Ways to Practice Addition Facts for Instant Recall and Mastery for 1st and 2nd Grades

Your first and second graders are learning their math facts, and it all starts with addition! Practicing addition facts can be fun for your students with these different activities! Check out these ways to practice addition facts for instant recall and mastery for 1st and 2nd grades!

Addition Color by Number

Whenever I can work in art with math, my students get excited! Using color by number helps students see the results of knowing their addition math facts while creating a beautiful picture. Color by number addition comes with 12 addition color by number pages and 4 bookmark pages along with a cover to organize into a booklet. Coloring sheets let students add numbers 1-10 as well as some double digits (through 10+10). Your students will color cool clip art kids and have the factor power of each number in their corner!

Addition Flashcards

Using flashcards to memorize and practice addition facts is nothing new, but you can also use addition flashcards in your classroom for fun games! Have your first and second graders use the cards for a game of Go Fish (use the sum for the number to "Go Fish" or match), matching games, or math stations. Addition flashcards are also perfect for review. Upload the PDFs to Google Classroom to let your distance learners practice and review! The addition flashcards focus on sums of 10 to sums of 20 and include 173 mini card sets.

Addend Find

My students love playing the addend find game included in the Addition Bundle to review their addition facts. Addend Find works with two players. Each student chooses a different color crayon. Next, they roll two dice. Then, the student uses the sum of the dice to complete one of the number sentences with an addend and colors the square their color. The first one to four in a row wins!

Addition Fact Maze

Another activity in the Addition Bundle is the Maze Fun game! Students simply follow the maze through the correct problems. If they reach an incorrect problem, they'll put an X over the problem and turn around to try a different path.

Addition Bump

If you want to get your students really excited about reviewing addition facts, try addition bump! This is an easy no prep game. All you'll need is the game board, two dice, and 20 tokens. Here's how it works! Begin with two players or teams per game board. First, player one rolls the dice and adds the number on the dice with the number on the top right corner of the game board. Next, player one places a token on the matching sum of that fact. Player two then continues with their turn. In order to BUMP opponents off their space, the other player must roll the same sum. To secure a space, players place two tokens on a given space by rolling the same sum two times during play. The game ends when all tokens are used. The game includes game boards for +1 to +12 facts. 

Want to see what all the BUZZ is about?  I made this Addition Bump Freebie just for you. Click HERE to grab this FREEBIE for your students.

 These ways to practice addition facts for instant recall and mastery for 1st and 2nd grades will have your students so excited to improve and review their basic skills! Try these simple, no-prep games in your primary math classroom.

Martin Luther King Jr Must-Do Activities for Your 3rd and 4th Graders

On the looking for some Martin Luther King Math activities? Then you're in luck! This post is full of great ideas you can use with your 3rd, or 4th grade classroom and homeschool students! Use them as review, for math center or stations, with small groups, for whole group lessons, and more!  Your students will be so engaged they won't even know they're learning! 

My class is getting ready to celebrate the great Martin Luther King Jr.  Our shelves are full of great literature. Discussions are beginning. How else can we bring Martin Luther into the classroom? With Martin Luther King Math, Activities and Songs, of course!

Art Hub

Do you know Art Hub on YOUTUBE?  We love this father and son artist duo (and sometime young daughter)  Every holiday, we spend a few minutes on a Friday afternoon doing one of their direct drawings.  Not only are these direct drawings adorable and collaborative but they help reinforce listening, following directions and inspires creativity for other art projects.   Check them out below.

Rise Up Song

Jack Hartmann is my "go to" when teaching Kindergarten and 1st Grade but some of his songs are for everyone and this is just one of them.  It has a nice rhythm, incorporates some actual black and white photos of Dr. King and celebrates peace. What student doesn't need a little movement break during the afternoon? (Hint:most of mine)

Martin Luther King Jr. Multiplication Color by Number Math Activities

Multiplication Color by Codes are alway a huge hit with my students! My kiddos love coloring and practicing their facts for fact power.  They usual get so fixated on the colors that they don't realize that they are reviewing their multiplication facts for mastery and fluency.  I use these sheets for morning work during check-in, early finishers , math centers of for homework.  

And if that doesn't sound like the greatest news ever... I recently gave this resource a "Spa Day" updating fonts and borders as well as adding student multiplication bookmarks to help support students that may need a little extra scaffold and differentiation.

