Search results matching tags 'math' and 'multiplication'

Multiplication Boot Camp

Anonymous — Fri, 17 May 2013 18:26:00 GMT

Hello darlings! There are only five days of school left! Ahhh! While I am usually ecstatic and jumping for joy, this year I am sad. I think it has to do with losing my mom 2 months ago and the fact that these kids show me unconditional love everyday! I will miss all of their sweetness and whining! I just hope I can keep myself busy this summer and fill my mind with other things.

On a happier note, I finally finished Multiplication and Division Boot Camp!! OMG! This went so much better than I ever imagined! The kiddos LOVED it! One of my ~~kiddos~~ soldiers even told me today that she was so excited that she made Sergeant that she was all tingly inside!

So how does it work? I give soldiers a pretest to see which facts they already have mastered. Soldiers have daily drills (timed tests) and daily P.T. (homework with flashcards). They keep track of their progress with a graph. I am the Drill Sergeant, so I wear an army hat and get into character. They love this!

Next, soldiers have to complete missions (games and activities). You should see them! Some of the games require them to do push ups and jumping jacks! It is so funny, but they work really hard!

This mission requires a lot of strategy. Can you tell he is thinking hard?

Download this game for free! IF you like it, try out the rest of the unit in my TPT store by clicking here.

Have a great day!

Amy

Multiplication Facts Board Game

Anonymous — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 01:22:47 GMT

On one of my last posts, I mentioned supporting resources for the multiplication set. This is the first of those resources.

We have had great fun with this game around here! When I thought it was ready to go, I printed everything, my daughters helped me assemble all the pieces and then we sat down and played for hours.

And the fun part wasn’t only testing each other on how well we know our Times Tables!! We came up with new rules for the game and deleted others that my daughters thought were “pretty lame” .

My children have been playing it every single night for the last few weeks, and I have to say it is the first time that they actually beg to do something school related (well, at least the youngest does).

It has been a success and now they proudly and confidently answer questions about multiplication facts.

The object of the game is to reach the Math SuperStar at the center of the board.

There are three types of question cards in this game:

The “?” cards have multiplication facts questions. (for example: 2×3)
The “ALL PLAY”cards have word problems and multiplication sentences. All players try and solve the problem at the same time. The player that finishes first gets to roll the dice next.
The “What’s Missing?” cards ask the players to find the information that is missing on the card. (for example: 4x_=28 the students have to say which number is missing on the _)

In early stages, the players can use the “Times Tables Helpers” every time they need help remembering the answer to a question. As they get more familiar with multiplication facts, the “helpers” should only be used by the opponent players to confirm the answers.

It took me quite a few days to get this game completed, tested and refined, but I’m extremely proud of it!

This game is available at either of my stores (you can download a free preview if you are interest in seeing more details):

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-SuperStar-Multiplication-Facts-Board-Game

http://www.teachersnotebook.com/product/catd3/math-superstar-multiplication-facts-board-game

Take care,

Always a Teacher ad Forever a Mom!

Multiplication! – part 1 1/2

Anonymous — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 16:18:52 GMT

I have divided my Multiplication set from my last post into several stand alone resources.

If you are at all interested feel free to browse my shops at http://www.teachersnotebook.com/shop/catd3 OR

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Catia-Dias.

I have made the Time Tables handouts FREE of charge

Oh, and please, PLEASE, leave some feedback at my stores

Multiplication! – part 1

Anonymous — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 18:00:28 GMT

One of the things that I always noticed when teaching Math in Portugal to grade 5, 6 and 8, was that my students always had a tremendous difficulty in solving multiplication problems. The lack of basic knowledge in this skill was enormous and I had quite a bit of trouble teaching more complex concepts because of this.

Being a mom and a teacher, and having had this kind of experiences in my career, I try to ensure that my children are comfortable with basic concepts. Thus being said, multiplication is something that I focus on quite a bit. Those multiplication facts, tables and concepts are quite tricky to memorize and understand, so I have developed some resources to help my children along.

Step by step worksheet

The first set of resources for multiplication is titled ”MATH SUPERSTAR 2 by 1 Digit Multiplication Set”. This set was designed to help children with 2 by 1 multiplication concepts. The set includes the following:

Set of 10 Step by Step wall charts/posters for 2×1 multiplication with and without carrying
Set of 8 Step by Step and Practice worksheets for 2×1 multiplication plus answer key
Set of 8 Step by Step and Practice worksheets for 2×1 multiplication with carrying plus answer key
Set of 3 Practice worksheets for 2×1 multiplication plus answer key
Set of 3 Practice worksheets for 2×1 multiplication with carrying plus answer key
Set of 30 Task Cards with answer key and “Student’s Log” sheet for 2×1 multiplication
Set of 30 Task Cards with answer key and “Student’s Log” sheet for 2×1 multiplication with carrying
2 pages of Timetables handouts

My youngest daughter has been using this set everyday for the last couple of weeks and she has been responding really well. What begun as a struggle to understand how to multiply, is now a simple activity easy to do.

This set focus on the step by step process of the 2 by 1 digit multiplication. It is supported by other resources that I have developed and will write about at a future date

Click to view slideshow.

