There’s no denying that hands on visuals and manipulatives help students see, understand and learn math. But what if your child or student doesn’t have access to hands on manipulatives? If you are a classroom teacher, it’s great having these math tools available and on hand for students. But there’s no way to expect students to have all the things at home also. And trying to create simple printable versions can be cumbersome. A great alternative is to utilize free online math manipulatives that students can move around on a tablet or mobile device to help them solve problems. So I hope this huge list of resources is a great starting point for you!

Looking for math at home resources?

>>See this HUGE list of math resources for grades K-8 to help during school closures.

FREE Online Math Manipulatives for Students:

There are a lot of options in terms of what hands on math tool to use, so I’ve tried to organize this based on grade level. But of course, many of these tools can be used across many grade levels, so scroll through them all to find just the right math manipulative for your needs.

Virtual Manipulatives App Collection from Didax

First, be sure to take a look at this collection of virtual manipulatives from Didax. Some are for K-2 and some are for older students, but they are really well done and easy to use/work with.

There are even more options than what I could fit in the screenshot above, so be sure to check that out!

Online Math Tools for Grades K-2

Number Frames App from Math Learning Center

This is a wonderful resource to build number frames for counting, subitizing, addition, subtraction and more. Just drag and drop to use.

Math Tool Chest from Macmillan Math

This is a collection of online tools, including counters, place value tools, money, number lines, pattern blocks, etc. Note: you will need to allow adobe flash player for the page to load and work.

Pattern Blocks from NCTM

Pattern blocks can be useful for exploring shapes, patterns, shape attributes and composing shapes. This drag and drop tool from NCTM makes it easy to use pattern blocks online!

Counters and Frames from Toy Theater

This includes a variety of counter tools, including grids, ten frames, rekenreks, etc. There are also two-colored counters, which can be useful for exploring integer operations in middle school.

Rekenrek App from Math Learning Center

If you are specifically looking for a rekenrek, this is a nice, large visual.

Paint a 100 Chart from Top Marks

This is a fun change from the typical ‘color by number.’

Interactive 100 Chart from ABCYa

Here’s another version of a 100 chart kids can color and play around with to find patterns. Note: You will need to allow adobe flash player to get it to work.

The Green Light Hundreds Chart from Steve Wyborney

For another idea on how to incorporate a 100 chart, check out this resoruce from Steve Wyborney. Note: This is an interactive powerpoint file, so it’s not something students can necessarily use from home, but still a fun resource to bookmark.

Money Pieces App from Math Learning Center

If your kids need help adding and subtracting money, this unique app includes number grid visuals along with each coin to help kids visualize the quantities.

Number Pieces App from Math Learning Center

This is a great way to use base ten blocks for all sorts of math problems. Note: this app is currently available on the iTunes app store.

Thinking Blocks App from Math Playground

This app provides blocks to set up bar models to solve addition and subtraction problems. Note: this app is currently available on the iTunes app store for iphones and ipads.

Interactive Clock from Desmos

This fun clock with movable hands is a great way to practice time concepts. You can drag the hour or minute hand to change the time and it will calculate elapsed time as well.

Online Math Tools for Grades 3-5

In upper elementary, tools like bar models, fraction tiles, area models, graphs, etc. can be incredibly powerful visuals to help students make sense of math. I hope these online math manipulatives provide helpful versions of the hands on tools!

Thinking Blocks App for Multiplication

Similar to the addition version, this helps kids create and use bar models to solve multiplication problems. Note: this is currently available to download on the iTunes app store for iphones and ipads.

Visual Division App from Math Playground

This handy device will help kids to visualize long division as they move around place value pieces. They can also use the ‘exchange’ center to convert a ten into 10 ones in order to finish the division. Note: You will need to allow adobe flash player for this to work.

Interactive Create a Graph from NCES

Want a fun and online graph creation tool? This tool from the National Center for Education Statistics can create 5 different types of graphs.

Fraction Equality Lab from PHET

This interactive tool lets kids play around with fractions to see different equivalent fractions. After they are familiar with equivalent fractions, there’s an interactive game as well.

Fraction, Decimal & Percent Grid on Desmos

This interactive tool allows kids to color in a 100 grid to see the value as a fraction, decimal and percent of the whole. You can have it set to show the values or not, depending on how you want students to use it.

Fraction Matcher from PHET

This tool helps kids see and compare fractions. Choose between fraction models or mixed numbers simulations.

Virtual Fraction Tiles from ABCYa

Fraction tiles are a great manipualtive to help students solve fraction problems, find equivalent fractions or compare fractions. This handy virtual set also includes decimal and percent tiles. Simply drag the tiles around the work area to use and then grab the pencil tool to draw or show work for the math problem you’re working on. Note: You will need to allow adobe flash player to get this to work.

Factor Trees from Math Playground

If your kids need help finding factors, multiples or greatest common factor, try this interactive factor tree tool.

Visualize Area & Perimeter with this tool from Toy Theater

Fill in the grid with different shapes to see how the area and perimeter change.

Number Line App from Math Learning Center

Number lines are a useful visual math tool for solving any number of math problems. And although you can certainly draw a quick number line on paper, this interactive tool is nice as well. And it can easily be cleared and reset when you’re ready for a new math problem (unlike a hand drawn line).

Geoboard App from Math Learning Center

Geoboards can be useful tools for very young kids, as well as older kids as they learn and explore more complex geometry concepts. This easy to use virtual model is another way to explore with geoboards.

For more ways to learn math with geoboards see my complete resource here.

Online Math Manipulatives for Middle School & Beyond

Many of the math manipulatives linked above can also be used in middle school. But for more advanced topics, some additional tools might be helpful, so here are a few more virtual math tools for older kids.

Function Machine from Math Playground

This virtual function machine can help students see relationships between variables and see what operations are being used.

Desmos Software

Explore all sorts of advanced math concepts using Desmos lessons, tools and graphing software.

Dice & Spinners for Probability

Generate random numbers for probability experiments with these dice, spinners, and coins.

Algebra Tiles from NCTM

Algebra tiles are a unique visual that can show abstract algebra concepts and help kids solve algebra equations. Use this set to model and solve linear equations.

