Halloween Task Cards

It's Saturday! Can I get a cheer for the weekend? I know it's late Saturday night and Monday morning will be here before I know it, but I am still happy to be relaxing . . . well one quarter relaxing, one quarter working and half planning for next week - I'll still take it!

I'm especially thrilled because I was *slightly* productive today, and right now I'll take any bit of productivity I can get!

So, just in time for Halloween (err, maybe only a little last minute!) is a new pack of Halloween-themed task cards:

Whenever a holiday rolls around, I love incorporating that into the classroom in any way that I can. Something about adding ghosts, goblins and candy to math makes it seem so much more fun for the students . . . and me too! That was what I had in mind when I created these task cards. The packet contains 12 (plus four bonus) cards that ask students to solve the multi-step questions, using the four basic operations, to find out how many trick-or-treaters visited each house. Although this pack covers a few of the fourth grade standards, it would also work with high third graders or as a review for fifth graders.

You can click the above pictures or {HERE} if you're interested in the pack.

Now I'm off to eat some of those bite size chocolate bars that I *should* be saving for trick-or-treaters!

A Place Value Freebie with the Manic Monday Linky

Sundays sure are great . . . when Monday is the start of Spring Break! Although we don't get two weeks, I sure am thankful for this week off; hopefully it will be filled with a little R & R!

So onto the freebie. I'm linking up again this week with Manic Monday at Classroom Freebies.


My freebie this week is brand new, I just finished it this morning. Taking the idea from my Place Value Mystery Number Cards, I've created a Place Value Mystery Number "I Have . . . Who Has?" game.

This freebie contains 36 place value cards with 3-digit numbers and is perfecting for assessing students' oral comprehension of place value. Click the pictures to check the freebie out. If you are in school tomorrow, and celebrating St. Patrick's Day Let me know if you enjoy the freebie, and if you are on Spring Break this week, enjoy that

A New Year & Some New Units

Well, it is 2014! Hope everyone had a happy, safe holiday, but now it is *almost* time to go back to the classroom. Hopefully everyone is refreshed and ready to head back!

I took full advantage of my break by doing lots of reading, tons of sleeping, a bit of baking, and of course, a little working. I've finished up a few new units:

My New Year's Write the Room

My New Year's Word Problem a Day packets for 3rd & 4th

as well as Valentine's Day for 3rd

Alphabet Mini-Books

and finally, my Winter Printable Pack (10 Differentiated Math Printables) for 2nd Grade.

Click on the pictures if you're interested in any of the packets, and enjoy the little bit of holiday (or weekend for those of us not on holiday) left!

25 Days of Christmas Picture Books - Day 8

I know I'm going to say this for the rest of the countdown, but I can't believe I'm already on Day 8 - Christmas is going to be here before I know it and I am so not ready. My house is not decorated, the presents are not bought and I do not a tree yet.

Last year I discovered Otis by Loren Long and I thought it was such a sweet story with adorable illustrations (again, I'm a sucker for great illustrations), so when I saw this new addition to the series, I had to add it to my list.

Via Amazon

Aimed at younger students, your littles should love An Otis Christmas. Otis the tractor helps save the (Christmas) day when he fetches the veterinarian during a snowstorm, saving a horse and her new baby foal.

Onto other things, I just finished up a new Christmas unit - "Christmas Write the Room."

This unit contains five christmas math activities. Print the question cards, put up around the classroom, give the students the recording sheet and let your students have fun. I love write the room activities for all those students who need to keep moving and of course, for the scavenger hunt qualities, which makes it interesting for the kiddos too.

Click {HERE} or the picture to check it out. Make sure to come back tomorrow to check out my pick for Day 9 of my countdown and hopefully a freebie!

Word Problems and (Almost) a Freebie

How do you feel about word problems? Do you ever find that your students stare at the words and have no idea what to do? I seem to find this way too much with some math skills. I remember doing my practicum at the beginning of the year, in a fifth grade class, and asking doing a quick assessment on written form and place value. I was **shocked**. Some of the answers I got were completely unexpected. After that I remind myself to not assume that the students know the skills. Always do a quick formative assessment.

With some of these skills, I think the best thing to do is complete a basic skills review. That's where my Daily Math comes in and I've tried to do it again with my new math series:

These units include teacher task cards (in color and black & white), student versions (for use in interactive math journals), a student recording sheet and of course, the all important answer key. The task cards and student versions include the Common Core State Standard covered and are a quick (daily) way to review basic skills.

I've offered a few ways to use these in the class.

1) Assess oral listening skills by reading the cards to the students, and having them answer in math journals or on recording sheet.

2) Use the PDF version to project onto an interactive white board for students to read and complete.

3) Provide students with the student prompt version and have them glue into and complete in their interactive math journal.

Click on the pictures to check the units out. So far I've completed the Back to School and Fall packets for third grade.

Now onto the (almost) freebie:

I'm working on a new Halloween-themed math freebie, so check back soon for that!

A Little Freebie!

