First Grade Centers and More

Ways to Make 10 Games: Hands on Activities for First Grade

2022-07-18T09:18:00.000-07:00

Do you ever feel frustrated with how quickly your math book teaches concepts and moves on? I remember having one or two days to teach the ways to make 10. A few students could grasp the concept quickly, but most needed repeated practice in order to fluently remember the number combinations that equaled ten.

Today, I am sharing some hands-on activities to teach making ten. These activities are perfect for your small groups and interventions. Once the activities have been introduced and practiced, they easily transfer to a learning center.

Ways to Make 10 Games

Ten Frame Activities:

Shake it up is a super fun activity for practicing number combinations that equal ten. Students put ten 2-sided counters into a small cup, shake it up, and dump them out. They record the counters on a ten frame and write a matching addition sentence.

Kids love playing spinner games! In this game, students spin a number and build it with one type of counter. Then, they add different counters for the second number that equals ten. Last, they record the matching addition sentence.

Using Cubes to Make Ten:

Start with ten frames that already have one number represented. Students add cubes to fill the rest of the frame to make ten. Then use magnetic letters or letter tiles to show the two numbers that make ten.

Tens Staircase is a great activity for showing students ALL the combinations of ten in a systematic way. Students start with 20 cubes- 10 of two different colors. They begin with all cubes of one color, then slowly begin changing one cube at a time.

They record the cubes as they go, so they can see the visual pattern in the cubes and numbers. This is a really cool activity if you have enough cubes to physically layout the number staircase.

Card Games and Dominoes:

Card games are another great way to practice ways to make ten. You can play games like Go Fish and Memory where students find the number combinations to ten. A deck of playing cards works great, just remove the face cards and the ace makes 1.

Use a set of dominoes to practice! Instead of matching identical numbers, students match numbers that make ten. You will need dominoes that go up to 9 to play this game. This is a great game to play in a group, with a partner, or even on their own. Add in a simple recording sheet to increase the accountability.

Dice Activities for Making 10:

Somehow, dice make everything more fun! If possible, use a die with ten sides so that students can build all the different number combinations to ten. For students who need more support, the dice with dots are a great place to start. For students working on fluency, dice with numerals are great!

Work on Fluency:

Once students have a concrete understanding of ways to make ten, then it is time to build their fluency! In this partner game, students find a ten pair and color it. They try to be the first person to get 5 in a row.

You can grab a free set of this game below!

Some students learn best through hands-on projects! This activity is great to add to an interactive notebook. Students can revisit the craft and quiz themselves on the ways to make 10.

Learn more about these activities for Making 10:

Need more hands-on math ideas for first grade? Check out this post about teaching the Commutative Property of Addition.

Teaching Phonics with Decodable Reading Passages

2022-07-11T12:20:00.009-07:00

Why Use Decodable Reading Passages?

We know that students need explicit instruction in the essential components of reading including phonics, phonological awareness, comprehension, fluency and vocabulary. Decodable reading passages are a great way to teach phonics, fluency, and comprehension!

Decodable passages:

Provide systematic phonics instruction
Are fun for students and easy to implement for teachers
Provide quality text at a carefully controlled level
Are a flexible learning tool that can be used in a variety of classroom settings

How to use the decodable readers:

On the front cover students are introduced to, or review, a phonics sound. They practice reading words with the pattern, picture clues are included for support. I like students to use a highlighter and highlight the target skill. The words will appear again in the reading passage.

Next, students open up the booklet. On the left column they apply their phonics skills to read words with the pattern. I like students to read the list at least three times to increase their fluency.

Now it is time to read the phonics-based reading passage! Students should be able to read the text independently. There may be a few high-frequency words that you need to introduce prior to reading. Again, I recommend having the students read the passage multiple times to work on fluency.

Students search through the passage and find all the words that fit the word pattern being taught. You can have children circle or highlight them. Then, they write them on the list at the bottom center of the page. You can see students are getting a TON of practice with the new phonics skill!!!

After reading and finding the words, it is time for students to do some reading comprehension work! At this level, students complete a cloze reading activity. Later in the year, students answer questions about the text. This is a great way to get students back into the text one more time!

The back cover of the booklet provides a great opportunity for students to apply their new learning! Students write words that contain the learned phonics pattern. Children should be able to write the words without looking back in the passage. This page is a great for you to assess your students understanding of the learned skill.

Currently, I have five sets of phonics-based reading passages: short vowels, silent e, r-controlled vowels, vowel teams, and diphthongs.

The bundle is a great deal because any new sets will also be added to it for free!

Teaching Strategies for First Grade Writing: Stretch the Sentence

2022-06-27T08:38:00.004-07:00

Do you struggle with teaching your first graders to revise their writing? It is such a hard skill to teach in first grade. My students always struggled with understanding the difference between editing and revising. As an early elementary teacher, you CAN begin to lay the foundation for teaching children about revising their writing. Today I wanted to share one of my favorite revising strategies for primary aged children- Stretch the Sentence.

The strategy is just as it sounds. We start with a simple sentence and make it more descriptive and complex one word or phrase at a time. It is a great way for students to begin using adjectives in their writing!

Begin the lesson by modeling a think aloud. You'll want to start with a simple sentence on your projector, chart paper, etc. Let's use the sentence- Mom made cookies- as an example. Underneath the sentence you will rewrite the sentence adding more detail to it.

You could write:

Mom made sugar cookies.

I like to underline the newly added words.

Then you would repeat the process:

Mom made sugar cookies with frosting.

Keep adding even more! It is great to repeat the process 3-4 times.

Mom made sugar cookies with pink frosting.

Mom made sugar cookies with pink frosting and sprinkles.

Repeat this process over several days using a gradual release of responsibility. You'll want to use a new sentence each day.

Day 1- Model the Strategy/Think Aloud

Day 2- Shared Writing- Teacher writes, but students share ideas for words to add

Day 3- Work with a Partner

Day 4- Independent Practice

Remember to build in some time for sharing along the way. Students can share just the final sentence. It is fun for them to see the different sentences that everyone developed!

Once students are familiar with the strategy, it is important for students to continue to practice it, so that the skill becomes more internalized.

