Measuring Angle Tips for your Fourth Graders with freebies

Measuring and Drawing Angles can be tricky for some Third Grade and Fourth Grade Students but with lots of practice...mastery is just around the corner.

Before I teach how to measure angles, I always begin with introducing geometry terms like "ray", "vertex" and "protractor" so the children have better understanding of this sometimes abstract concept.

   

Real Life Experiences :We also look for angles around the classroom and in our lives.  Sometimes my students are able to make connections by seeing angles in clock hands, slices of pizza or furniture design (like our flooring and desks). I love seeing them get all excited to recognize angles in everyday objects that they had never seen before!

Talking about the types of angles is important. We draw angles EVERYWHERE like in the air during math lessons, in sidewalk chalk during recess, and even on our windows with LEEHO Window Crayons .  

 We are even known to explore making angles using play doh, clay or shaving cream.  You know me, I love kinesthetic learning experiences.  If I can incorporate a hands-on tool, I am one happy teacher!

Lastly we begin using a protractor to understand how to measure angles with activities such as these.

Don't forget the protractor's tiny midpoint hole is where the angle's vertex is aligned. Keep that protractor straight with the angle's bottom ray.

I made this ANGLES FREEBIE just for you.  Grab it HERE

Grab this Measuring Angles FREEBIE HERE (same as above link)

When my students get additional time identifying and measuring angles with hands on activities and plenty of practice, even my students who are usually challenged in math, hit a homeroom out of the park.

Click HERE to learn more about what skills and activities are included in my Angles Resource.

I hope my angles tips and measuring angles FREEBIES help you get started to a great geometry unit.

You've got this :)

3 Cool + Simple Tricks to Multiply by 9 that your students will LOVE!

It's MULTIPLICATION TIME!  My students are so excited to be practicing their Nines Multiplication Facts now! Time to bring out the multiplication games and multiplication math centers.

How I introduce the 9 Times Tables

9s are super fun because there are so many great patterns and tricks when it comes to the Nines!  The first 9s trick that I love is how the product of 9 times any number always equals nine when you add the digits together.  I love watching my students' faces when I write the Multiplication Nines Facts on the Smartboard and we work together to prove it!

You can do this with literally any number:

Multiply 9 by any number!

Go ahead!  Try it!

Another cool trick when you multiply by nine is that we notice a pattern with the first five facts (9x1=9 to 9x5=45) to the next five facts (9x6=54 to 9x10=90). The numbers in the product are reversed. 😉

I saved the best for last!  A third awesome trick (that I would have loved as a kid) is how you can use your fingers to help you multiply by 9.  First, hold out your hands and imagine that they are numbered 1-10, like this:

To multiply by 9 using your fingers, first number them

Then, if you are multiplying 9x4, you put down your fourth finger.  The fingers to the left of the fourth finger are the amount of tens, and the numbers to the right of the finger are the amount of ones!  

A Simple Trick to Multiply by 9

Before and after I introduce a new multiplication family, I always begin with a pretest to see what my students know.  This helps me identify which students will need more support and additional time in my math small groups.  I use this worksheet below as a pre and post test. I'm offering it below to you as a freebie.

Grab this freebie HERE   

Once we understand multiplying by 9 using arrays, pictures and manipulatives, we begin practicing facts for accuracy and fluency.  There are several multiplication activities that the students enjoy including tic tac toe games, BUMP, Number Puzzles and Sorting Worksheets.

Here is one of our favorite practice activities. Cut, Sort, Glue.

In this multiplication practice activity, students cut our math facts and then decide if the fact is true or false.  Some students are able to do this independently while others need to draw pictures or make an array to get the multiplication product.  Either way, the kids enjoy practicing facts with this worksheet. 

Grab this Multiplication Times 9 FREEBIE HERE

(same link as above)

Bottom Line: Knowing Multiplication Facts with instant recall and accuracy is crucial for higher learning in math. Once students understand the basic concept of multiplication, looking for patterns within times tables and practicing facts in a fun way can help students achieve mastery. 

If you like these free activities check out my Multiplication Times 9 HERE on TPT.

How to Get Your Students to Love Practicing Multiplication Facts with a Freebie

It seems like it is Multiplication Season for Third Grade Math students. My students practice their multiplication facts for fluency and mastery several different ways in the classroom.  Sometimes we play multiplication games like BUMP, Rolling for Fluency, Factor Find, Memory or Tic Tac Toe.  Occasionally on a Fun Friday, we will play an all class game of Multiplication Basketball, Multiplication Bounce Off or some other type of game show forum (I do love recreating a Family Feud set up in the classroom with buzzers)  Other times we practice writing times tables in shaving cream, sidewalk chalk ,Window Markers or snow.