Well I'm going to make this quick because the first back to school cold has hit and it is a doozy.

I've finished another addition to my Place Value Mystery Cards series - Decimals! The free packet comes with 36 mystery cards. The first half go up to the hundredths place, and the second half go up to the thousandths place. Click {HERE} or the pictures to check out the freebie:

Hope you enjoy!

Now I'm off to drink my weight in orange juice!

You Know You're a Teacher When . . .

Fonts: Kimberly Geswein Fonts & kevinandamanda.com
Graphics: KPM Doodles & Graphics From the Pond

•  . . . you shush people . . . in public . . . without realizing it.
• a simple trip to the grocery store (in yoga pants) results in any number of shy waves, exuberant hellos, and quiet stares from past, present & future students.
• you spent 1% of the summer relaxing in the sun with a book and 99% organizing, stressing, creating & laminating.
• that book you were reading in the sun was a professional development book of some kind.
• in the book store, you head to the children's section first.
• school/office supplies of all kind are exciting.
• you know more than you ever wanted to know about Minecraft, Lalaloopsy & Beyblades.
• weeknights will always be referred to as "school nights."
• the last two weeks in August are the most exciting, nauseating, nerve-wracking & stressful time of the year.
• you will always experience the Back to School, even though you're no longer a student.

How you know when YOU are a teacher?

On a completely unrelated note, I've finished the next two Daily Math sets for First Grade, click the pictures if you're interested:

Each pack contains 40 days of printable math that works to review the Kindergarten Common Core Standards, while transitioning into the First Grade Common Core Standards.

Well, here's to two and a halfish more weeks of summer!

Picture Book Linky Party #2

Well it is finally summa summa summertime and I spent my first weekend off sleeping in a ridiculous amount.

I awoke long enough to join up with the second week of First Grade and Fabulous' fantastic linky party, Picture Book Linky Party!

This week, it is all about picture books for teaching math concepts. I love to use picture books, and definitely love to incorporate them into all subjects. I am also always looking for new picture books, so I am looking forward to seeing what other books people have on their lists of noteworthy titles on the subject of math (that sentence seemed way too wordy - it must be my Summer brain kicking in!).

So, onto my list:

#1 The Greedy Triangle by Marilyn Burns

I was first introduced to this book by my math professor and university and think it is so fantastic and fun for teaching shapes.

#2 How Big is a Foot? by Rolf Myller

Another cute book that sets the stage for a fun measurement activity.

#3 How Much is a Million? by David M. Schwartz

This one is fun to help students visualize and (attempt to) understand large numbers.

#4 Math Curse by Jon Scieszka

I'll leave off with Math Curse - a fun, math-filled story for older kids.

Can't wait to see what titles made it onto everyone else's lists!

Summer Take-Home Math Booklets

Well I can't believe that it is almost summertime! I haven't started the exact countdown, and it's not as close as some other bloggers I've seen (in the single digits!) but I am definitely excited.

How do you pass the last few weeks (or days) in the classroom? How do you prepare your students for the summer? I'm always interested in how the transition back to school happens in other schools. Do you get your new kids or do you see your previous students for the first few days?

If you do see your previous students, it's a perfect opportunity to give them some things to over the summer to keep their brains working. I think by seeing them again at the beginning of the next year, hopefully you can keep students and parents accountable for some summertime learning. You can provide them with Summer reading lists or Summer reading logs - ooh that's the perfect idea for a freebie - or some math to keep them up-to-date and prevent the Summer slide.

Enter my Daily Math Summer Take-Home Booklets. I've got half-page booklets for 2nd, 3rd & 4th grades that follow the pattern of my Daily Math series and review the Common Core Standards for each grade. Click on the pictures if you're interested:

           

Each of these booklets is also included in my Daily Math packs. Click on the pictures to check out these if you're interested in a full year of Daily Math:

             

 And now I am exhausted, I can't believe it's only Tuesday!

Mother's Day Freebie

Well it's that time of the week again - freebie time! This is an old freebie but it's the appropriate time of year to share it so here it is - Sunflower Mother's Day card template:

I'm not very crafty, but this is fairly easy to make. The freebie comes with the template to make the card as well as writing paper options for the inside. Click the picture or {HERE} to get the freebie from TPT and {HERE} for non-TPT users.

Check out Manic Monday at Classroom Freebies for more fantastic freebies

In other news, I finally finished my Daily Math Bundle Pack for Second Grade. That took way too long!

Here's to a good week!

Something New and an Update

Well I have to say, I sure make the most original blog post titles. That is all I have to say about that.

I am way too tired for it only being Monday. That is probably because I have been working away on a new 3rd Grade Daily Math packet. This one is for Summer practice. It's a little different from my other packets because this one is designed to make a little booklet to send home with students during the Summer to help them review their math skills. Clic {HERE} or on the pics to check them out:

I've also added this new booklet to my Daily Math Bundle Pack. Once again, click {HERE} or the picture to check it out:

Well I'm off to relax for five minutes, have a great week!