Here is one of my kiddos. She is so proud of her work.  Sshh, don't tell her she just practiced multiplication facts.

Want even more Martin Luther King Math resources, book ideas, and FREEBIES? Check out this blog post!

Introduction to Measurement for 1st and 2nd Grade Students

Helping students beginning measurement is so important in developing their future measurement and math skills. To begin, having a strong introduction to measurement for 1st and 2nd grad students can make a huge difference in their foundational understanding of measurement! Get started with this introduction to measurement for 1st and 2nd grade students.

Identifying Centimeters and Inches

Understanding the basic units of measurement for length in both metric and customary measurement systems will help your students learn how to use a ruler and have a concept of length. To begin, help your students learn how to identify centimeters and inches by using engaging lessons and practice materials. First, the measurement contains practice pages to help students identify inches to the nearest half inch as well as centimeters. In addition to reading a ruler on the page, students make their own markings on an actual correctly scaled ruler. Next, practice identifying inches to the nearest half inch. Not only is this a great way to practice beginning measurement, your students also get a foundation for rounding skills. One reason I love using the introduction to measurement practice pages is to take students from sharing materials. Of course, it's difficult to keep multiple rulers cleaned! That's why I use practice pages with actual rulers! Then students can do all of their work on paper without worrying about spreading germs!

Click HERE to download this sample freebie!  Your students will love the visual support for identifying inches on a ruler.

Labeling Inches and Centimeters

In addition to identifying inches and centimeters, your students will also learn to label an ruler with inches and centimeters. This shows a deeper understanding of the units of measurement. Labeling activities are ready to go and print on the introduction to measurement practice pages!

Comparing Inches and Centimeters

Going back and forth from customary to metric measurement can be confusing! Use the introduction to measurement practice pages to have your student practice comparing inches and centimeters. First, have your students compare inches and centimeters to decide which measurement in larger. Next, use the practice pages to have students find which measurement in centimeters or inches is smaller. This comparison activity helps students with problem-solving and critical thinking skills!

Here is an example on one of my pages comparing inches and centimeters  Like it? Download it HERE. I made this freebie just for you :) 

 

Drawing and Measuring Lines

Finally, help your students put together everything they've learned about inches and centimeters and draw their own lines! Students draw lines given a certain measurement. In addition, your 1st and 2nd graders can measure lines on the paper and then draw a line that is additional centimeters or inches or a shorter length. These activities are ready-to-print and use on the introduction to measurement practice pages!

Extension Activities for Introduction to Measurement

Have your students extend their learning by using their paper or actual rulers to measure things in the classroom or around their own home. Of course, to keep social distancing, students can measure their own materials in their area or even their hands or bottoms of shoes! In addition, ask your students to measure things at home. How long is their bed in centimeters? In inches? Measure the cover of a book or a spoon in the kitchen. The possibilities are endless for students to extend their measurement learning! This introduction to measurement for 1st and 2nd grade students will help your students get the foundation they need for measurement instruction! Count on the introduction to measurement practice pages to help your students get started with measurement in the primary math classroom!

 

Measurement Conversion for 4th and 5th Grade students

Measurement can be a confusing concept for upper elementary students, especially when it comes to measurement conversion. Whether you are teaching customary measurements, metric conversions, or both, your students will need practice understanding and applying measurement conversions. Having cheat sheets of conversion formulas and patterns can be helpful, but the way my students learn best is through practice! Here are some ways to teach measurement conversion for 4th and 5th grade students.

Use anchor charts.

Eventually, your students may have measurement conversions memorized, but start by having anchor charts with common conversions posted online or in-person for all of your learners to see. These charts will help your students understand conversions for customary and metric units.

Here is an example of an anchor chart I use with my students. I created a customary measurement anchor chart and a metric measurement anchor chart.  Below is smaller version of my Customary Measurement Anchor Chart.

 

Click HERE to grab and download this Measurement Conversion Anchor Chart for FREE.

Make Measurement Conversion Relevant.

You can use anchor charts and cheat sheets all day long, but until you help students connect measurement conversion to real life, it doesn't make a lot of sense! Measurement conversion is one of the most important math concepts for your students to learn. Of course, measurement conversion is used in cooking! Start by having your students convert recipe ingredients from cups to ounces. Another relevant use for measurement conversion is understanding distance. I have a lot of students who love to run! Track and field events are often measured in yards. Have your students convert yards to feet and then miles to see the distance they are running. Measuring short lengths is also important too. Making scale models for class or building things at home is so much easier when students understand how to convert customary and metric lengths.