You really don't need anything special to teach this strategy. If you want a quick and simple resource to practice this skill, I have created a series of worksheets to simplify your planning. You can click the picture to learn more about this resource.

Ultimately, we want our students to be able to apply this skill to their personal writing. Have students choose a sentence from one of their writing pieces and use the strategy to revise their writing project!

Want to try a free sample? Click the picture!

View the full resource here:

Need more writing ideas? Check out this post about teaching opinion writing to first graders!

Three Activities for Teaching Earth Day in First Grade and a Free Earth Day Book

2022-03-28T10:01:00.004-07:00

Earth Day Activities for First Grade

I LOVE April! The weather is beginning to warm, and the flowers are starting to bloom. It's the Goldilocks month- not too hot, not too cold...but JUST RIGHT! It really is such a great month to teach about how awesome our Earth is and ways we can take care of it. I hope these Earth Day activities for first grade will help you plan some quick and easy lessons this month.

Activity 1- Reduce

The word reduce is likely a new word for many of your students. Start by teaching kids that the word "reduce" means to use less of something. Water is a great item to teach students about using less of it, electricity is also a good option.
Brainstorm with kids all of the ways they use water. Write down their ideas as they share them. They might think of drinking, bathing, washing clothes or dishes, watering grass, swimming.
Next, talk about "why". Why should we use less water? Many students have probably never thought about using less water. We turn on the tap and water magically comes out!
Last, have students think of ways to use less water. Again, you may want to write down their ideas as they share them. Some simple ideas for first graders to grasp are: turning off the water while they brush their teeth and making sure they shut the tap completely off when they are finished washing. This is a great prompt for students to write about in their journals.

Want some ready to go activities for teaching Earth Day? I have written mini-books to help teach these topics to your students.

Activity 2- Reuse

Bring some reusable and nonreusable items into your classrooms such as disposable and reusable water bottles, plastic and reusable grocery bags, paper towels and dishcloths, regular and paper plates.
Show the "pairs" of items to your class one at a time. Ask what happens when you finish using the items. Help students see that some items get used once and then thrown away (or recycled) while others can be used again and again!
Last have students get creative! Show items such as a cardboard box or glass jar and have them write about ways they could reuse one of the items.

Want a craft project to go along with this lesson? Check out this fun reuse-it craft project!

Activity 3- Recycle

Consider reading a book such as The Adventures of a Plastic Bottle: A Story About Recycling by Alison Inches.
Bring a variety of items (recyclables and non-recyclables) into your classroom. Some good non-recyclable items include styrofoam, fast food cups and packaging, used pizza boxes, and plastic utensils.
Go through the items together the first time and sort them into two groups: recyclables & trash.
Talk about how the non-recyclable items will go to the landfill.
Now sort the recyclable items into categories: glass, cans, plastics, and cardboard/paper.
Since you have learned all three R's, today is a good day to talk about which one is better? While recycling is good, we want students to begin to grasp that reducing and reusing is even better!

Try one of the Earth Day books for free here.

Ten More and Ten Less: Hands on Activities for First Grade

2022-03-03T12:58:00.029-08:00

Ten More and Ten Less

Teaching ten more and ten less is a lot of fun in first grade! There are so many fun, hands-on activities you can do with your students to work on this place value skill.

There are a variety of skills students need to be successful with this standard:

Can students orally count on from a given number?
Do students have good number sense? Can they easily compare and order numbers?
Do they understand our base-ten number system?

If not, you may need to do some pre-teaching before they are ready to mentally find 10 more and 10 less than a given number. These activities can help you build these skills.

Hands-On Activities

Use cubes to count on. Start with a given number and touch or push cubes as students count on ten more. Once students can count on ten, then work on counting back ten. You could use a simple ten frame to do this activity- or you can make it more enticing with these fun snail mail mats!

We know that students love variety, and many students learn in different ways! Cubes and fingers are another way to practice in a hands-on concrete way.

Once students can orally count on and back ten, then work on writing the numerals. This is a great way to continue building number sense. Number lines are a great way to practice. You can use a simple number line or spice it up with math mats to make it feel like a game!

After students have mastered the skill of orally counting on ten less and ten more and can write the numerals then they are ready to dive deeper into place value understandings.

Here are some of my favorite activities:

Use Place Value Blocks

Students build a two-digit number with place value blocks. They add another "ten" to make ten more. Then they take away a "ten" to show ten less. You can use a simple two-column place value mat, or these pails are super fun!

Use a 100 or 120 Chart

I love that "aha moment" when first graders realize they can use a 100 or 120 chart and go up and down a row to find ten more and ten less! Be sure to talk with your students about why this works and how it relates to our number system. This mat is perfect for using a math link to "circle" the numbers.

Mentally Finding 10 More and Ten Less

Now that you have spent a good amount of time building students' place value understanding, most students will be ready to mentally find ten more and ten less. This is the math standard students are expected to master in first grade.

I love that this mat connects the idea of addition and subtraction to the skill. Children place a number card in the middle and then they write the ten less and ten more numbers. Students shouldn't need to "count" our goal now is automaticity. You can download a free black and white version of this mat and number cards here.

Task cards are a great way to fluency! This set comes with three sets of cards and recording sheets for three different activities to practice ten more and ten less: Scoot, Write the Room, and a Math Station. Your students will love these games!

Your students will love using these hero number mats at a center. The starting number is written in the middle and students write the ten less and ten more numbers. This is also a great small group activity.

Kids always love to play Bingo! This is another great way to work on fluency for the skill of 10 more and 10 less. It is perfect for use in small groups, or at centers.

Want to learn more about this set? Click here.

Check out more of my first-grade hands-on math units:

Six Tips for Successful First Grade Math Centers

2022-02-03T10:21:00.005-08:00

Six Tips for First Grade Math Centers

We want students to be able to work independently at their first-grade math centers. This allows the teacher time to be able to work with small groups or individual students and meet a variety of needs within the classroom. Here are six of my best tips for successful first-grade math centers.

#1- Math Centers should be fun

Math centers need to be fun and engaging for your students. Look for ways you can provide opportunities for students to move and interact with others during the activities. Write the Room is a favorite center activity that allows students to move around the classroom.

