Over the last few months, I have been creating and using number puzzles with students. I started with creating a few for some first graders who were struggling with some big number concepts. The kids enjoyed these so much, I created another set when we started working on telling time to the hour and half hour. I loved how easy these were to print and use. They make a great little workstation for whole group situations as well as being a good tool for anyone who needs or provides intervention. I have also found them to be great to send home for a little extra practice in a fun non-threatening way. I created several more versions for the first graders. From there, as other students and teachers saw the fun the first graders were having with their number puzzles I got requests to make number puzzles for other primary skills. As of right now, I have made a set for Kindergarten, first and second grades. Take a look! |
| A Kindergartener matches numerals and 20 frames. You can grab this number puzzle set for free here! |
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| These are great as a solo activity or with partners! |
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| The Kindergarten bundle is available now! It includes 7 different number puzzles. Each one has a follow up worksheet for formative assessment |
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| A first grader works on subtracting from 10. |
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| Here is a look at one students' work on the follow up sheet. This one was given as formative assessment to see who still needed more small group work and who was ready to move on. |
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| A pair of students works together to solve time to the hour and half hour problems. I love how students know instantly that they are wrong when the puzzle does not fit together. They are very good at asking for help when this happens! |
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| The visual images on the number puzzles support students who still need a visual model or conceptual development |
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| Another follow up sheet! |
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These are super easy to put in a top loading folder and let kids take home. You can include the follow up worksheet like I did here or send just the puzzle.
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| The First grade bundle includes 10 puzzles with follow up worksheets. It includes skills like time, place value, addition, subtraction and base 10 numbers. Want a set to try for FREE? Grab the Doubles and Neighbors number puzzle set for free here! |
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| Second graders work on counting mixed coins. This puzzle is available in 2 versions, US coins and Canadian coins. You can grab the US coins version for FREE here! |
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| A follow up sheet for the coin puzzle |
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| Second graders work on time to the 5 minutes |
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| The second grade bundle includes 10 puzzles working on skills such as coins, clocks, place value, addition and subtraction facts as well as double digit addition and adding 10 and 100 to numbers under 1000! |
books. This week I want to share another of her books with you. This one has a slightly different flavor than her other books because it does not focus on one math topic but rather on the importance of knowing and understanding numbers. It is a classic tale of when we use math in our lives. 
but for a younger audience. 
I love using the iPad with kids of all ages. Today I want to share with you an app I have been using in grades 3-5. It is made by Math Tappers, the same company that made find sums. It is called Multiples. When I heard about this app from a colleague and searched for it in the app store it did not come up. I had to open safari, do a search for it using a search engine and then it took me to the app store. When I posted about find sums, several people had trouble finding it in the app store as well so be prepared to do a liittle searching. |
| Here is the top part of the settings page. The model setting can be apples (easier) or part whole (more challenging). If you select the apples model, your students will see a model for each problem. This will be an array/area model and is a great starting point for conceptual understanding. Check out this book for more about using models to build conceptual understanding of multiplication! |
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| Scroll down the options screen a bit and you will be able to select a focus factor, change the mode from multiplication to division and pick a range for the other factor. All of this allows you to set the app so that is is just right for a student. |
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| Here is a look at an apples setting with a focus factor of 6. Notice how the student can see two groups of 6 and could use a variety of strategies to figure out the answer. |
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| Apples with a focus factor of 9 |
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| Apples set to division with a focus factor of 4 |
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| Part whole with a focus factor of 8 |
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| More part whole with a focus factor of 8 |
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| Part whole division |
who has several great math literature books including The Great Graph Contest. 
Earlier this week, I blogged about a fun and free computer game for practicing factors and multiples. Today I want to show you another fun and free online tool your students can use when learning or practicing factors. |
| Here the student has found 2 rectangles for 45 and typed in two pairs of factors of 45. Notice that the rectangle color matches the factor pairs. |
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| Here a student has found the one and only factor pair for 13. A great question to ask after using this tool is how do you know a number is prime just by looking at the board. (there is only room for one factor pair) |
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| Here a student has found 2 of the 4 rectangles needed to find all the factors of 24 |
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| A still shot from the video where it shows what a factor is. |
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| As part of the first game, students have to click on eggs that are factors of 12. Their score goes up with each correct egg. |
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| The second game stop has students catching eggs as they fall from above. They get points for each egg they catch in the basket and bonus points if they catch eggs that are factors of 21. |
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| The next part of the video introduces multiples |
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| The last game (and a student favorite) give you eggs on a conveyor belt. You have to pick up the eggs that are multiples of a given number and throw them at the guy. This game has several rounds with the multiples changing each time. |
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| The last screen is where the movie/games ends and it shows your score. The score stays on the screen and is a great way to check in and see how kids did. |
who has written over 200 kids books. I have written about some of my other favorite measurement books before but this is one is also a student favorite. It is bright, colorful, fun and has a great monster theme. The monsters are going to the opening of a new movie and work together to measure the area, perimeter and volume of the set, screen, popcorn box and more. High interest for kids and usable in grades 3-6. 