I hope this list of FREE online math manipulatives resources is useful, whether for exploring math in the home or the classroom!

Do you know of a useful virtual math tool that should be added to this list? Feel free to shoot me an email at mathgeekmama(at)gmail.com.

The post FREE Online Math Manipulatives for At Home Learning appeared first on Math Geek Mama.

Most days I can’t even keep up with the latest developments surrounding the COVID-19 health crisis. Even though I was already a homeschool mom (and so, less affected by school closures than others have been), I have felt overwhelmed as I watched so many lives turned upside down overnight. As I thought about all the families who are ‘suddenly homeschooling’ and all the teachers scrambling to put together lessons and resources for their students, I was desperate to help in some way.

There are a lot of things that are out of my hands and out of my control right now. But one thing I can help with? Providing you with math resources to make the transition out of the classroom easier.

And so whether you are a parent looking for ways to continue your child’s education at home during the school closures or a teacher looking for lessons and games to send to your students and families, this list is for you.

Encouragement for Parents and Teachers:

Whatever your personal circumstance, let me encourage you in this: it will not last forever. These days may be long and hard, but it will pass. You are doing the best that you can with what you have, so give yourself grace. And give your kids grace.

And so my encouragement for you is to keep things simple. If you’re a parent who has no idea how to teach math, that’s ok! You don’t have to become an education expert overnight. You have enough on your plate right now!

Instead, look through the math resources below and plan on a simple routine that will help your kids to build number sense and give them a little daily practice so that they don’t get behind. And that’s enough.

If you’re really ambitious and you want to do more? Great! Do it! But don’t feel like you have to create your own curriculum from scratch and learn math teaching methods and spend hours prepping activities and games.

If things calm down a bit and you want to learn more about how to teach math, or you want to find additional games that require a bit of prep, that’s great. There are copious amounts of resources available online right now to help you do that.

But if not? Don’t stress. Do the best you can with what you have and be ok with it.

Math Resources to Use During COVID-19 School Closures:

Below you will find a growing list of free and discounted resources for various grade levels. Some are online math resources, some are printable resources, some are digital resources that work with Google classroom.

While so many classes are moving to e-learning, I realize that for many, many families that is simply not possible. They don’t have the technology resources at home to log on. Or they don’t have enough devices to go around because they’re a large family.

So many of these resources are things you can print out and distribute to families or have them pick up at the school. Or parents can print them from home.

On the other hand, you will also find online resources and digital resources that can be shared via Google Classroom. If that works for your situation and your students, great!

If you would like to convert a printable pdf file to use digitally, my friend Becky has a great post with some tips for this. Read how to convert printable files for distance learning here.

And if you have a free math resource to share for a particular grade level that I could add to this resource list, please share! Send me an email with all the details to–> mathgeekmama(at)gmail.com.

Ok, onto the resources!

Kindergarten Math at Home:

In Kindergarten, I would encourage mostly learning through play. This doesn’t have to be fancy or time consuming…15 minutes each day is plenty! The resources below will help you find easy ideas.

First, grab this huge, FREE Kindergarten math pack from Angela at Teaching Mama. This covers tons of essential math skills.

Also, check out this great post from Anna at The Measured Mom. It includes free resources for all kinds of topics and subjects for your Kindergartner.

You can also search the Kindergarten resources here at Math Geek Mama. I have tons of FREE games and activities in my shop here.

If you’re looking for some additional hands on practice, you may like this Skittles Math Pack to practice a variety of early math skills.

First Grade Math at Home:

For first grade math, although the skills are a little more challenging at this point, I would still encourage mostly spending time playing games. 15 or 20 minutes is plenty to provide consistency and review.

Here are some ideas to get you started!

Grab this huge, free First Grade Math pack from Teaching Mama. This covers a variety of first grade math skills.

Again, Anna at The Measured Mom has a great list of free resources to help you come up with a plan for your first grader.

You can also scroll through the first grade resources in my shop, most of which are FREE.

Second Grade Math at Home:

If you want a ‘done for you’ plan for second grade, I’ve got you covered! This plan includes detailed instructions, a simple daily math routine, links to additional help if your child is struggling and answer keys to make this super easy for you.

The basic plan with this is to do 3 simple things each day:

• A number sense building activity (5 minutes)
• Skills practice and review (10-15 minutes)
• Play a game (10 minutes or more, depending on how many times you play)

On Fridays, I would encourage you to skip the skills practice and instead do some error analysis. To do this, pick 1-2 problems your child had trouble with during the week. Watch a video to help them learn what went wrong and then have them correct their mistake and discuss what went wrong and why.

Then, pick their favorite game from the week to play again. And that’s it!

Some days, if you just want to play one of the included games, that’s ok too! Some math is better than no math at all, and these games are designed to reinforce essential skills and build number sense and critical thinking.

Learn More About the 2nd Grade Math at Home Plans HERE

Want to create your own plan or supplement what a teacher has already sent home? Scroll through the FREE math resources for 2nd grade in my shop here.

3rd Grade Math at Home:

Again, for 3rd grade, I have a similar math at home plan, designed to provide structure, simple review and a daily routine that would be meaningful, but not overwhelming.

The basic outline is the same, but the skills are geared towards 3rd grade students.

Learn More About the 3rd Grade Math at Home Plans HERE

And if you’re simply looking for a handful of ideas to supplement what your teacher has already provided, you can scroll through all the FREE math resources for 3rd grade in my shop here.

You can also grab a free set of word problem samples from a collection from Operation Smile here.

4th Grade Math at Home:

I also have a set of plans for 4th grade, with the same structure, but more advanced math skills. This could also be used with 5th graders who need some review with the fundamentals, especially fraction operations.

Learn More About the 4th Grade Math at Home Plans HERE

And if you’re looking for freebies, definitely check out the FREE printables for 4th grade in my shop!

5th Grade Math at Home:

I also have a math at home pack for 5th grade. Again, this follows a simple daily math routine to build number sense, play meaningful games and practice essential skills.

Learn more and grab the 5th Grade Math at Home Pack HERE

First, check out the FREE printable downloads in my shop. There are tons to choose from!

