How to Teach Skip Counting Skip counting is an often underrated and underused math skill. Obviously, skip counting can help students learn their multiplication facts – but there’s actually so much more to skip counting than that. Many people don’t realize that skip counting goes beyond simply counting by 2s, 5s, etc. If you aren’t sure how to teach skip counting effectively, then keep reading for some tips and strategies. Why Teach Skip Counting? Skip counting is more than just a quick way to count equal groups and a strategy for learning times tables. Being able to quickly and fluently skip count is also an important part of building number…
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The Best Word Problem Strategies that Build Strong Mathematicians
The Best Word Problem Strategies Ah, word problems. They are SO important for our students to understand, yet one of the most challenging parts of math instruction. Word problems are unique in that they are not JUST about math – they require reading comprehension, as well. Therefore, even students who excel at math can often struggle with word problems. As teachers, it can be difficult to know which word problem strategies to teach. In this post, I am going to share some of the common strategies for teaching word problems and why they are or aren’t effective. I would also highly encourage you to check out this post, where I…
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5 of the Best Activities for Addition and Subtraction with Regrouping
Activities for Addition and Subtraction with Regrouping Pop quiz! What is the bane of a 2nd grade math teacher’s existence? If you said addition and subtraction with regrouping, you win! All jokes aside, addition and subtraction is one of the major focuses of 2nd grade math – and for good reason! In most states, students only learn addition and subtraction through 20 in 1st grade. By the time they reach 3rd grade, the focus shifts to multiplication and division, and addition and subtraction is only barely touched on. They are already expected to know it. In other words, students basically have one year to not only learn but master addition…
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This Is the Math Center Organization System You Need
Math Center Organization Made Easy Anyone else here a math center hoarder? #guiltyascharged Having so many games and activities, it can be challenging to find a math center organization system that works. For years, I had no system and struggled to find the games I needed when I needed them. Thankfully, after a few years of this struggle, I came up with the perfect system! If your math center organization needs a bit of a refresh, consider implementing my tried and true system! The Secret to Math Center Organization Before you get started on reorganizing your math centers, you first need to come up with a system. Will you organize…
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How to Organize Math Manipulatives Like a Boss
How to Organize Math Manipulatives If you’ve been with me for awhile, then you know that organization is my jam. And as an elementary math teacher, naturally I have a ton of math manipulatives floating around. Figuring out how to organize math manipulatives can be a challenge! They need to be easily accessible, but also out of the way. And often when manipulatives are used, they need to be distributed between all the students. So, what’s the best way to go about this? The good news is, there are lots of options! I’m going to share with you a few different manipulative organization options to help you get started. How…
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6 Fun Math Holidays That You Should Be Celebrating
Math Holidays to Celebrate at School There are a lot of celebrations during the school year in various subjects that are celebrated in schools. In reading, there’s Read Across America Week; history/social studies can easily observe any historical holiday such as Martin Luther King Jr. Day or Black History month; and in science, we often celebrate events like eclipses or rocket launches. But what about math holidays? Though not as well known, there are actually several math holidays that take place throughout the year that we can easily celebrate with our students! One – Math 2.0 Day – actually takes place tomorrow on July 8th! Fortunately, there are many that…
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This is the Best End of Year Activity for Your Classroom
My Favorite End of Year Activity The end of the school year can be hard, especially if you still have a few weeks left after finishing your content instruction for the year. On the one hand, we want to leave our students with pleasant memories of our final days together. On the other hand, we still want our time together to be meaningful and structured. How can we as teachers facilitate both of these things in such a crazy and stressful time? Well, I have the perfect end of year activity for you to try. An Easy End of Year Activity Two years ago, I was in this exact situation.…
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5 Geometry Games for 2nd Grade That Will Excite Your Students
Geometry Games for 2nd Grade Geometry – that is, 2D and 3D shapes and attributes – is one of my absolute favorite units to teach in math. This is partly because geometry in 2nd grade is a very visual subject, and I am a visual learner. Geometry is also very hands-on and active for your physical learners as well! Today, I’m sharing some of my favorite geometry games for 2nd grade that I think your students will love. 5 Low-Prep Geometry Games These are some of my favorite games that help students gain a better understanding of shapes and their attributes. The best part about these games is that they…
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How to Teach Word Problems to Every Type of Learner
How to Teach Word Problems Word problems are one of the most complex skills to teach in elementary math. At the same time, they are also the most practical skill. It is so important that our students understand how to solve word problems, yet many teachers struggle with helping their students succeed with this skill. Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be hard. Keep reading to learn how to teach word problems like a boss. The problem with many traditional math curriculums is that they only cater to one type of learner. As a teacher, you know very well that there is way more than one type of learner out there!…
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How to Teach Money Using Games and Activities
How to Teach Money Money is one of my absolute favorite units to teach because it is so real life. That was a weird sentence, but you know what I mean? Everyone uses money. Kids are fascinated by money. There are so many real-world experiences we can create for our students when teaching money. Counting coins, making change, adding money – these are all super practical skills that we use every single day and the best part is students KNOW they will use these skills. The buy in is already there! As teachers, we just need to make sure we keep it interesting. Today, I’m sharing how to teach money…
