Amazing Resource: Engage NY

 

This website has amazing common core aligned lesson plans and worksheets...all for free.

These were just a few of the lessons and worksheets I've used so far but it has some great stuff!

First Grade Math

First Grade ELA

Math Curriculum Map

ELA State Standards Alignment

Skip Counting and More...

I cut up transparent dividers for notebooks into 2 inch squares and used them as a visual for skip counting on our 120 chart. We also started on one color and then counted to see how many there were to the next color. The possibilities are endless. I love this visual!

Missing Addend Kaboom

 

This is fun idea from Teacher Tipster...I used it for missing addends in math. There is a self check component on back as well. It was easy to make and the kiddos loved playing!

Easy Number Line Manipulative

This is just foam board, a pipe cleaner and one bead. You can buy the foam board at the dollar store. Two sheets will make a class set. I used a printed number line but you can just draw one on. I like the red and black. I just cut two small slits in the foam board so the pipe cleaner would fit firmly, the same way I would make a rekenrek. The student would just move the number of spaces they are adding or subtracting to get the answer: 4+3=7.

Fun Math Game Purchases

Click HERE to see it on amazon.

This is Math Dash- an addition and subtraction game played like Sequence (add the numbers on the card and then find the sum on the game board, whoever gets four in a row first wins) and the other is a 4x4 ft 100 chart. Both very affordable and super fun!

Click HERE to see it from learning resources.

First we played by just adding the dice and seeing who got to 100 first and then I covered the frames with white and they had to guess which numbers were under the frames.

My son used this homemade rekenrek to add. It's just a piece of foam board from the dollar store 2 pipe cleaners and 20 beads. You can make a whole class set out of 2 pieces of foam board so they are very inexpensive to make with your whole class.

This is the back...not pretty but functional:)

Ziploc Slider Bag Number Lines

 

My latest greatest math tool find. Draw a number line with sharpie on a ziploc slider bag and use the slider as the tool to add or subtract two numbers. I just filled the bags with addition and subtration cards. I put a piece of white paper in the bag also because it made the numbers a little easier to see. You can add a self check component by writing the answer on the back of each card. I probably should have started with zero...but you can use whatever numbers you want or leave it an open ended number line.

Sight Word/Math Squares

I filled in a dot grid with sight words. In partners the students took turns using two different colored crayons to draw in a line one at a time. When the student made a square they had to say that sight word. If they got it right they got to color in the square, if not they had to leave it white. Whoever had the most squares colored in won.

They loved this game!

We also played with math addition and subtraction problems.

Dot Paper

Magnetix Shapes

Magnetix are the perfect tool for learning sides and vertices of shapes. They can be manipulated to create different shapes.

The Best Measuring Tool

So I just finished my K-2 Common Core math class and here is one of the tools we learned about. Measuring with small sticky notes. When measuring smaller things it was great but got harder as the items got bigger. Here's where the cool part comes in...you put the sticky notes together to create a paper ruler. The students can see why it's important to have different size measuring tools and why it's easier to measure and count larger things with a bigger tool.

The patterned sticky notes make the units easier to see. The students can make them as big as they need to. I just used a piece of construction paper. Another cool thing about sticky notes is that they can be folded in half, unlike blocks so you can get more of an exact measurement and talk a little about fractions as well. This will  help the students out tremendously when they start learning about standard measurement in second grade.   

Alphabetical Order Cups

Here is a great alternative to doing alphabetical order on paper. If a student gets one word out of order their whole paper is wrong and they have to erase a lot... it can get pretty messy. Here's a great way to practice alphabetical order without having to erase. You could even add a self check component by numbering the inside of the cups.

A pinner suggested having alphabetical order races with the cups...fun! You could also see who can put numbers in order the fastest. The possibitiles are endless!

We also use cups for place value (which came from

My Second Grade Journal) and word family practice.

Cups can also be used for Greater Than, Less Than, and Equal To Practice:

Speedy Tens

This is a great activity for teens on the ten frame.

Click HERE to download a copy of this activity and the directions.

Little Ten Frames

Number Lines

I drew a number Line with chalk and gave each student a number. They had to figure out where they were supposed to stand on the number line. It was fun to do math outside.

 Create your own Number Line

Printable Number Lines from smart first graders.com
Number Line Squeeze and other first grade games.
Number line Frog Jumps Activity

Click HERE to create your own number lines and graph paper.

Retractable Number Line and...

We had to unscramble a sentence.

We had to figure out what the number line rule was and then we counted by 2's and filled in the missing numbers.

 We put our spelling words in alphabetical order.

My BRILLIANT coworker thought of this interactive number line. Use a retractable clothesline (we got them at home depot for $18) for a classroom number line that you can use in an instant and then put away just as fast. We also used it to create sentences, spelling, alphabetical order, etc. the possibilities are endless!!! We've used string in my classroom before but I love how accessible this is.

Here's what it looks like:)