If you’re looking for something digital, you might like this collection of resources from Mandy at Teaching with Simplicity. (this includes more than just math)

And no matter what grade you teach, I encourage you to grab this FREE Fractions Kit from ShillerMath. This includes a variety of downloadable tools, including fraction songs, lesson plans and diagnostic tests. This is FREE until April 30, 2020.

And if you teach grades 2-5, you may want to try one of Shelley Gray’s real life math projects. This might be the perfect time to do some problem based learning! See all the projects available here.

Lastly, you can currently grab FREE math downloads for grades K-5 from K-5 Math Teaching Resources. These are available free through April 20, 2020.

Each grade level includes 5 activities. Grab each set here.

Hand2Mind is also putting together resources for parents and teachers on their site, Hand2Mind At Home. This includes videos for math and literacy lessons for grades K-5. See all that’s available here.

You may also be interested in these free resources from Family Math Night. This company usually hosts math nights at elementary schools. With schools being closed, they put together this page of resources for families to do math together at home.

6th/7th Grade Math at Home:

If you’re looking for middle school math resources, you might start by checking out my pages of free printable worksheets.

• Fraction and Decimal Practice
• 3-D Shape Resources

Obviously, I wouldn’t want kids doing worksheets every single day, with nothing else, but this may be helpful to supplement during this unique time (remember, give yourself grace!)

And then, of course you can go through all the additional FREE printable activities in my shop. Here you may find more real life math, hands on activities and investigations.

8th Grade Math at Home:

Find FREE ‘done for you’ daily lessons from a fellow teacher in this document. These are digital lessons that you can send to your students to keep them learning.

If you’d like to give your students an engaging project to work on a little at a time, my ‘Build Your Own Amusement Park’ project might be a fun option.

And for additional printable lessons, investigations, games and more, see all the FREE printables for middle school in my shop here.

FREE & Discounted Online Math Resources for School Closures

Lastly, if you’d like to provide your kids with some online math lessons and games time, these options might be useful! Please note that some of these are *limited time* deals, so get started or signed up today!

Sign up for a FREE month of Beast Academy (ages 8-13) when you use the code FlattenTheCurve. The monthly fee is $15, so this coupon code will make the first month free or save you $15 on a yearly subscription. This deal expires April 30, 2020.

Teachers and parents can also sign up for FREE access to ST Math, a visual math learning program. There is no credit card required for signup, and parents can access the materials until June 30, 2020. Learn more about ST Math here.

Sign up for a free 90 day trial of DreamBox. You must sign up for this offer by April 30, 2020.

Sign up for a 2 week free trial of Smartick, an online math learning environment.

Another online math resource, Boddle, is offering their platform free for educators and parents who are affected by school closures. Learn how to use this for distance learning here.

Provide differentiated online math lessons, allowing your child to work at their level on Freckle. Read more about using Freckle at home here.

Find engaging online games for a variety of grades and subject areas from BreakoutEDU here.

Find engaging lessons from Illustrative Mathematics here.

Have your students complete the FREE math mindset course from Jo Boaler at YouCubed. This course is free all the time, but with students home and needing meaningful math lessons, now might be the perfect time to encourage your kids to watch the videos!

Find more FREE tasks (search by grade level) from YouCubed here.

Middle & high school teachers, you can use DeltaMath to assign math problem sets to your students remotely. This is always free. Learn more about DeltaMath here.

MangaHigh is offering FREE access to schools that are closed. This site offers math games and videos for upper level math. Read more about how to get access here.

Do your kids need help with specific math concepts? Find engaging and helpful videos teaching all sorts of math concepts from MashUp Math on YouTube.

Or if you want a fun change of pace to explore math concepts, try learning some math songs from NumberRock on YouTube here.

This is not math specific, but I thought it was a really cool resource-let your kids listen to stories read aloud by astronauts from space! There are so many great books to listen to, encouraging a love of science and STEM in your kids. My kids LOVE these videos. It’s so fun to see the astronauts floating in space!

I hope this collection of resources is useful for you. If your school extends their school closure to the end of the year, bookmark this page and return to it often. As deals expire or new deals become available, I will update it.

And if you have a free math resource that parents or teachers might find useful for distance learning, feel free to send me an email!

The post K-8 Math at Home: Resources for School Closures appeared first on Math Geek Mama.

My kids and I have been using a new set of math challenges that everyone LOVES! It’s called an esti-mystery and typically they come from Steve Wyborney. But thanks to his course, I have learned how to create my own, especially for my kids. So today, I want to share a simple and FREE set of esti-mystery challenges for grades K-2 with you! This set is meant to be a super simple introduction, which you can use with even your youngest ones. So if the idea of an esti-mystery is new to you, this will hopefully be a good place to start, with pretty simple clues and numbers that are less than 50.

*Please Note: This post contains affiliate links that support the work of this site. Read our full disclosure here.*

How Does an Esti-Mystery Work?

Basically, you begin with a picture of a jar full of objects (like the slide you see below). Kids start by making their best estimate for the total number of objects and discussing it with a friend.

You then give them a clue, which will tell them a little more about the total number and help them to narrow down the possible answers.

You continue providing clues and they adjust their estimates until it’s time for the big reveal.

I will be honest…the anticipation and excitement leading up to the big reveal is one of the best parts! Kids truly love the excitement of the “mystery” and the challenge to not only figure out the true amount, but also justify their reasoning.

Want to learn more about these challenges? Read 5 Amazing Benefits of Esti-Mystery Challenges in Your Classroom

FREE Esti-Mystery Challenges for Grades K-2:

This set of “unifix cube mysteries” doesn’t involve super complex math skills within the clues. The main skills are understanding the difference between even and odd, addition and more than/less than.

I wanted you to be able to either use these with kids in the early grades (since a lot of esti-mysteries are for older kids) or use these as an introduction for what esti-mysteries are and how to complete them.

There are 5 mysteries included, each in their own powerpoint presentation.

To use them, you will need to open one of the files in powerpoint and “view slideshow.”

Alternatively, you can use the slides with google slides if you don’t have access to powerpoint.

You begin by downloading the powerpoint file, and saving the file in google drive. Then open the file with google slides and “view and present” from there.