All of these practice opportunities are valuable and engaging for my students.  I know my students enjoy these diverse methods to increase their fact power.  However, I think one of their "all time favorite" ways is to practice their math facts through color by number activities.  I play classical music or relaxing jazz music while the students work independently or with a partner to solve and color their facts.

I have created several different color by code activity resources for holidays, special occasions and numerous other packets for times table practice . My newest creation incorporates Cats and Dogs...who doesn't love a cute kitty or adorable pup pic :)

Grab this Multiplication Color by Code freebie HERE

If your kids enjoyed the freebie above, check out my Dogs and Cats Multiplication Activities on TPT HERE

Bottom Line: Knowing multiplication facts with mastery is so important for higher math concepts.  I find when I have students practice their multiplication facts in numerous ways, it helps them memorize and recall their facts with more ease.

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Reading Conferences Made Easy with a FREEBIE

Reading one to one or in a small group is imperative for helping beginning readers.
Here are a few tips for an easier and more engaging Reader's Workshop.

Tip ONE - I get a mini "high" shopping at The Dollar Store or in Target's Dollar ($3) Section where I can always find adorable treasures to give my students.  I am always on the hunt for something mini cute and inexpensive to give to the kiddos to use a reading pointers.  Here are some of the pointers I have given out to my readers this year. (drink stirrers, mini erasers, plastic fingers, mini flashlights, dollar store tiny animals...)  I pass out a new reading pointer every other week to the students when I read with them one on one. My students get so excited to receive this small gift. The reading pointer encourages beginning readers to focus to the text and point to the words as they read.

Tip TWO -

Change things up. Have a dessert tub.  We call books that are not leveled our Dessert Books.  We read these books for pure enjoyment.  This tub includes science and social studies literature that I have already read to the class, seasonal books and even books the children wrote on their own (a classroom favorite).  Sometimes the students like to read for enjoyment and not always their "just right" leveled texts. 

Tip THREE -

Send home books to read weekly and/or assign books through RAZ Kids or EPIC.  EPIC is a free service we use in the classroom on our iPads.  EPIC has fiction books, non-fiction books, "read to me" audio books, and videos too! My students especially love reading non-fiction books about animals. EPIC

Tip FOUR -

When reading with children one on one or in a very small group, send home a positive note to parents and caretakers showcasing strengths but also giving suggestion for things to do at home. My students are so proud to take these notes home because the note says great things while giving reminders how to improve as a reader.  My parents love and appreciate this easy-to-fill-out communication tool.

Here is an example of one of my reading conference forms.  

Grab this Reading Parent Communication FREEBIE HERE

If you like this freebie, check out my Reading Conference Forms Parent Communication Resource. It is such an easy and organized way to communicate with families about their student's reading progress. Thousands of teachers have purchased it and it has over 2,000 4 STARS. These forms include specific decoding strategies and comprehension strategies for both fiction and non-fiction texts. These communication forms help parent and caretakers have a better understanding what expectations are important for beginning readers.

Click HERE to see my Reading Parent Communication

Check out Reading Conference Parent Communication Forms HERE

I hope you found these classroom reading tips and this reading conference FREEBIE helpful.

Bottom Line: Reading with students on one one or within small groups is so important for student reading growth.  Parents are our biggest ally.  Communicating with them effectively and quickly to support reading at home can be a game changer.  

Fun Ways to Teach Divisibility Rules with a Freebie

 Mastering and understanding divisibility rules can be helpful for long division and greatest common factor. However, memorizing divisibility rules can be challenging for some kids.

I love incorporating fun hands-on ways to teach division in my classroom.

Here are just some of my students' favorite division practice activities

* Using Anchor Charts as a reference
* Flash Cards Practice and Memory Game
* Multiple Choice Worksheets
* True and False Cut, Sort and Glue Activities
* Color by Number Activities

Here is an example of Divisibility Color by Numbers Activity

Students use crayons or markers to color numbers divisible by 2, 3, and 5. Great for independent review, morning work, early finishers and math centers.