Practice measurement conversion.

Once students have the formulas and conversion charts available, it's important to practice!  I love to have students practice in a chart form where they can notice the patterns in the numbers.  Many students may be able to see that multiplication is the operation that is used to go from smaller units of measurement to larger units, while division is used to go from larger units of measurement to smaller units of measurement.

CLICK HERE to download this FREEBIE I made just for you.

Using measurement conversion worksheets can be awesome practice for your 4th and 5th grade students. The unit I created on TPT comes with everything you need to help your students with customary and metric measurement conversion for 4th and 5th grade students.

It includes the following...
 

A Student Journal Cover to organize into a mini booklet for your students

Anchor Chart for Metric and Customary Units of Measurement (2)

Mini Anchor Charts (2)

Customary Length

Feet to Yards Conversion Practice (2)

Feet to Miles Conversion Practice (2)

Customary Weight

Pounds to Ounces (2)

Tons to Pounds (2)

Customary Capacity

Cups to Fluid Ounces (2)

Quarts to Gallons (2)

Metric Length

Kilometers to Meters

Metric Mass

Kilograms to grams

Temperature

Fahrenheit to Celsius

Customary Length to Metric Length

Inches to cm

Mixed Review

2 activities

Measurement Word Problems

2 different activities (with 1 additional page that is differentiated with multiple choice options for students that need extra support)

True and False

Cut Sort Glue                                                                                                                                                  

I like to pair these worksheets to practice measurement conversion for 4th and 5th grade students along with hands-on, relevant measurement activities in the classroom and at home. Incorporating recipes, track and field activities, and even finding temperatures in different parts of the world are ways to practice measurement conversion. Using resources like these measurement conversion worksheets that focus on customary and metric measurement conversion will help your students understand different types of measurements and their applications in real life. How will you use these measurement conversion resources in your upper elementary math classroom?

Thanksgiving Math FREE Fun to Entice Your Third Grade Math or Fourth Grade Math Students

Gobble! Gobble! It is almost turkey time. That means it is time to integrate Thanksgiving FUN with math. The days leading up to the holiday can busy and hectic.  Why not take that time to brush up on multiplication facts.  Knowing multiplication facts with instant recall is so important for numerous other math topics including greatest common factors, least common multiples, multiplying integers, and multiplying fractions.   I even use multiplication myself for long division as I think of the inverse operation to help me solve division problems. Full disclosure: I know my multiplication facts faster than my division facts.  Ssssh, don't tell my students. 

So grab your brightest and most colorful crayons and let's get started!  What a GREAT way to have your Third Grade Math students, Fourth Grade Math or even your Fifth Grade Math students review their multiplication facts for fluency and accuracy than with Multiplication Color by Number Activities?  My students love coloring and I love the quiet and calmness it seems to bring in my classroom. I have even been known to play relaxing Enya or slow jazz while children work in small groups or independently on these worksheets.   

Don't believe me? Try it yourself.  I created this Thanksgiving Multiplication Worksheet just for you.

CLICK HERE to download this Thanksgiving Multiplication FREEBIE

If your students enjoyed practicing their multiplication facts with the freebie above, check out these Thanksgiving Multiplication Color by Number Activities on TPT.  Each page focuses on a different factor. So some of your students can be brushing up on their times 2 or times 10 facts, while other students can be focusing on more challenging facts like times 8 or times 12.  I say differentiation is key to mathematical confidence and success.

How to Build Home to School Connections

 

When I think about relationships in the classroom, it’s not just the ones with my students that are important. Parents count on me to be part of their team to help their children, and I count on parents to partner in their student’s education. As a parent and teacher, I know how important it is to build relationships with families. Learn how to build home to school connections with your families this year!

Make Sunshine Phone Calls and Send Positive Notes Home

If every time parents hear from you, it’s a negative thing, those home to school connections get broken easily. Yes, you will need to make phone calls or send notes home for the tough stuff, but it’s also vital to reach out to families when things are going well academically or with social-emotional well being. In addition to notes or emails, you can also make positive phone calls home. I call these “Sunshine Calls”, and it’s best to make one early in the year. Give yourself a few minutes a day to call home during the first few weeks of school. Think of a specific, positive thing you can say about their child to start building home to school connections.