Then you simply guide your students through the estimation process, revealing one clue at a time, and allowing students time to think about the clue and adjust their estimate as necessary.

Please note: when you request this set of powerpoint files, you will receive all 5 in a zip file. When you open the zip file on your computer, you’ll be able to access all 5 powerpoint files.

Learn more about opening zip files on a PC or Mac HERE if you’re unsure what this is.

Create Your Very Own Esti-Mysteries with Ease:

If you love the idea of using esti-mysteries, but would like to incorporate more advanced math skills perfectly suited for your students, you will LOVE Steve’s course!

I purchased this course when he first shared it, because I love learning new ways to teach and explore math. I was so blown away by how thorough and thoughtful the course is. Not only is is packed with tips for how to take pictures that work well and save time creating clues, but it helped me to better understand what makes a mystery beneficial to kids’ math learning.

I quickly went through almost the entire course in one sitting, because I was so excited about all the possibilities!

Although Steve has lots of esti-mysteries available free, you know your students best. You know what skills they need to work on, and what math vocabulary they need more practice and familiarity with.

Plus, once you can create them yourself, you have an endless supply of rich, engaging math tasks you can use with your students.

Plus, receive these exciting bonuses:

• Set of 77 esti-mysteries you can use with your students, all in one file
• Set of 50 photos to use to create your own esti-mysteries (this is probably the most valuable bonus! Use these photos to create your own clues, perfect for your students, and save time! There’s no need to gather materials and take photos if you use these-they are set up in the template, ready for you to add clues…see an example below)

• 6 clue template (the ready to use template is a HUGE time saver, and if you want more clues, you can use this one!)
• Horizontal templates (for horizontal pictures, with 4 clues and 6 clues)

>>Learn more about the Esti-Mystery Creator Course HERE!

And of course, be sure to grab the FREE set of esti-mystery challenges for Grades K-2 below!

{Click HERE to go to my Shop and Grab the FREE set of Esti-Mystery Challenges for Grades K-2!}

The post FREE Esti-Mystery Challenges for Grades K-2 | Math Geek Mama appeared first on Math Geek Mama.

What does your daily math routine look like? Maybe it includes a “number of the day” challenge, or calendar time. Maybe it includes number talks or fun math game time. Of all the math tasks you give your students, how many are providing meaningful opportunities for practicing estimation and developing number sense?

Unfortunately, estimation is a math skill that is woefully disregarded in a lot of math classrooms. And yet, this is one of the most important math skills, as students will undoubtedly be more prepared for “real life math” if they can make reasonable and appropriate estimates.

Often estimation challenges include nothing more than a large “estimation jar” set up in the corner of the room. Students write their guess on a slip of paper and the actual total is revealed at the end of the week. Perhaps some students use a meaningful method of estimations, but most probably just guess a random number, given they’ve had no prior instruction or exposure to such a task.

So what can you do to provide more meaningful estimation practice? Well, if you’re not familiar, allow me to introduce you to the “Esti-Mystery.”

*Please Note: This post contains affiliate links which support the work of this site. Read our full disclosure here.*

What is an Esti-Mystery?

An esti-mystery allows kids the chance to practice and hone their estimation skills, which builds number sense. But it also weaves in other math skills and math vocabulary, providing additional skills review. These math mysteries were developed by Steve Wyborney, who is a master of developing meaningful math tasks.

In an esti-mystery, students are shown a picture such as the one below, with the task to determine the total number of objects. They are then given clues, one by one, that narrow down the possible options.

This combination of estimating, using a clue, estimating, using a clue, allows for meaningful math dialogue and fun interaction for kids.

Benefits of Esti-Mystery Challenges

You can probably already see tons of benefits of incorporating esti-mysteries into your math routine. But here are some of my favorite reasons to use them:

Esti-Mysteries provide meaningful and intentional estimation practice.

As I’ve already mentioned, estimation practice is often thrown into a math curriculum randomly, with no real teaching or intention behind it. This does not develop number sense in students or prepare them for real world math skills.

Using an esti-mystery, however, you can provide meaningful and fun estimation practice that is more than just guessing and hoping for the best.

Esti-mysteries can help review & teach math vocabulary.

Depending on the target age for a mystery, kids can learn and apply many different math skills (and learn/apply math vocabulary) as they go through the different clues. For example, a clue might say, “the number is a multiple of 3.” If a student doesn’t remember what the term multiple means, this provides a way to review and use it correctly.

Esti-mysteries provide an opportunity for meaningful math talk.

Because students have to explain their reasoning for their estimation, rich discussions result as they think about how they came to that estimate. They can then learn to justify their thinking and articulate themselves in a meaningful way to others the more they practice.

Esti-mysteries provide opportunities to practice logical thinking skills.

As students consider different clues, they are forced to think about how to use and apply that clue to lead them to the solution. What does a particular clue mean for the solution? Which numbers can therefore not be correct?

Esti-mysteries provide a unique and engaging challenge that is FUN for kids.

Lastly, but certainly not least, esti-mysteries are FUN. Kids love the thrill of not knowing what the answer is, and narrowing down their choices to try and prove themselves right or wrong. The exciting climax of revealing the true number is a fun moment that kids of all ages look forward to.

How to Use Esti-Mystery Challenges in Your Classroom

Want to get started with these fun estimation challenges? Steve Wyborney has a huge collection available for FREE on his website.

To use them, all you need is powerpoint. If you work with a large class, you will also want a projector so that you can project the powerpoint presentation at the front of the class for everyone to see.

You then simply click through the slides and clues, pausing to allow time for your students to reflect and form their estimates.

When I use these with my kids (we homeschool) I simply pull up the presentation on my computer and “view slideshow” with them.

One of the most important steps to make sure these challenges are meaningful and effective for kids is to give time to pause, consider and re-evaluate their estimate after each clue.

For this reason, I created a simple recording page with a hundreds chart for my kids. The visual of the hundreds chart allows them to cross out numbers as they are eliminated. There is then space to write their adjusted estimates as clues are revealed and explain why they made their choice.

Stopping to reflect and write out their choices is a key component that will allow for a richer experience and better retention of skills learned.