Partner or small group games are also great! You will want to think through your level of comfort with students moving around the room and working with others. Take the time to train your students to work at an appropriate volume level for your classroom.

#2- Keep your centers predictable

One of the easiest ways to encourage independent work at centers is to keep the format of the activities similar from week to week. This helps students know how to use the center and reduces the number of questions your students will have. It will also cut down on the amount of time you spend explaining centers each week. You can easily change the skill you are working on while keep the activity the same. Activities like dice games, memory, and task cards work great for centers and can be used a lot of different ways.

Kids love playing memory! This set is available as a free download in my TPT store.

# 3- Use math centers for review

Centers are the perfect place to practice and refine past learned skills. It's okay to place items in centers that seem "easy" or were taught several months ago. This increases the opportunity for students to work independently and gain fluency in their math skills.

Avoid placing new content into math centers too quickly. Your students may have too many questions, or they may practice the skill incorrectly if the content isn't review work. You want to know your students have a strong understanding of the math concept before they are working without your guidance or support.

# 4- Students need accountability

We want centers to be fun AND we want students to stay focused on the task. Without something to turn in, some students will not be on task. One option is to include some type of recording sheet or exit ticket for students to complete with their center activity. It isn't usually necessary to grade these tasks, but it allows you to track that your students were engaged and on task. A sticker or stamp for completion of the task works great for accountability.

Recording sheets work great for student accountability!

#5- Utilize Technology

Classrooms today are full of technology and digital resources. Utilize the resources you used during remote learning and repurpose them for digital math centers. Platforms like Google, Seesaw, and Boom Cards make great first grade math centers.

Digital activity for practicing ten more and ten less from my digital place value bundle.

Students love digital activities that incorporate moveable pieces!

#6- Stay Organized

One of the most challenging aspects of math centers is keeping your supplies organized and picked up. Develop an organizational system of containers, labels, etc. and train your students well on how you want them to clean up. Allow plenty of time for students to clean up centers correctly and put supplies away. Take the time to teach and practice clean-up procedures. Check out this blog post for ideas on staying organized.

Need some easy to use first grade math centers? Check out this bundle that works great for memory, write the room, and task cards.

Polar Bears Reading Comprehension

2021-12-15T14:18:00.005-08:00

Polar Bears Reading Comprehension {and Freebie}

First graders love learning about polar bears! It is always a fun topic to teach during the winter months.

Using paired fiction and nonfiction texts is a great way to learn about polar bears because there are SO many opportunities for teaching your core English Language Arts Standards.

I paired the read-aloud books The Snowy Day by Jan Brett and National Geographic Kids: Polar Bears by Laura Marsh for this resource.

You can check out my other Winter Paired Text set here.

The Three Snow Bears is wonderful for teaching the skills of sequencing key details, studying characters and their traits, comparing and contrasting texts with Goldilocks and the Three Bears, and opinion writing.

The nonfiction text about polar bears provides opportunities to teach finding key details, close studying the text feature of a diagram, learning how glossaries work, and writing informative pieces.

Informative Standards

Using a graphic organizer is the perfect way for students to find and record key details. This graphic organizer helps them focus on one topic at a time: polar bear bodies, food, environment, and cubs.

Main idea and detail is a tricky topic that students need a LOT of practice with! This sheet scaffolds their learning by providing the main idea- students then add some related details. A version without the main idea already listed is also included.

Kids will study a diagram of the polar bear paw. Then they make their own diagram.

Students will write a 5-sentence informative paragraph about polar bears. This version provides a topic and closing sentence to support emergent learners. A version for students to write all 5 sentences is also included.

Free download: Click here to download the writing page.

Your class will learn how the text feature of a glossary works. They will also also create their own picture glossary with the vocabulary words.

Literature Standards

After listening to The Three Snow Bears by Jan Brett students will work together to sequence key details from the text.

Students will focus on character traits and search for text evidence of each trait. Versions with and without character traits listed are included for easy differentiation.

The Three Snow Bears is the perfect text to compare and contrast with a more traditional version of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Cut and glue pieces are included, or students can fill in their own ideas.

Students will write a 5-sentence opinion piece about which story is their favorite!

You will love all of the options for easy differentiation! Many more ideas included.

Detailed lesson plans aligned to Common Core State Standards are included!

You can click here to learn more about this polar bears reading comprehension resource.

Christmas Countdown: A Fun Way to Keep Your Students Learning!

2021-11-29T11:29:00.006-08:00

December is one of the most fun- and most challenging- months of the year! There are so many great activities to do- but the KIDS are so excited that it is hard to keep them focused and working hard! This Christmas Countdown is a great way to take advantage of every opportunity to keep students learning.

I am a firm believer in positive reinforcement! So, I came up with this fun idea for a whole class behavior incentive for December using a Christmas Countdown themed punchboard.

How to Create a Christmas Countdown Punchboard:

The board is easy to make with a few basic supplies: foam board, disposable cups, tissue paper, rubber bands, a glue stick, and a hot glue gun. Add a cute heading and some clipart at the top using glue stick. Then, hot glue the cups to the board.

Next, fill the cups with reward slips for the students to earn.

Glue the circle pictures to the top of green tissue paper and then rubber band the paper around the cups. Be sure the reward slip and the top picture match!

Now the board can be displayed and your students can start earning the rewards! There is a different reward for each cup- enough for at least 12 days.

Work on one reward cup at a time. Each student receives their own page to color in with the matching picture. When the whole-class exhibits great behavior, they all earn a coloring clue!

I recommend using a cute Christmas themed box to store the clues. You can read the clues out loud to your class, or choose a student to read it to them. You can reward any behavior that is important to you.

Some behavior ideas might include:

listening carefully to teacher directions
working without distractions
walking quietly in the hallway
lining up quickly and appropriately

When they color an entire picture (the clue box is empty for that picture), then they get to open the matching punch box cup and reveal the class reward! Once students have enjoyed the reward, you can begin working on the next cup. Your students will love making memories with this project, and you will love how it keeps them focused!

Want to learn more about this Christmas countdown resource? You can check it out in my TPT store!