You can find this set on either of my shops at http://www.teachersnotebook.com/shop/catd3 OR http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Catia-Dias.

Please feel free to leave feedback! I would love to know how you have used my resources and the results you obtained by using them.

Regards,

Always a Teacher & Forever a Mom

Multiplication Strategy and Free Game

Anonymous — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 10:00:00 GMT

Hello darlings! Are you a little worried about Common Core? I know in math, the rigor went up in third grade. Our district, thank goodness, has been using Singapore Math for the past few years and that program already bumped up the rigor considerably. So, we are feeling ok about it. One of the things my third graders have to do, is to multiply two digit by two digit numbers. We have to teach them the reasoning behind the algorithm, not just how to memorize the steps.

One strategy we use is the Area Model.

I have created a mini unit of resources to teach your kiddos about this strategy. Click on the picture below to download a Spinner Game FREEBIE! (Once there, click download preview file) While you are there, check out the resources!

Here is a preview of the resources.

Check back for more multiplication resources!

Common Core Multiplication Intervention Activities

Anonymous — Sun, 07 Oct 2012 12:10:00 GMT

Common Core Multiplication Intervention Activities

One of the most difficult concepts for intermediate students (grades 3-5) to master is their multiplication facts. We believe that knowing the facts is a fundamental skill all students should take with them into society. Because of this, we have created numerous activities that you can use in your classroom to help your students master their facts.

Multiplication Task Cards
Included are 12 stations that students can rotate through to help them practice their multiplication facts. Some ideas include: multiplication war, multiplication game boards, multiplication basketball and more. Also included is a student sign in sheet so you can keep track of which stations the students have completed. This is a great way to meet the Math Common Core Standards!

The Great Multiplication Race
This 20-page packet provides students the opportunity to practice their facts in an enjoyable way and hopefully in a non-competive way. Students will work their way through the terrible twos, thrifty threes, fabulous fours... all their way to the mixed mayhem. But wait... the final challenge for the student will be to beat the teacher! This packet inculdes an introduction page, 16 pages of facts and answer key pages (25 facts in 1:00), a basic student roster page, a chart that students keep inside of their desks, and an award page for students who make it through all the facts.

Multiplication Game Boards
Watch your students have fun practicing their multiplication facts from 1-12 with this fun game board. Included is a game board that can be copied off multiple times, and used for students from different levels of mastery. Also included are the game cards for the facts from 1-12. The students can easily cut these out and then get ready to play. As a teacher you will just need some dice and some game pieces for the students to use. This is a fun way for the students to practice their facts instead of flash cards!

Multiplication Project Choices
If your students struggle with their math multiplication facts, then these creative project activity choices are for you! If your students are sick of flash cards, and drills, let them have a choice in their learning in a creative way! There are five great activities in this product. Enjoy

Multiplication Websites and Apps to Use
This provides the teacher with a list of websites that the students can use to play multiplication games on the computer. It also includes some multiplication apps that can be used on electronic devices such as kindle fires, ipods, and ipads.

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All of these creative resources will help your students master their basic multiplication facts which will make double digit multiplication and division so much easier. After all, knowing the basic facts are crucial to learning how to divide in the first place!

You can access this common core math resource with over 50 pages by clicking here.

Swat It Games Giveaway

Anonymous — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 20:40:00 GMT

Click pictures to view

So my Dollar Tree shopping spree landed me with these Jumbo fly swatters.

My first thought was that these were some overkill fly swatters for a tiny fly.

But I'm not using them to kill flies.

I'm using them for my Swat It team games.

More games to come too! I'm working on one for place value and sight words. So go grab your Jumbo Swatters!

Display the concept cards on your board, split into teams, and call off questions.

Teams have a swatting good time to hit the answers first!

I'm having a giveaway for these games

1 winner will win all 8 games I've made so far

7 winners will get to choose 1 game of their choice

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Spring Basket Multiplication Mats

Anonymous — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 00:34:00 GMT

My class practiced multiplication with this spring themed multiplication mat

Top 5 Tips on How to Help Students Learn Multiplication Facts

Anonymous — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 11:11:00 GMT

At the beginning of each year we do a multiplication inventory with our fifth grade class, and every year there are close to half the students that can not pass the inventory in the time allotted. This always makes us scratch our heads, because we know that multiplication is essential in doing division which is a major focus of 5th grade.

There is no way around it. The students have to practice, practice, practice. It is like riding a bike or learning how to swim. It is very difficult and scary to begin, there are falls and panicky times along the way, but once the skill is learned it becomes second nature. Whether it be flash cards, a computer game, or any other method, time has to be spent reviewing the facts.

Instead of giving up, and moving on with our curriculum, we have developed many ideas and activities to help those students that have not yet mastered their facts. We hope you enjoy the top 5 tips that we use to help our students master the multiplication facts.

1. Tricks and Mnemonic Devices

I'm sure many of you have seen the 9s trick before. It is an amazingly simple trick that all the student needs is his hands. Take a look at the picture below.