Would you like to grab this set of esti-mystery recording pages to use with esti-mysteries? Simply use the link below to grab them from my shop. 

This includes teaching tips and directions, as well as two different versions.

The second version only includes the hundreds chart and space to write the estimates. This is for the youngest mathematicians who may not be ready to write out their reasoning just yet. You can still be sure to discuss their reasoning, though!

Have fun estimating and practice math skills with these rich math tasks!

Are you interested in creating your OWN esti-mysteries? Check out Steve’s creator course!

Once you can create them yourself, you have an endless supply of rich, engaging math tasks you can use with your students.

Plus, receive these exciting bonuses:

• Set of 77 esti-mysteries you can use with your students, all in one file
• Set of 50 photos to use to create your own esti-mysteries (this is probably the most valuable bonus! Use these photos to create your own clues, perfect for your students, and save time! There’s no need to gather materials and take photos if you use these-they are set up in the template, ready for you to add clues…see an example below)
• 6 clue template (the ready to use template is a HUGE time saver, and if you want more clues, you can use this one!)
• Horizontal templates (for horizontal pictures, with 4 clues and 6 clues)

>>Learn more about the Esti-Mystery Creator Course HERE!

{Click HERE to go to my shop and grab the FREE Esti-Mystery Recording Pages!}

The post Benefits of Esti-Mystery Challenges | FREE Esti-Mystery Recording Pages appeared first on Math Geek Mama.

*Please Note: This post contains affiliate links which support the work of this site. Read our full disclosure here.*

What are Number Talks?

First of all, let’s talk about what a number talk is. A number talk is a quick time of mental math practice for your students to focus on developing skills and strategies around math operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication or division).

They should only last about 10-15 minutes, but can (over time) produce deep and meaningful changes in how your students approach and think about numbers and operations.

If this sounds like just another fad or yet another thing to add to your already full plate, I’d encourage you to consider why these brief mathematical conversations will be so beneficial to your students.

Why Incorporate Number Talks in the Classroom:

I could probably go on and on about the benefits of number talks and all the different ways to incorporate them, but today I will just hit on the what I believe are the biggest benefits.

Which of these would be most impactful for your students?

1. Number talks teach kids to think like a mathematician.

Talking about math is essential. It’s what mathematicians do. While students may think that mathematicians simply sit around working out computation problems, that’s not at all an accurate picture.

Mathematicians ask big questions, come up with ideas, look for answers and talk about it with other mathematicians.

We know that scientists come up with theories (or hypotheses) and then test them. Mathematicians do the same thing. Their ideas are called conjectures. They then prove them by reasoning (or talking) about them using logic in order convince other mathematicians.

Related: 10 Things Every Good Mathematician Should Do

2. Number talks help kids develop a conceptual understanding.

All too often, kids focus on formulas and algorithms without actually understanding what or why they do them. By seeing multiple methods of solving the same problem (mentally), kids have a deeper understanding of the math and their own ideas are then solidified.

This is not to say that there’s anything wrong with formulas, they are certainly helpful and efficient. But they don’t show or explain the meaning behind the math that kids are doing.

Developing a conceptual understanding, on the other hand, will help kids to actually understand and make sense of the formal algorithms.

3. Number talks give kids the opportunity to make connections & come up with their own strategies.

When you present a problem to students that is new or just a little ahead of where you are in your current curriculum, it gives kids the opportunity to think about and apply what they already know to something new.

This helps them to bridge the gap and form connections in their brain. It also challenges them to come up with their own strategy because no one has yet told them “this is how you do it.” You might think that kids won’t be able to do that and it will leave them frustrated. But I think you’ll be surprised and just how creative and free kids are when they can approach a problem in their own unique way (I’ve seen it over and over again!)

4. Algorithms and formulas apart from understanding leads to nonsensical reasoning and solutions.

In a number talk, kids are forced to think about not only how to solve the problem, but justify their reasoning and think about whether the answer actually makes sense.

If kids are only shown a particular strategy or formula to follow, they don’t have to give any thought to whether or not it makes sense.

Thus, they will often think of them as arbitrary, and no longer think about what they’re doing or what their final answer is in a logical way. This can lead to answers that are clearly not right or don’t make sense, but kids don’t think about that.

5. Number talks strengthen mental math skills.

This should be fairly obvious, because number talks focus on solving problems mentally, but I’ll mention again here anyway.

Because kids are challenged to solve a problem without pencil, paper or calculator, they have an opportunity to work on mental math skills that often gets neglected.

And by strengthening these skills, kids will gradually work towards more meaningful and efficient strategies that they may never have thought of or solidified in their minds without the opportunity given in a number talk.

And strengthening these skills will only lead to deeper conceptual understanding, which  leads to better understanding of formal algorithms.

Related: Printable Mental Math Game

I’m sure there are many more benefits to regular number talks, but these are some that I have seen in students.

If you are already doing number talks, great! I hope you share my enthusiasm and see the benefits to your students!

Get Started with Number Talks:

If you’ve never tried number talks and want to know more, I’d encourage you to check out my course on Meaningful Number Talks. It walks you through in greater detail all the steps to get started and includes tons of examples. Plus, it includes printables to use in your classroom so you can begin to implement number talks right away.

You can complete the course in a weekend and get started with number talks on Monday!

I’d also encourage you to check out these additional resources on classroom number talks and math conversations. I have found all of these books to be extremely helpful!

Additional Number Talk Resources:

• Making Number Talks Matter by Cathy Humphreys & Ruth Parker
• Number Talks: Whole Number Computation Grades K-5 by Sherry Parrish
• Number Talks: Fractions, Decimals & Percentages by Sherry Parrish
• Intentional Talk by Elham Kazemi

Want a FREE set of planning pages to get started with number talks? Simply fill out the form below!

The post 5 Reasons Number Talks Should be a Regular Part of Your Math Routine appeared first on Math Geek Mama.

The Fibonacci Sequence:

Named for the famous mathematician, Leonardo Fibonacci, this number sequence is a simple, yet profound pattern.