Doubles Facts in Math: Addition Fluency Strategy

2021-10-27T14:34:00.008-07:00

Doubles Facts in Math

Increasing students' fact fluency is an important goal in first grade! For a small group of students memorizing addition and subtraction facts comes easy. But most kids need a considerable amount of time and practice in order to become fluent with addition and subtraction facts to ten. Today, I want to share some ideas for helping students to practice doubles facts. Doubles are a great place to start for increasing fact fluency and is also a precursor to learning the "doubles +1" strategy.

Dice Games

Kids love using dice! If you haven't already, start collecting a wide assortment of dice: big, small, dots, numbers, different colors, dice within a dice, 6-sided, and specialty dice. Changing the dice is an easy way to add novelty to your math activities.

One simple math game for practicing doubles facts in math is Roll and Color. Students roll the dice and color the "double" of the number. They try to color five numbers in a row. Playing with a partner is a blast because they can block each other. Your class will want to play this game again and again!

Roll a Double is another simple activity for practicing doubles facts. Students roll 2 dice or a dice within a dice (pictured) until they roll a double. Then they record their double fact. This game could even be played with just a piece of notebook paper for recording their doubles. This game is fast-paced and lots of fun!

Dice Tip- Foam dice that are quiet when they are rolled are amazing! Another option is to have students roll the dice on a 9x12 felt square, which can easily be found at your local craft store.

Cubes

Unifix cubes are an excellent math tool that can be used in SO many ways! They work great for practicing doubles facts in math. Give students a target sum (even number) and have them build a doubles cube model for that sum with two colors of cubes. Starting with the sum is a great way to encourage some problem-solving skills for your students.

Ten Frames

Ten frames are a powerful math tool for helping kids visualize numbers! Use doubles facts flashcards to have students build addition problems on their ten frames.

This mat is fabulous for whole or small groups. Put the mat in a write and wipe pocket or page protector for repeated practice. Students use dry erase markers to record the fact, then erase and start again.

This worksheet is great for independent practice or a math center. Kids choose a ten frame. They double the number and write the addition sentence. You can download a copy of the worksheet here.

Interactive Notebooks

An interactive notebook activity provides an opportunity for students to review their work. They will love to revisit their notebook and practice their doubles!

Dominoes

Dominoes are another great tool for visualization! Have your students dig through sets of dominoes looking for doubles. Then have them record the pairs of doubles facts.

Games!

Kids love anything that feels like a game instead of work! Here are a couple of game ideas for you.

Memory Match: Students find matching numerals. Then they tell the doubles fact. You could use something as simple as a deck of playing cards for this activity.

Puzzles are another game option. The best part- they are self-checking! Consider adding in a recording sheet for accountability

Math Links:

First-graders love math links! They are also a great way to continue to develop fine-motor skills. Have students build doubles addition facts with the links. Then they can attach the problem and the sum.

I hope this gave you some ideas of activities you can do in your classroom to help students learn their doubles facts in math and build their addition fluency. If you would like to learn more about this resource, you can click the picture below.

Classroom Management: Fast Finishers

2021-07-21T19:38:00.006-07:00

We've all been there. Despite our best efforts at differentiation, some of our students complete their work very quickly! Now they are standing by our side and asking "What can I do next?"

As you begin thinking about back to school, establishing a classroom management solution for your early finishers is one of the most important classroom routines you can plan for!

A reference display on a bulletin board or wall space makes an easy to manage system for our early finishers.

I have used a couple different designs over the years, but the goal is the same:

Create student independence through choice and a visual reference.

A few possible choices!

How it works:

1. Choose a variety of activities that students may complete when they are finished with their work. Having about 6-8 student choices works really well.

2. Create some sort of display for students to see a visual for the activities. You could use a bulletin board, wall or door space, a pocket chart- the possibilities are endless. If you don't want to create your own images, I have two versions available in my TPT shop. Both sets have more than 35 options of activities! They are quick and easy to print and hang.

3. Rotate activities throughout the year so students have new choices to keep it fresh and fun! One idea is to use clips or clothespins so you can quickly update the display.

Hear what others have said about my fast finishers bulletin board sets:

"This product has made my year in Kindergarten run very smoothly. The kids know exactly what to do when they finish and I have noticed a great change in behaviors!" - Amanda H.

"I always had kids come up to me and say, "I'm done, now what can I do?" Now with these fast finisher posters, I haven't had anyone ask me! The pictures are a great visual for students and now they always have something to do when they finish!" - Julia K.

What are some of your favorite activities for your fast finishers? Leave me a comment with some of the choices your students have.

Want to coordinate with your classroom rules posters? Check out this rules set!

4 Ideas for Using the Microphone Tool in Seesaw

2021-01-16T14:23:00.001-08:00

Are you looking for some quick and easy ideas you can use right away in Seesaw?

I LOVE the versatility that the teaching platform Seesaw offers for our youngest learners! There are great learning opportunities with the platform for both in-person and remote learning.

Today, I wanted to share a few quick and easy ideas to use the microphone tool in Seesaw.

Idea #1: Phonemic Awareness

Utilize the microphone tool to teach and assess students' phonemic awareness skills. This is a great way to continue phonemic awareness instruction during remote learning!

Insert 6 pictures on to a Seesaw page and ask kids to record themselves telling 3 words that rhyme with each picture.
Practice segmenting skills. Add 6-10 pictures on a Seesaw page and ask kids to segment each word. You could even create sound boxes and movable circles with the shape tools.
This same type of activity could be created for any phonemic awareness skill; substitution, deletion, etc.

Idea #2: Repeated Readings

The microphone tool is a genius way to work on fluency skills with repeated readings!!!

There are SO many possibilities for repeated readings:

Letter Names and Sounds
Sight Word Lists
Phonics Word Lists
Nonsense Words
Sight Word Phrases
Poems
Passages from your curriculum
Guided Reading books

Simply upload (or take a photo or screenshot) of the material for the repeated reading. I recommend having them practice at least 3 times before they record! Using the shape tools you can add 3 small boxes for students to check off each time they practice. Need data to support fluency skills and progress- now you have some at your fingertips!