Grab this Divisibility Rules Activity FREEBIE Here

                     

Check HERE to Download this Divisibility Rules Color by Number Free

I often give my students a chance to practice math concepts through multiple choice activities.  Multiple choice questions allow students also to practice the same format they see on some standardize testing.

Grab this Divisibility Rules Worksheet FREEBIE (same link as above)

If you like these free activities for your fourth grader or fifth grader, check out this Divisibility Rules Resource.  My students enjoy using the anchor chart in this packet to help complete true and false activities, color by number activities and divisibility charts.

Check out my Divisibility Rules Activities

I hope you find the Division Freebie Activities engaging and enjoyable for your mathematicians.

Tips for Mastering Multiplication Facts with FREEBIES, Games and Activities

Make Math Facts Fun

Instant recall and mastering multiplication facts for fluency is needed for exponents, making common denominators for adding and subtracting fractions and solving algebraic equations just to name a few. However, practicing facts with flash cards can be redundant and dull.  Memorizing multiplication products can be challenging for many kids.

I love incorporating fun hands-on ways to teach multiplication in my classroom.

Here are just some of my students' favorite multiplication practice activities and games

* Playing Multiplication War with a deck of cards
* Playing Multiplication War with dice
(Student each roll two dice multiplying them together for the product.  Largest number wins)
* Playing Four in a Row Game
* Playing Bump
* Playing Multiplication Jenga
* Playing Memory using number cards or flashcards
* On-line games and apps like IXL and Multiplication Kids app
* Number Puzzles
* Tic Tac Toe
* Factor Find Dice Game
* Writing Multiplication Math Facts with shaving cream, sidewalk chalk or in colored sand
* Color by Number Multiplication Activities

Here is an example of Number Puzzles.

Students use crayons or markers to color the doubles multiplication equations. Great for morning work. 

 

 Grab this Number Puzzle FREEBIE HERE

Tic Tac Toe is another game my students love. 

It is great for math centers, morning work and even as an activity for early finishers

Grab this Multiplication Tic Tac Toe Game FREEBIE HERE (same link as above)

Factor Find is an easy and fun dice game for 2 students.  Students take turns rolling dice and coloring the box matching the factor number they rolled to make the equation true. 

 Grab this Factor Find Game FREEBIE HERE (same link as above)

I have incorporated all of these games (and more) into my multiplication resources. I make them into individual student journals for kiddos to work on independently or with a partner.
Here are just a few of my go-to resources for practicing multiplication facts.

Check out Multiplication TIMES 9 Activities and Games HERE

 Multiplication Activities and Games for Times 2, 5 and 10

I hope you find the Multiplication Freebie Games engaging and enjoyable for your beginning multiplication mathematicians.

Tips for a Successful Kindergarten Parent Communication with a FREEBIE

Communicating with Kindergarten parents is crucial but it also can be timely and plain exhausting! Kindergarten Parents and Families are our greatest partners and when we communicate with them in an effective way, the support at home can be priceless. 

Parent Teacher Conferences are a great opportunity to connect with families and share student progress, student challenges and student successes.  I enjoy meeting and connecting with families but I find my conferences are most productive if I have a plan and an organized system to follow.

What if I told you I came up with an easy organized way to let my parent know how their individual students are doing in EACH subject area?  Did I intrigue you? What if I told you these Kindergarten Parent Communication form were quick to fill out and not only share what students can work on but also share positive success as well?  Would you be interested in trying one for free?

I use these for to celebrate success and ask for extra support at home during Parent Teacher Conference and sometimes all year long.  Here is the Parent Communication Form I created for Kindergarten Math Number Recognition. There are 2 forms to a page to save paper-printer-friendly :)

Here is the form before I filled it out.

click HERE to grab this Parent Communication Math FREEBIE

I use these forms to drive the conversation around student challenges but more importantly strengths. I also find when I start the conference with kindness, empathy and compassion, the conferences run smoother and families are more apt to listen.  I can touch base on Kindergarten standards and expectations, show where their student is and then give ideas how to help and support the child at home.

If you liked my above freebie, you may be interested in checking out the Kindergarten Parent Packet I use.  This packet covers many important Kindergarten Standards in Reading, Phonics, Writing, Handwriting and Math.

Click HERE to Check out my Kindergarten Parent Communication on TPT

This Parent Communication Packet also comes with matching Teacher Checklists to help organize data  and make it easier to remember what information was sent home.

What do you love about your parent communication. Share your tips in the comment below. I hope you found this Numbers Recognition freebie helpful and Happy Conferencing!