The fifth finger is down which represents 5 x 9. Take a look at the fingers before (4) and the fingers after (5). There is your answer 45! Try another one yourself. Put your 7th finger down. There should be 6 fingers before and three fingers after (63)! this works all the way up to 9 x 9! Nines will no longer be a problem for your students!

Another strategy we use with struggling students is repeated addition. This is a simple way to reinforce that multiplication is related to addition, a skill that all of them should have. Start off small with a problem like 2 + 2 + 2 = 6 which is the same as 2 x 3 = 6. If you get to a bigger problem such as 6 x 4, have them use the number that they can count easier with. So the problem would look like 4 + 4 + 4 + 4 + 4 + 4 = 24. When you are able to relate multiplication to addition it is a familiar concept that students are more comfortable with.

We also teach students to look for and understand patterns. When multiplying two even numbers together you will always get an even answer. When multiplying two odd number together, you will always get an odd answer. We also go over the 5s, that when multiplying by this number the answer will always end in a 5 or 0. When multiplying any number by two it simply doubles the bigger number. There are many other patterns out there to discover as well.

Here is a FREE sheet that we have the students keep in their math folders to reference as well.

2. Games

Who doesn't love to play games? I know my students love it when I announce we are going to play a game in math. One that I love to use is Multiplication War. This is like the regular War card game. Each players gets half the deck. But instead of the high card taking the cards when flipped up, the students have to multiply the two cards together! If there is a tie, then they put two cards down and flip the third up. The winner then gets all the cards. When we start playing this, I take out all the face cards. Each card represents it's number and Aces = 1. I try to match students up based on the knowledge of their facts which makes the games more competitive. The students can either play until someone has all the cards, or for a time limit as well.

We have also developed Multiplication Game Boards that are designed for any of the facts. So if a pair of students is struggling on their 4s, they can play the game board together. If you have students that are doing well, you can give them the mixed envelope that has facts of 6s,7s, and 8s. Once again, we team students up based on ability so it is more enjoyable for the students. It's also a great way for them to see which facts of each number they still need to practice. Click on the below picture to access the game boards.

Computer Games
We don't go to the computer lab that often, but we have found a few online games that are suitable and fun for our students. Here is a favorite website with lots of games to choose from: http://www.multiplication.com/games Our students also like this one as well: http://www.fun4thebrain.com/mult.html.
It is a great break for the students and makes learning the facts fun as well!

3. Multiplication Raps and Rhymes
Many of my students are in to rap music. Making up a multiplication rap is a fun way for students to remember the facts. I even tried my talents at this with the 6s,7s, and 8s (the most troublesome for my students) as you can see below by clicking on the picture to access the FREE rap. If you can find a rhyme to use to help students learn the facts, I would definitely try it. Maybe even let them explore their creativity and make up their own!

4. Contests

After so many years of seeing students struggle, we developed some contests to try and inspire our classes to learn their facts. So often teachers put up a board in the room with everyone's names and Xs by the facts that they pass. We have found that does not help the lowers students, but rather has the opposite effect. Students tend to give up, and even act out in class due to others teasing them or saying they are dumb. Instead of this approach we made up a fun contest called The Great Multiplication Race. In this contest students are racing against themselves and not each other. Each student gets their own chart that they keep in their desk, and that is not displayed in the room. When students pass a level they move on to the next challenger like "The Fabulous Fours." When they pass all of the facts in one minute, they move onto 30 seconds. This is a great challenge to the advanced learners as well. This motivational program got our kids excited to do speed races without being graded or singled out for where they are.

We also have used a Multiplication Money Contest with our students in different years. We know that not all students learn the same, so we came up with a unique contest that involves fake money that students earn and can use to purchase items in our class store. We also developed rewards when the whole class passes each number. They really loved doing special class celebrations together to celebrate their achievements!

5. Real-Life Application

Tying real-life experiences to multiplication also helps the students understand why it is important to master the facts. We often use places that the students have gone to, and will go to in the future as examples. A great place to start is the grocery store. We talk about needing to buy 3 dozen eggs (3 x 12), two packs of gum with each pack having 6 ( 2 x 6), four twelve packs of soda (12 x 4) and so on. The students start to realize the importance. Then we start talking about electronics! This is where they sit up more in their chairs and the doodling stops. We talk about items that matter to them such as: iTunes, mp3, and video games. An example would be: John (insert name of student) wanted to buy three albums (insert popular bands) on iTunes that each cost $8, how much would he have to spend? It is amazing to see how students will work harder to figure out this type of problem. We have also used the topic of buying comic books or looking at collections (sports cards, stuffed animals...) and using multiplication for different scenarios as well. Making connections to their lives truly does make a difference.

We hope you were able to take at least one idea from our post to use in your classroom. If you have any great ideas, please share them as well!

Classroom Freebies Celebration!!!

Anonymous — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:46:00 GMT

I don't normally post twice in one day, but y'all CANNOT miss this!!! If you haven't heard, Classroom Freebies has hit 1,000,000 views and we're celebrating!!! Click the picture below to snag my freebie I contributed! But that's not it! There are TONS of other freebies before and after mine!!! And keep checking back for more tomorrow!