Idea #3: Reading aloud their Work

We all know it can be challenging to read the writing of primary kiddos! Seesaw can make it even more challenging because of the size of assignments...hello...grading on your phone!?! One simple solution is to have your students use the microphone tool to record themselves reading their work before they turn it in. This way we know EXACTLY what they wrote, no guess work. Not only that, but it allows students to practice their speaking skills.

Idea #4: Elaborating on Ideas and Deeper Thinking

Primary learners can be incredibly deep thinkers! Sometimes it is hard to show that level of understanding in their writing. So the microphone tool is the perfect opportunity for students to elaborate on their thinking, and really show what they have learned. This strategy lends itself especially well to cross-curricular opportunities. Some simple ideas:

Science or Social Studies: Post a video link to a topic you are studying. After watching the video have students use the microphone tool to tell 3 new things they learned. You could also have them create a picture of their learning with the drawing tools.
Math: Use the microphone tool for students to explain how they solved a word problem, or other math skill.

How do you use the microphone in Seesaw? I'd love to hear even more ideas in the comments!

Looking for more Seesaw ideas and resources? Need activities that are ready to use? I have lots of preloaded and ready to use activities in my TPT store.

Commutative Property of Addition in First Grade

2019-10-27T19:39:00.004-07:00

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Commutative-Property-of-Addition-Hands-on-Activities-CCSS-1OAB3-4942042

You can help your first graders begin to develop the algebraic skill of the Commutative Property of Addition. This understanding is an important building block and will serve them well as they continue to grow as mathematicians. The Commutative Property of Addition states that no matter what order we add numbers, their sum will remain the same. This concept is often referred to as "flip-flop" or "turn-around" facts for first graders and is the first step in understanding fact families. I do think it is important that we begin introducing the proper math terminology to our first graders, but it is fun to use these terms as well, and they make sense to the kids.

Links are a fun way to begin teaching this concept! Students can build a problem with two colors of links. Then, they can "hook" the matching addition problem to the link. Now, they flip the link over and can see the related "commutative" problem and add the matching card. You could even have kids write and hole punch index cards for this activity.

Dice are always a hit with kids! They especially love these dice within a dice. Students can roll and record the two commutative facts for the dice. Don't have these dice- no problem...regular dice work great as well, just use two.

Cubes are always great for hands-on math activities. Students can build, color, and write the commutative facts. They can really see how the problems are "turned-around", but not changed in any other way.

Ten frames work great for a variety of manipulatives; cubes, counters, erasers, just about anything you can think of. Dot markers and colored stickers also work great on ten-frames! Students can "spin" the ten-frame and see the commutative fact.

Similar to the dice activity, dominoes also work great! They are easy to flip-around to see the new fact. You can also have the kids draw the dominoes they used.

Don't forget about center time! All of the above activities can be placed in centers for continued practice. Clip-cards, puzzles, and memory also make great centers!

You can find these activities (and more!) in my Commutative Property of Addition: Hands on Activities on TPT.

Guided Math Mats for Kindergarten

2018-12-14T12:27:00.001-08:00

I love math mats! They are quick and easy to prepare (most are print and go!), easy to differentiate, and can be used again and again! Quickly change out the manipulative you are using and the activities feel new and fresh again!

I recommend using reusable write and wipe pockets. They are sturdy, easy to clean, and FUN for kids! If you don't have access to the pockets then you could use page protectors or laminate the mats.

Here are a few of the mats:

One of the additions I tried to make to the Kindergarten mats is to have a fine motor component. Here students can use tongs to put the poof balls and bears onto the mats.

Once students have practiced with the mats during Guided Math groups, many of them can easily be moved to an independent center for additional practice.

Each mat comes with a teacher sheet that lists math standards, materials, directions, and options for changing it up!

Make it fun by changing out to a different manipulative! I love all of the seasonal erasers!

Many of the mats come in multiple levels, so it is easy to differentiate!

Dice, magnetic numbers, and playing cards are an easy way to mix it up!

Subtraction smash is always fun! Build the first number with playdough balls, then smash the number being taken away!

Don't have geoboards? Kids can draw the pictures! Great for visual perception and geometry vocabulary!

Want to learn more about the mats? Click here.

Earth Day Reuse It Craft

2018-04-12T11:53:00.001-07:00

Are you looking for a fun and easy Earth Day craft? Your students will love this project!

To complete the project you will need the following:

1 can per student (standard sized)
crayons, markers, colored pencils, etc.
plain construction paper or copies of the wraps
tape

You will need to do a little prep work for this project. Send a note home to parents asking them to bring in a clean can, or collect them yourself ahead of time.

Begin by teaching a lesson to your class on the importance of reusing. Some items your students might be familiar with reusing are: reusable water bottles, reusable grocery bags, reusing a box or container in a new way, etc.

Next, have students color their chosen wrap. I recommend using cardstock for durability.

Now you are ready to tape the wrap to the can, scotch tape works great!

Now students have a reusable pencil container! They will love to keep it on their desk to hold their supplies!

You can download all the supplies you need for this project, including a note to send home, here!

Beginning Consonant Blends

2017-06-12T14:12:00.001-07:00

After your students have learned to read short vowel words, it is time to work on beginning blends. Most beginning blends fall into one of three categories: l blends, r blends, and s blends. Work on one type of blends at a time. I have always thought s blends are the easiest for students to master first, then l blends, with r blends being last. Spend at least a week teaching each type of blend.

These are the most common beginning blends. I created these by using my hot glue gun to glue magnetic letters together.

Here are some activity and center ideas for working on blends:

1. Reading and sorting words by beginning blend.

Here is another activity center idea for sorting. By changing how the sort looks, it feels like a different activity to the children. You can find the sorting cards here.

2. Building blend words with onsets (the blend) and rimes.

You can download the cards here for free. Print the blends in one color, and the rimes in a different color. Students can use the cards to build and read real (and nonsense) words. This works great as a table top activity during guided reading or intervention time.

I created these mats with some word family sticky notes I found several years ago.

This set makes a great center. Students add blends with magnetic letters, letter cards, or dry-erase markers. Click here to see this set in my TPT store.

3. Bingo type games are always fun! In this version students draw a picture card, and find the matching word on their mats. You can find it here.

