 

 Go into each conference knowing exactly what you want to tell each parent.  I put together a folder of all the important data and work samples that I want to share. I put sticky notes to remind me of places I need to highlight or things I want to remember to tell them about.

Some things I include:

*Report cards
* DRA scores
*MAPS scores
*AR and AM results for the quarter
*Writing samples from the beginning of the year and now
*Student self assessments

I always ask my students to rate how they feel about their performance in school.  They are almost always completely honest, and in some cases even harsher critics than I am!  Jodi has included this form in the freebie as well, and I have shared a few of my student's responses.

 

 

What's your best parent-teacher conference or tip?  Tell me about it in the comments below.