Based on Fibonacci’s ‘rabbit problem,’ this sequence begins with the numbers 1 and 1, and then each subsequent number is found by adding the two  previous numbers. Therefore, after 1 and 1, the next number is 2 (1+1). The next number is 3 (1+2) and then 5 (2+3) and so on.

What’s remarkable is that the numbers in the sequence are often seen in nature.

A few examples include the number of spirals in a pine cone, pineapple or seeds in a sunflower, or the number of petals on a flower.

The numbers in this sequence also form a a unique shape known as a Fibonacci spiral, which again, we see in nature in the form of shells and the shape of hurricanes.

Fractals in Nature:

Fractals are another intriguing mathematical shape that we seen in nature. A fractal is a self-similar, repeating shape, meaning the same basic shape is seen again and again in the shape itself.

In other words, if you were to zoom way in or zoom way out, the same shape is seen throughout.

Fractals make up many aspects of our world, included the leaves of ferns, tree branches, the branching of neurons in our brain, and coastlines.

Learn more about fractals and how we see and apply them in our world today at the Fractal Foundation.

Hexagons in Nature:

Another of nature’s geometric wonders is the hexagon. A regular hexagon has 6 sides of equal length, and this shape is seen again and again in the world around us.

The most common example of nature using hexagons is in a bee hive.

Bees build their hive using a tessellation of hexagons. But did you know that every snowflake is also in the shape of a hexagon?

We also see hexagons in the bubbles that make up a raft bubble. Although we usually think of bubbles as round, when many bubbles get pushed together on the surface of water, they take the shape of hexagons.

Concentric Circles in Nature:

Another common shape in nature is a set of concentric circles. Concentric means the circles all share the same center, but have different radii. This means the circles are all different sizes, one inside the other.

A common example is in the ripples of a pond when something hits the surface of the water. But we also see concentric circles in the layers of an onion and the rings of trees that form as it grows and ages.

If you live near woods, you might go looking for a fallen tree to count the rings, or look for an orb spider web, which is built with nearly perfect concentric circles.

Math in Outer Space:

Moving away from planet earth, we can also see many of these same mathematical features in outer space.

For instance, the shape of our galaxy is a Fibonacci spiral. The planets orbit the sun on paths that are concentric. We also see concentric circles in the rings of Saturn.

But we also see a unique symmetry in outer space that is unique (as far as scientists can tell) and that is the symmetry between the earth, moon and sun that makes a solar eclipse possible.

Every two years, the moon passes between the sun and the earth in such a way that it appears to completely cover the sun. But how is this possible when the moon is so much smaller than the sun?

Because of math.

You see, the moon is approximately 400 times smaller than the sun, but it is also approximately 400 times further away.

This symmetry allows for a total solar eclipse that doesn’t seem to happen on any other planet.

Isn’t nature amazing??

Want to know even more about these topics and explore them more deeply with your kids? Try my math enrichment curriculum: Math in Nature.

See what your kids will explore in this short video:

This curriculum, designed for grades 3-6, provides hands on lessons to look at math in the real world and also practice important math skills.

It includes picture book lists for each topic, a detailed teacher manual, student handouts for the lessons, ‘fun fact’ summary pages and a list of math art projects to go along with each theme.

Buy Math in Nature HERE

I also encourage you to grab the FREE set of math in nature posters to show your kids math in the real world. Use these to decorate your math space and invite discussions and excitement about the beauty of math.

Simply enter your email below to receive these posters. You will also receive a special offer for my Math in Nature curriculum, as well as math teaching tips and other freebies and offers.

I hope this gives you some fun new math ideas to learn and explore along with your kids!

The post Math in Nature: 5 Stunning Ways We See Math in the World appeared first on Math Geek Mama.

*Please Note: This post contains affiliate links which support the work of this site. Read our full disclosure here.*

Notice and Wonder Math Activity:

This idea was first introduced by Annie Fetter at The Math Forum in 2007.

Rather than assuming low-achieving students were incapable, she assumed they merely needed a little help getting started.

Here’s what Max Ray says in his book, Powerful Problem Solving:

“The wonderful thing that we’ve found is that students are very capable, with practice, of finding important information in math problems (and stories, images, videos, etc.) and making conjectures about that information. It’s a matter of helping them get started, valuing their ideas and helping them stay connected to their own thinking.

Using an “I Notice, I Wonder…” prompt to begin the brainstorming process is an excellent way to draw kids in, encourage curiosity and help them get started.

So what does this mean? It means you begin by presenting students with something interesting.

This could be a picture or a short video clip. It could be a new math problem they haven’t encountered before. It could be a word problem.

Do not present the entire problem and question, however, only the introductory information or visual representation.

Here’s a brief overview of the process.

Step One:

Begin with a picture of the situation. Or the context of a word problem without the actual question.

Step Two:

Then simply ask, “What do you notice?” Make a list of all the things kids notice about the particular situation or picture.

Then ask, “Is there anything you wonder about this?” Make a list of questions that kids wonder about the particular situation.

This forces kids to think about the entire situation and spend time reflecting on it, without being worried or consumed with “doing the math” or “solving the problem.”

This is an incredibly important step in solving math problems, and yet it is the most often skipped, overlooked or rushed process in students.

Either kids are overwhelmed by the problem and so they pluck out the numbers and just do something, just to have something on their paper, or they assume they already know how to do the math, so they rush to get the answer.

Kids who struggle, rush or skip this step because they assume they can’t do it.

Kids who do well in math rush because they assume they already know everything they need to know.

Both assumptions are wrong!

By slowing kids down and encouraging them to just stop to notice things about a problem allows all students to engage in the problem solving process and gives all kids a starting point.

It also allows for the opportunity to make connections to different mathematical ideas present in the problem, connections that are often lost because kids rush through just to get an answer.

Step Three:

After a sufficient exploration of the situation and possible questions related to the situation, reveal what question you actually want them to answer, and let them work to solve it.

Why Use an I Notice/I Wonder Routine to Solve Problems?

The Standards for Mathematical Practice include the following goal for all math students: make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.

Asking kids, “What do you notice about this (problem, question, picture, video…)?” allows them to observe and begin to make sense of the situation.

Following up that observation with, “What do you wonder (i.e. what questions do you have?) about this (problem, question, picture, video…)?” allows kids to make meaningful conjectures, based on what interests them in this context.