4.Write and Wipe mats

These mats make a great center or independent activity. Place them in a write and wipe pocket, sheet protector, or laminate them. Students write the beginning blends. You can find it here.

5. Roll and Read is another fun center idea. Students roll the dice and find a word with the beginning blend. If they can read the word they add it to their pile. You can find it here.

6. Worksheets

Students read, write, sort and glue the words into the correct column. You can find them here.

Want all of the activities? They are available in a bundle in my TPT store.

You can find the bundle here.

I hope this has helped you to think of some fun ideas and centers for beginning blends!

Math Mats for First Grade

2017-06-08T15:25:00.002-07:00

I love the versatility of dry erase pockets! They are great for so many reasons; they are easy to prepare, easy to clean, durable, and students LOVE them! They are great to use for checking for understanding and guided practice. Students can hold them up like dry erase boards to quickly show you their work.

Today I wanted to share a few of the First Grade Math Mats I created to use in dry erase pockets. They are great for whole group and small group instruction. Once the mats are introduced, they also make a great independent center!

Add some simple math manipulatives and you are ready to go! In this activity, students use dominoes to work on the Commutative Property of addition (aka Turn-Around Facts). Students place the domino in the first spot, write the fact, flip the domino, and write the turn-around fact. You can walk around the room while students are working to quickly check their understanding of the activity. When students complete the mat, they erase it, grab another domino, and keep going! That is one of the great things about this mat, there is no "I'm finished!" The exact same activity is perfect for centers!!!

With this mat, students record all the ways to Make Ten. All you need are two-sided counters. Students flip counters and record the different combinations.

Use cubes to work on doubles. You can orally give the students a double to build with the cubes. Then they record the doubles fact. At a center, students can build and record different doubles, you could provide doubles flash cards, or they can make their own doubles.

Students can put the "Fact-Family" in their house. Give students three numbers in a family to record at the top (triangle flash cards work perfect for this!). Then students write all four facts in the family. When they complete one fact family, they can grab another flash card and do another!

Or you can use dominoes for the family!

Students can practice their place value skills with this mat. Give students a number to build with place value blocks. They also record the number in tens and ones. When you are ready to move from the concrete to the representational stage of understanding, students can color the number with their dry erase markers on the mats.

Students can also compare two numbers using place value! All you need are number cards to make a quick center.

Give students a time to record in digital form, then have them draw the hands on the clock. Add a set of digital time cards and you have a center ready to go!

Use dice to work on adding three numbers. Have students who are working at different levels? Add dice with larger numbers for easy differentiation! Another activity students can play for extended periods of time!

These are just a few of my favorites! You can check out all of my First Grade Math Mats in my TPT store!

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-Mats-Write-and-Wipe-First-Grade-2946859

February Writing Freebie

2017-01-29T17:12:00.003-08:00

I wanted to share a fun February writing freebie I have in my TPT store. It is a February set of my "Let's Write!" series.

You can head here to download this set.

These writing pages can be used in SO many ways in your classroom.

They work great for morning work because the consistent format lets students get started right away without needing instructions.

They also work great at a writing center. I focus on students starting their sentences with capital letters and ending their sentences with punctuation.

The Abe Lincoln and George Washington sheets could be used as part of a Social Studies lesson.

Seven sheets are included: three Valentine's sheets, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Groundhog's Day, and We Love Mail.

I hope you enjoy this freebie!

You can head here to download this set.

Happy February!

United States Symbols Lapbook

2017-01-16T10:12:00.003-08:00

An interactive lapbook is a fun way to teach about United States Symbols. I recommend teaching one symbol each day. Start with a book, video, or internet resource to teach about the individual symbol. I love using the website PebbleGo, if your school has a subscription.
Click here to see the lapbook in my TPT store.

Here are the individual projects:

Students fold and glue to create the front cover of the lapbook.

The Bald Eagle

The Statue of Liberty

The United States Flag

The Lincoln Memorial

The Washington Monument

The Liberty Bell

and Mount Rushmore

My favorite project is the map. Students draw lines to connect the projects to where they are located in the United States. It helps students to see how many of our United States Symbols are located in Washington, D.C.

Click here to grab the lapbook in my TPT store.

Close Reading for Winter- Paired Texts

2017-01-01T17:52:00.006-08:00

Today I wanted to share with you one of my Paired Text Units. This unit is perfect for coming back to school in January. It is for the books Animals In Winter by Henrietta Bancroft and The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats.

I really enjoy pairing a fiction and non-fiction books on similar topics. It is a great way to be sure and get a 50/50 balance of narrative and expository texts. It is fun for students, and a great way to introduce close-reading to beginning readers.

In Animals In Winter the authors explore the different ways animals survive in the winter such as hibernating, migrating, storing food, and no special adaptations. It explores two or more animals that fit each category. The text has amazing illustrations.

A "pre-write" of what students already know on the topic is a great way to begin. I have included themed paper in the unit, but you could also have students write this in their journal, or on plain paper. Next, read aloud the story and give students some time to discuss what they learned with partners or small groups.

The next day introduce the vocabulary: migrate, hibernate, gather food, and nothing. (The set has these great little cards ready to print with the vocabulary and a definition.) As you read, have students listen for the different animals, and which category they fit into. Then you are ready to sort the animal picture cards. You can create an anchor chart or use a pocket chart to sort.

There is also a student sheet, for students to cut and sort the animals into the categories.

Read the story several times throughout the week. Students should now be ready to work on Main Idea/Details. The sheet has the main idea already listed for students to scaffold their learning. I have also included pictures of some of the animals by each bubble. This supports students in remembering details from the text.

The last activity for this story is a close study of a diagram. I have included a questioning guide to help you lead this activity.

After the discussion, students complete three facts they learned about woodchucks from the diagram.

In the classic story The Snowy Day we follow along with a little boy named Peter and his adventures in the snow. This book won the Caldecott Medal for the illustrations, which are very unique, and an important part of telling the story.

A questioning guide is included to guide your discussion for both a first, and second reading of the text. Click here to download the first days questioning guide.

The second reading focuses on noticing the illustrations and how they help to tell the story.

A story map is included.

