Some students certainly have strong opinions about math the older they get, and by the time students are in 4th and 5th grade, you will find such a wide range of ability levels in one classroom. I get asked a lot about how parents can help 4th and 5th graders with math at home, because it is one of those subjects that not only challenges students but may be taught in ... Read More
Browse the archives below for even more great ideas
Close Reading in Math for Upper Elementary
Close reading is all the rage in ELA classrooms, but it can definitely work in math, too. Students often struggle with word problems because they don't fully understand what the problem is telling them or asking them to do. By using close reading in math, you can help eliminate some of this struggle. Keep reading to read how I implement close reading with tricky word ... Read More
Free Guided Math Binder for Upper Elementary
Organization is honestly not my strength as a teacher, but I still try every day to be better at it. One area that I do feel that I have pretty well-organized is my guided math binder. In the past, I have shared some of the forms that I use in my guided math binder on separate posts but I am finally compiling them (and a few others) into one post and one convenient (and ... Read More
Free Word Problem of the Day Starter Pack
Confession: It was my first year teaching and one month before the state test, I realized that I had failed to expose my students to enough word problems for them to be successful and confident with them. I was so caught up in the pacing guide and using the math textbook that I failed to make the math real world and situational for my students. Big mistake on my part and ... Read More
Free Math Puzzles for the Entire Year | Seasonal and Holiday Themes
Do you ever want something a bit different from the normal math fact or number sense practice? These fun math puzzles are just what you need! On this post, I will be giving you all the details about how you can get ten (yes, TEN!) sets of math puzzles to use with your students all year! About the Math Puzzles To solve the problems, the students use their knowledge ... Read More
Guided Math – Collection of Resources and Posts for Guided Math Instruction
When I switched to a guided math approach to teaching math and began using math centers two to three times a week (read what I do the other days on this post), my students' success and confidence with math soared. I was able to truly meet the needs of all my learners and in a way that the students loved. Over the years, I have bogged a ton about guided math and I finally ... Read More
Tips for Teaching Small Groups in Math
The last post in the 4-part blog series about teaching small groups in math is here! This post will be a sort of catch-all post where I will share tips and strategies not discussed in the other three posts in the series. Speaking of the other three posts, click the links below to check out any that you missed! Planning for Small Group Math Instruction <--- Click ... Read More
Small Group Math Assessment and Data Tracking
Data is definitely not a teacher's favorite word, but to be honest, data tracking and assessments are what keep my small groups moving and are what helps me know they are working. In this post, I share quick and easy ways to assess your students during small group math, ways to track your data, and even some goal setting and self-assessments for the students. As a ... Read More
Small Group Math Instruction Resources, Materials, and Activities
Small group math instruction time is precious, and the resources and activities you choose can really maximize that time. In this post, I will share my top resources that I use for my small group math time. As a reminder, this is part of a 4-part blog series all about small group math instruction. See all of the posts below! Planning for Small Group Math ... Read More
Planning for Small Group Math Instruction
Small groups are honestly the backbone of my math instruction. Small group math instruction allows me to really meet the needs of all of the learners in my classroom. Together with whole class instruction and math centers, small groups help me ensure my students master the standards and skills in deeper levels. In this 4-part blog post series, I will share an in-depth ... Read More
Free Factors and Multiples Game with Jenga
Jenga is one of those games that I use in the classroom and wonder how I ever reviewed without it! It is right up there with Spoons games as my students' favorite games to play. Since they love it so much (and the Jenga sets are not super cheap), I want to get as much mileage as I can from my sets by using them to review tons of skills (see the bottom of this post for a ... Read More
2-D Shapes Game with Jenga Blocks | Free Printables
My students are pretty much obsessed with playing Jenga to review. I have been on a mission to create as many Jenga games as I can (see the full list at the bottom of this post), and my newest game is a 2-D shapes game that is perfect for 4th graders or review for 5th graders. Keep reading to learn more about this game and download the printables for free! Amazon ... Read More