Over time, noticing and wondering about the context of a problem becomes more of a habit and routine for students than an assignment from the teacher.

This leads to perseverance in problem solving because it gives all students a starting point and a means of getting “unstuck” when they’re confused about a problem or situation.

To help you make I Notice, I Wonder routines a more regular part of your math instruction, I have created a simple “I Notice, I Wonder” printable journal that you can print out for students to record their thoughts.

This journal was originally designed to go along with my math enrichment curriculum, “Math In Nature,” which includes a notice and wonder brainstorming prompt for each mathematical topic.

Learn more about Math in Nature Here

It is blank, however, and so it can easily be used with whatever math context, task or problem you choose to present to your students.

I hope you enjoy this simple, printable journal!

{Click HERE to go to my shop and grab the FREE Notice and Wonder Math Activity Journal}

Want to learn more about engaging ALL students in the problem solving process? Dig deeper in my professional development course, Problem Solved: How to Teach Math Through Problem Solving & Inquiry.

The post I Notice, I Wonder…Helping Kids Understand Big Math Ideas & Solve Problems appeared first on Math Geek Mama.

This list is not my own, it’s actually from a poster I used to have hanging in my classroom.  But I did not hang this poster simply because it was cute and took up a lot of space on my otherwise bare walls (I was a high school math teacher…not the most creative type…). I hung it because I really and truly believe that these are some of the most helpful things one can do when trying to solve a problem.

10 Things Every Good Mathematician Should Do:

1. Look For Patterns

If you are trying to solve a complex problem, and have no idea where to start, try to find a pattern and see if that pattern tells you anything.  Math (and life) is full of patterns, and often seeing a pattern will either help give you direction in finding a solution, or at least help you to better understand the problem and come up with an idea to solve it.

Related: How to solve problems by finding a pattern

2.  Draw a Picture, Diagram or Chart

As a visual learner, this is almost always my first step in working out a problem.  Simply drawing a diagram of what’s happening, or organizing the information in a chart or table will give you a better understanding of the problem, and possibly help you spot patterns or information that you otherwise would have missed.

Related: How to solve problems by drawing a picture

Related: How to solve problems using an organized list

3.  Estimate

In terms of real life application, this is one of the most overlooked math skills.  Estimation is not just random guessing, but rather careful consideration, and is a very important life skill. Estimating can help you quickly determine if a solution makes sense in context, or give you an idea of what the final solution should look like.

4.  Ask Good Questions

Often, students look at a problem, have no idea where to begin and thus give up before they have even started. However, learn to ask yourself questions about the problem at hand using what you know.  For instance, “What is the question asking?” “What should the solution look like?”

As you get better at thinking through and solving problems you should also learn to ask things like, “Does my answer make sense?” “Does it answer the question being asked?” “Is there another way to solve this problem?” “Is my method of solving going to be true in all cases?” “What happens if I change the numbers in the problem?”

Asking good questions will lead you to a deeper understanding of the problem and give you greater insight for the next problem you solve.

5. Create a Plan

When you first read through a problem, take a moment to think through it.  Ask some questions, organize the information, and then come up with a plan.  Start by thinking about what your solution should look like (Should it be a measurement? Should it be large or small? etc.) and then come up with a plan for how to get there.

Sometimes you need to find a different piece of information in order to find the answer you’re looking for.  Sometimes, you may need to change the plan halfway through because you’re on the wrong track. That’s ok! That’s part of the problem solving process.

Related: Word Problem Solving Templates

6.  Take Your Time 

Often, students are in such a hurry to “get it done” that they don’t take time to stop and think about the problem. This leads to careless mistakes, or simply guessing because they don’t know how to solve it right away.  It’s ok to try something that doesn’t work, and then try something different.

Related: Types of Math Errors & How to Prevent Them

7. Check Your Work

After all that hard work, no one wants to go back and do it all over again.  But thinking about whether your answer makes sense, and then briefly going back over each step to check for mistakes is a vitally important step.  You didn’t work that hard to solve the problem just to end up with the wrong answer because you said “2 + 3 = 6”!

8.  Explain Your Work

Once you have successfully worked through a problem and checked and verified that you have the correct solution, talk through how you went about solving it.  Explain your plan to a partner and see if you came up with the same answer.  See if you each solved it a different way and learn from each other!

Talking through a problem will not only help you better understand what you did and why it worked, but will help you remember for the next time. If you can’t explain what you did, it may be that you don’t actually understand and you need to go back and look at the problem more closely.

9.  Use Math to Solve Everyday Problems

Whether in your classroom, in your home or at the grocery store, there are problems that need to be solved! So put your skills to the test and try to come up with a plan and work out a solution. Using your brain outside of the math classroom will help hone your problem solving skills as well as better understand the math you are learning in school.  Then discuss the problems with your classmates and see if there are other ideas for how to tackle the problem!

10. Seek New Ways to Solve a Problem

One of the beautiful things about mathematics is that there is always more than one way to come up with the right answer. Looking for more than one way to find the solution will stretch your thinking and help you grow into a better math student and problem solver, and that is always the goal, right? And as a bonus, looking for another method of solving will help you check your work because if you use two different methods and get two different answers you know something is wrong somewhere!

And finally, don’t be afraid to make a mistake.  That’s part of the learning process!! Especially when it comes to mathematics.  Sometimes the only way to figure out what works is to first determine what doesn’t. Just don’t give up!

Related: 8 Reasons Making Mistakes in Math is a Good Thing

Happy problem solving!

The post 10 Things Every Good Mathematician Should Do appeared first on Math Geek Mama.

*Please Note: This post contains affiliate links which help support the work of this site. Read our full disclosure here.*

This is a guest post from Athena Baker, a computer programmer & freelance writer.

How Learning to Code Can Improve Math Skills

From creating fun cartoons using Scratch, to creating apps using java, coding is one of the hottest tools used to help kids build, improve, and develop the communicative skills that translate to many STEM fields, especially mathematics.

At Math Geek Mama, we are here to help you improve your young learner’s math skills, which is why we want to highlight how teaching them how to code can improve logical thinking and reasoning skills, and in effect improve their math skills.