Students think more deeply about the character Peter by exploring what he thought, saw, and did with his hands and feet.

Students also compare themselves to Peter by thinking about what they like to do on a snowy day.

Want to learn more about this set? Click here.

Looking for more winter paired text sets? Check out my polar bear paired text set for the books The Three Snow Bears by Jan Brett and National Geographic Kids: Polar Bears by Laura Marsh.

Opinion Writing

2016-07-11T12:25:00.004-07:00

Teaching opinion writing can be a lot of fun in First Grade. First graders have LOTS of opinions, and they love to share them!

Here are a few ideas that have helped me to teach opinion writing to first graders.

Start by teaching students how to write a topic sentence. I have found that having an anchor chart with sentence starters for students to refer to is super helpful. I like to create the chart in front of the students. It might look something like this:

Once the chart is completed, hang it in the room for students to be able to refer to throughout the year.

Don't rush it! At the beginning of the year, I like for students to be able to write a topic sentence and two reason sentences. I like to do modeled writing in front of the kids before I ask them to do it on their own. If three sentences are too much for your students, then start with a topic sentence with one reason sentence. You can also teach students to write one opinion sentence with "because" as a linking word.

As the year progresses, we will add a third reason.

By the middle to end of the year, we will be able to write a five-sentence paragraph with a topic sentence, three reasons, and a closing sentence.

Usually, the hardest part for first graders is thinking of good reasons for their opinions. I love using a “Discussion Web” to help develop this skill.

This is a simple strategy to use. I like to gather students around me by the easel. Start by having a question in the middle of your chart, and two columns on the sides. It should be a question that can have strong opinions on both sides. The chart above has More/Less as headings but you could also have Yes/No, or other headings as needed. Then lead the class in a discussion of both view points. List student responses on the chart. Then, students are ready to complete an opinion writing piece on the question.

Last, have fun with opinion writing! There are so many great topics students can write about.

These digital prompts are perfect for displaying on your interactive whiteboard. You can also print them in black and white to use them as worksheets.

I have created a free chart to get your started. You can download it here.

Looking for more great writing ideas? Check out my Writing Interactive Notebook for First Grade.

Christmas in July!!!

2016-07-06T04:00:00.002-07:00

Hi Everyone! I hope you had a wonderful 4th of July and are enjoying some much needed R and R.

I am joining up today with other I Teach K-2 bloggers to bring you lots of treats this month!!! We decided it was the perfect time to celebrate Christmas in July!

Let's start with a freebie! All of the bloggers have a special freebie for you on their blogs! Just follow the links at the end of the post.

You can click here to grab this freebie.

Here is the freebie I am sharing! It is so great for the beginning of the year. It has two activities, a "Find Someone Who" with lots of picture clues that is perfect for primary student

An interest inventory is also included.

Use it to get to know more about your students the first week of school!

Next, all the I Teach K-2 bloggers are throwing a sale! I know many of you are already prepping for back to school. Here is a great chance to head to our stores and stock up!

The sale is running now through July 9.

We are also having gift card giveaways! Be sure to enter the Rafflecopter for your chance to win these AMAZING prizes!

Enjoy!

Jaymie

a Rafflecopter giveaway

An InLinkz Link-up

Teaching Theme in First Grade

2016-05-17T18:48:00.004-07:00

Teaching theme can be a lot of fun in First Grade. I like to explain theme or central message to firsties this way, "What do you think the author wants you to learn from this story that you can use in your life?" It can be tricky, and takes LOTS of practice! Usually the students will say something very literal from the story at first. For example, in the story The Little Red Hen they might at first say something like "How to grow wheat!" But sometimes a student will say something so insightful it makes your heart flutter! So...how do we get them to that point!

I think a good place to start is telling students what the theme of a story is, and then modeling finding evidence in the story to support the theme. Here is an example from The Little Red Hen.

After reading aloud the story, I would display a graphic organizer like the one above, that already has the theme listed. I would read the story again, and stop along the way listing some events from the story that support this theme. At the end of the lesson the chart would look like this:

The next day, I would start with a similar chart (with the theme listed) for a new story. This time, students would help me find the evidence to support the listed theme.

I think folk tales are a great place to start. Here are some ideas of folktales and themes:
The Three Little Pigs- Take the time to do things the right way
Chicken Little/Henny Penny- Don't believe everything someone says, or Think things through before jumping to conclusions
City Mouse, Country Mouse- Home is the best place to be

After we have practiced together several times, then I would have students complete a graphic organizer on their own (with the theme already listed). Over time, with lots of modeling and guided practice, I will have students begin to determine the theme on their own. This is a skill that takes lots of time to develop, and we will revisit it over and over again throughout the year. Also, I think it is important to recognize that there can be more than one theme in a book, there isn't necessarily one "right" answer.

Another fun way to teach this skill is to choose a variety of books centered around one theme.

The books above all center around the theme of "Being different is good" or "Just be yourself".

Here are some additional books that I think are great for teaching theme.

Charlie the Caterpillar- like The Ugly Duckling, theme of not judging someone by how the look
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble- theme of being happy with what you already have
Hooway for Wodney Wat- theme of even though you are small, you can do great things
The Principal's New Clothes- theme of don't follow the crowd if you know it isn't right
Officer Buckle and Gloria- theme of the importance of working together

I've also included some graphic organizers for your students to use.

Download Theme Worksheets

Do you have any books you love to use to teach theme?

6 Tips for Teaching First Grade Writing

2016-05-15T17:45:00.005-07:00

#1- Write in front of the kids daily-
I know for many of us the thought of writing in front of the kids is terrifying! Most of us weren’t English majors, and I think it brings back memories of red ink when we were kids. I, for one, am the queen of run-on sentences. Also, I LOVE commas and exclamation marks!!! I am sure all my “Grammar” friends are cringing right now as they read this!

But here is the truth, they are 6 and 7 years old! We have tons of writing knowledge to share with them. When we write in front of them it provides the perfect opportunity for us to “think-aloud” and show how writers work. I promise, they will think you are a FANTASTIC writer. They will probably ask you how you became such a good writer.

