Grade me tips
Create “apple eruptions.
Source: Growing a Jeweled Rose Conduct an apple-volcano science experiment. Fun and yum! Click here for step-by-step instructions. For more apple science activities, click here.
Get to know the hundreds chart with number puzzles.
Source: Mrs. T’s First Grade Class These easy-to-make games will help students see what one more, ten more, one less, and ten less look like.
Have “Number Talks.
You can build mental math and computation skills with Number Talks. “Our students need to be able to explain their thinking on math assessments, so this is a perfect way to get them comfortable with reasoning aloud. They learn to explain clearly and logically. It also helps them to see their errors since you write down the problem exactly the way they explain it. If they can’t see the errors, other students can help clarify. It also gives value to working problems in different ways. As children develop a deeper number sense, they decompose and manipulate numbers in more complex ways.” —Stephanie W.
Count the days of school and celebrate when you reach 100!
There are so many different fun ways to celebrate the 100th day of school. We’ve got a whole collection of activities for you!
Teach shapes.
Learning shapes is one of the earliest concepts we teach kids. Shapes ready them for geometry in the years ahead, but it’s also an important skill for learning how to write and draw. Get started with these activities.
Watch math videos!
Making math more engaging for kids can be difficult. But teaching math will be anything but boring when you introduce students to some of our favorite subtraction and addition videos on YouTube.
Play math games.
Here’s a big list of math games that are just right for first grade.
Differentiate math work by using online resources.
There are tons of online resources for differentiating math work. For a huge list of suggestions, check out our best math websites for teaching and learning math.
Keep your math manipulatives organized and easy to access.
“Use labels with words and pictures on bins. We take actual pictures of the materials.” —Amy L. “I give my kids the things they use the most, like counters and linking cubes, in a Ziploc baggie to keep in their desks. When we need them, I just tell them to take out their math tools. It saves a lot of time passing them out every time they are needed.” —Diane D. “I put my manipulatives into clear shoe boxes and label them with words and pictures. I have a set of shelves in my back room where the kids can access them.” —Kelly H. “Save baby wipe tubs and give each student their own set of place value books to keep in the desk.” —Ann M.
Teach the difference between reporting and tattling.
Source: Mrs. Warner’s Fourth Grade Classroom Save yourself a lot of headaches and teach your students the difference. Read Is it Tattling or Telling?