So without further ado, let’s get started!

The Use of Logic in Coding

So let’s start with the first part, logic, which is fundamental to present day mathematics.

Other than being the thing that makes you sound like an old and worn out Greek philosopher while you’re writing your school papers (remember this old saying: “Socrates is a man, all men are mortal, therefore, Socrates is a mortal”?), logic is what helps to create each series of steps needed to even build your code.

I had the pleasure of interviewing David Dodge from CodaKid recently, a leading figure in childhood coding education and he states, “Computer science builds skills in a number of corollary areas including math, science, problem-solving, teamwork, project-based learning, creative arts, and more.” He also attributes learning basic coding principles to an increased logical cognition in early age students.

In computer science, logic is represented by conditionals, which are statements that determine if something is “true” or “false” (true meaning “it works”, false meaning “it does not work”). Conditionals are usually represented by if-else statements.

Let’s say that a child wants to make a sprite, a digital character, in Scratch move from one end of the screen to another for a game.

Typically, a child would use a condition such as, “if player clicks on the mouse button,” “then the sprite moves forward to the end of the screen.” It is because of that “if-else” statement that the sprite can move, which thus allows the program/game to work.

Here’s an example in how this simple coding exercise can use logic to improve how the student’s math skills:

Conditional statements allow a computer program to execute a particular section of code based on whether a condition is true or false. Java uses Boolean values to evaluate these conditions. One of two Boolean values (true or false) is returned when the condition is evaluated by the computer.

Here is a snippet of code that determines when the user’s player jumps:

In the above example, if the player presses the space bar on the computer, the user’s player will jump.

It is because of these statements that students can understand how their code works long before they even understand the meaning of 1 + 1 = 2 and why 2 = 2.

This use of logical reasoning can help in many different areas of math, especially geometry, which relies on many if/then statements.

The Link Between Learning Coding & Math

Because coding is applied to math and logic as shown through the usage of conditionals, loops, and numbers, it can easily help improve math skills.

In the meantime, tell us, what did you find most helpful about this article? Is there anything about coding and math that you didn’t know about prior?

Get Your Kids Started with Coding:

One way to help kids begin to learn coding skills is with the app codeSpark. This award winning program can be used by kids as young as 4 as they learn coding skills through play!

Test it out with your own kids FREE using the link below!

>>>Try codeSpark Academy Free for 7 Days

More Coding Resources for Kids:

• Learning to Code with Bitsbox
• Awesome STEM Resources for Middle School Students

Maryland born Athena Zhang Baker has been writing all kinds of various articles, stories, and reviews since she was in seventh grade. As of now, she is continuing to write various articles on Computer Science such as “Ada Lovelace: The Making of an Ideal Liberal Arts” while running a Manga and Manhwa Club in Memphis, TN.

The post How Learning to Code Can Improve Math Skills appeared first on Math Geek Mama.

There are so many ways we see and use integers in the real world. We even add and subtract integers all the time, though we might not realize it. So even though teaching how to add & subtract integers might sound scary to both teacher and student, there are actually ways to introduce this in real and meaningful ways. This post includes a real life lesson you can use to add & subtract integers and help kids see the “rules” before you actually teach integer rules.

*Please Note: This post contains affiliate links which support the work of this site. Read our full disclosure here.*

Teaching Integer Operations Through Problem Solving

To begin introducing integers, I prefer to start with real world examples. This can include common things like temperature, being above or below sea level, or other ideas that may or may not be familiar to students such as golf scores (above or below par).

In this lesson, the focus is on money, and balancing your budget. In this example, kids will add & subtract integers as money is earned (through working) or lost (by buying things).

What’s great about this lesson is that kids will actually use integers in a meaningful context and will see integer rules play out (such as when you have a negative and subtract a positive you end up with a bigger negative).

In addition, kids will see the commutative property, so that no matter what order they include the transactions in their ledger, they will always end up with the same amount of money in the bank.

How to Add & Subtract Integers

When you’re ready to set up this lesson, begin by printing a tracking page for each student. You will want to print this front and back so that students have enough space to keep track of each line item in the budget.

Students will then need a set of word problem cards.

I suggest putting students in small groups, and having them go through the cards in a different order. In this case, you can print just one set per group.

Just be sure students are careful not to mix the cards up or lose track of what items they’ve already calculated.

You want them to see that at the end, they all end up with the same final balance.

You could also assign this work individually, which means each student will need a page of word problems.

Then they could go through them in order, without cutting the cards out.

If you do it this way, every student should have the same answers all the way through the assignment.

This might be helpful if you’d rather everyone complete it in the same order so you can discuss various steps and compare how they worked them out and how they wrote their equations.

Finally, you will need to give everyone a starting balance.

If the starting balance is $0, they will end the assignment with $277 in the bank.

If you start with money already, however, you will end with: (starting value) + $277. For instance, if the starting balance is $500, you will end with $777.

I hope this lesson provides a fun, real life math lesson for your students, and begins to build a foundation for how to work with integers.

Need more practice and visuals to teaching addition & subtraction with integers? Grab this complete lesson and games collection: Add & Subtract Integers Lessons & Games.

Extension and Follow Up Questions

To follow up, you’ll want to discuss why all students ended up with the same final total (if they didn’t, have them go back through their work to check first).

You could also discuss this specific situation and ask, “How could Bob have saved more money?” or “What was the best/worst choice he made with his money?”

You could also challenge kids to compare specific problems that are similar and estimate which is better. For example, what is better for Bob, working 5 hours at $15 an hour or working 10 hours for $10 an hour?

After discussing ideas, estimations and strategies, work out each problem.

Finally, you can then discuss what they noticed about integers and as them to explain in their own words how to add negative numbers, or how to subtract negative numbers.

When you’re ready to explore the integer rules more specifically, you might like this lesson to add & subtract integers. This shows what happens as you add & subtract integers using +/- tables.

Find more helpful pre-algebra lessons in this post.

{Click HERE to go to my shop and grab the FREE Add & Subtract Integers in Real Life Lesson}

The post {FREE} Add & Subtract Integers: Real Life Lesson appeared first on Math Geek Mama.