#2- Write on chart paper-(I like the smaller size)

It is tempting to write on a dry erase board, document camera, etc. Don’t do it! Chart paper is perfect! I like to gather students around my easel. There are many advantages to using chart paper. First, it has lines so we can model correct letter formation. Next, it is large enough for all students to see easily. Most importantly, it preserves your work. I have had numerous times where I wrote something on the board and erased it, only to wish I had been able to access it again later in the year.

#3– Make copies of students work
Start keeping copies of students work (it can be a digital copy). When a student does something really great or their writing provides an opportunity for a teaching point, ask them if you can make a copy of it to use to help you teach writing. Keep a wide variety, and be sure to ask each student for at least one piece during the year (they will feel so proud!). The kids can learn SO much from other first graders work. It can be a great way to show students what “voice” sounds like, it is also great for revising and editing lessons. Here are a few things to keep in mind: Remove student names, especially if you are using it for a revising or editing lesson. Don’t use work from students of the current year, unless it is to show something really wonderful, and you have their permission to share it THIS year.

#4– Allow plenty of writing time

First graders....sometimes they are like turtles!!! For some students it takes a while to get started and to come up with ideas. Don’t try to “cram-in” a lesson. Make sure you have plenty of time for them to write and accomplish something. I like to have about 5-10 minutes for me to do the modeled writing. Then I like at least 20 uninterrupted minutes for them to write. Also, the students have to work the WHOLE time! If they finish writing they can: add to the words, add to the pictures, start a new piece. For students who don’t finish in that time, I usually have them continue to work during centers/intervention time at the end of the day.

Students try the word in the left column, I write it correctly in the right hand column.

#5-Keep detailed notes

Keep an anecdotal note sheet on a clipboard. I like to circulate around the room while students are writing. It allows me to check in with students who need help with ideas, help them correctly spell a word, have “mini-conferences” with students, etc. As I rotate around, I like to take some short notes about what students are doing well, what they are struggling with, who is off-task, etc. These notes give me powerful information I can use to assess student growth and plan for future mini-lessons. They are SUPER helpful when completing quarterly report cards, and planning for Parent-Teacher Conferences.

I like to keep a simple form like this. List student names along the left-hand column, then make lots of copies. Keep notes in the right hand column about each student. Start a new sheet each week. (Keep the old ones in a notebook to be able to reference.

#6-Provide time for students to share

First graders LOVE to share their work! It is very time consuming, but also very motivating to students. You do not have to have every student share in front of the entire class, or do you need to share every project. You can have students share in small groups of three to four (I usually use their table group), partner share, or have a rotation schedule for students to share in front of the class. One fun strategy is “Inside/Outside Circle”-Divide the class into two groups, one group makes a circle with everyone facing out, the second group forms a circle around that group, facing in. Now you have students paired up facing each other. Give students 3 minutes to share, then have the outside circle rotate to the left, and students have a new partner to share with. Students can rotate 3-4 times.

I hope this gives you some helpful tips for teaching first grade writing! I have also included a free download for you: 30 Writing Lessons for the Beginning of First Grade. Click here to download the list and the writing notes form.

Are you looking for more first grade writing ideas?

Check out my Interactive Writing Notebook for First Grade.

Interactive Writing Notebook for First Grade

2016-05-10T11:02:00.002-07:00

Today I wanted to share my Interactive Writing Notebook for First Grade. It is jam-packed with writing projects for first grade. The activities are Common Core aligned, rigorous, and FUN for students.

The notebook covers numerous writing and grammar skills that are taught in first grade: beginning sentence writing, labeling, brainstorming ideas, writing narratives, informative writing, opinion writing, using transition words, how-to writing projects, letter writing, publishing, punctuation, questions, common and proper nouns, editing, adjectives, and poetry.

The notebook starts with ideas for the beginning of the year. Who? Doing What? is a great place to start the year in first grade. It helps students to learn to write telling sentences that contain both a naming and telling part.

Students write a naming part for the sentence under the first flap, and a telling part under the second flap.

Once students have mastered telling sentences with naming and telling parts, we move on to Who? Doing What? Where? which helps them to add a bit more detail to the sentences

Labeling is a great non-fiction project for the beginning of first grade.

Writing about their own lives is a great place for students to start for narrative writing.

First Graders often struggle with ideas to get them started.

First graders also love to do opinion writing! I love that this project has three levels. I start the year with students writing a topic sentence, and two reason sentences.

Then we progress to a topic sentence with three reasons.

By the middle to end of the year, we can also add a closing sentence! The great part- we have taught the students to write a five sentence paragraph!

The notebook contains 12 different opinion topics that appeal to first graders, plus a blank template for creating additional opinion topics.

I'll be back soon to share more ideas from the notebook. If you would like to learn more about it, I have created a sampler pack of the notebook that you can download free from my TPT store.

Field Trip Must Have!

2016-05-01T14:00:00.003-07:00

My daughter and I just returned from an overnight Girl Scout camping trip. We had a lot of fun and can't stop singing camp songs "Bubble gum, Bazooka, zooka, bubble gum"! It was a little soggy and muddy at camp, it has been pouring rain here for the last week. Luckily, the rain decided to stay away while we were there. But... I am not looking forward to cleaning our four pairs of muddy shoes!

I got this nifty organizer in the Target Dollar Spot ($3 item) to take to camp, and it dawned on me while I was walking around how GREAT it would be for field trips! First, it is waterproof. (The main reason I bought it!) It is a great size, easily holds 8 1/2" by 11" papers. It is made from heavy duty plastic, and I think it is super cute too (I love everything in the Dollar Spot)!

I love how one side has a completely clear pocket, perfect for holding a schedule, class list, etc. It also holds A LOT! Here is what I had inside: all of my camp schedules and paper work (at least 10 pages), the girls' badges they earned, a small first-aid kit, cough drops, a sharpie, small tissue packs, chap stick, a small germ gel, my cell phone, and medicine boxes. It all fit in easily! It had a wrist strap, but that broke off after a while. It was still easy to tuck under my arm and carry around.

I was thinking about how many of these same things I would be carrying around in a bag for a field trip. I love how a field trip schedule would be easy to see on the clear side. I would also add a whistle, some band-aids, a small pack of baby wipes, and name tags. What else would you add?