Emphasize Reading at Home

Don’t wait until parent-teacher conferences to tell parents about their child’s reading progress. Send home reading conference forms with specific skills and progress, especially for K-2 readers. Focus on the student perspective and what they worked on with you that day. The forms are easy to understand and give the child a chance to talk to parents about what they read and what skills they are working on. In addition, let parents know that it’s not always about what their kids are reading at home but really that they are reading! Sometimes, parents want to focus on reading levels since that’s what we do in school to monitor progress and provide interventions. However, encourage parents to have their children read what they love at home. The very best readers spend time reading for pleasure. Also, invite parents to become partners in their student’s reading routine by suggesting titles they may want to enjoy together. Build the home to school connections by sharing resources for free books with parents. Let families know how they can access the school library, public libraries, and electronic book resources provided by the district or school. Finally, make sure you are communicating with families in the language they speak at home. Even if a student speaks English well, it doesn't mean their parents are receiving the information. My reading communication forms are available in both English and Spanish.

Fix the Math Mindset

In my decades of teaching elementary math, nothing hurts more than when I hear a parent say, “I’m not a math person” in front of their child. Everyone can be a math person! The fixed mindset of “I can’t” that comes with math often passes on to children. Communicating about the how and why of math in the classroom will help parents understand that their child can meet and perhaps even exceed expectations in the math classroom. Share math skills that you reviewed with your students and what they can work on at home with these math assessment forms. Because the forms are focused on multiple skills, they help with differentiating instruction for all your K-2 math learners!

Prepare for Testing

A lot of getting ready for state or national testing is not about the content students are studying. Many test taking strategies are about study skills and coming to school ready to take a test. This includes getting a good night’s sleep and eating a healthy breakfast. Parents are partners in test taking preparation as well. Share these test taking communication forms with families as test time gets close. Building home to school connections is key when it comes to test time. Relationships are key when it comes to classroom management and even getting your students to buy into content. However, it’s not just about getting to know the kids in your classroom. Parents and guardians are partners in their children’s education, and we count on each other. These parent communication resources will help you to build home to school connections with your families this year!

Entice Your Beginning Multiplication Student To Practice Their Facts with Math Games

      I don't have to tell you how important mastering Multiplication Math Fact Fluency is for Third Grade, Fourth Grade and Fifth Grade Math Lessons.  Some students like traditional practice methods like flashcards and paper pencil - other students enjoy computer apps and games and still other students learn best through engaging games and activities.  Personally, I like a combination of all 3 of these methods.  I say the more practice ... the better. 

Recently, my third grade son has been working so hard trying to commit his multiplication times tables to memory.  Actually, he has been impressing me with his success and has done a much better job that his two older brothers in that area. (Woo Hoo J!)  For kicks and giggles, I took out my Multiplication Math Packets and had him try a few pages independently.  One thing to know about my youngest - he is rough and tumble and a master lego builder, but if you break out the markers and crayons...he is in heaven...for about 15 minutes.  Granted, 15 minutes may not seem that long to you but for here in a house full of boys...it's delightful!

Searching for math facts in a puzzle format, sorting true and false multiplication equations, playing Multiplication Bump and completing multiplication color by number activities really helped my son master his facts for fluency and instant recall.  I call that a win!

Below, I am attaching my Multiplication Times 10 FREE Resource.  At home, I give these pages to my boys as an occasional review but at school I put them together in a booklet for students to work on during morning work or when they finish early.  Some kids actually beg for time to work in their Multiplication Math Journal.

Who doesn't love a word search?  What about combining a word search and math facts?  Sounds great to me.  Students actually love doing this activity alone or with a friend.

Identifying multiples is wonderful practice for higher math skills such as finding common denominators when adding and subtracting fractions as well as LCM least common multiple activities. 

CLICK HERE to grab this Multiplication Times 10 FREEBIE

If you follow me on Teachers Pay Teachers, Instagram or Facebook, you know I am obsessed with color by number activities.  I find them so peaceful, fun and the pretty colors make me and my students happy...what can I say.    

Playing games to practice math facts is great for cooperative learning. The students don't even realize they are actually practicing math.  Bonus! 

CLICK HERE to download this Multiplication Times 10 FREEBIE   (same link as above)

What ways do you use to help students remember their multiplication facts?  Do you prefer flashcards, timed tests, fun activities or computer apps?  Or are you like me and like a mixture of it all?

CLICK HERE to check out Count on Tricia Multiplication Resources on TPT