Tried It Tuesday {Math Review for Testing}

Well, I almost forgot about Tried It Tuesday in my sickness slumber. Taking a break from my nap to try and get caught up with my neglected blog. My daughter caught this virus over a week ago and she was stuck on the couch for FOUR days (very unlike her!). Fever, vomiting, diarrhea, AND she got pink eye. Now I have it and haven't eaten since Saturday. This is day two home from school. The temps reached over 70 here yesterday for the first time since last year sometime and I was stuck inside in bed all day. :( This too shall pass I tell myself but I wish it would hurry!

It's Time for Tried It Tuesday! 

What have you tried at school or home?
If you've never linked up with Tried It Tuesday, just link up any idea school or home related and what worked or didn't work. Simple! 

COPY THE NEW BUTTON ABOVE!

My Tried It:

Math Review for Testing
We are in full state testing mode here in New York. The ELA exam is this week and next week is the math exam. I thought I would share some resources that I have found for review.

This Fourth Grade Math Year in Review resource by Ideas by Jivey is a great handout for students and parents! Shown below is the first page of the ten page handout.

It is a study guide that give examples and definitions of all fourth grade Common Core skills in math. There are even options of pages to send home for multiplication depending on how your students learn the skill (partial products and one for the lattice method).

Of course, what test prep would be complete without more practice solving word problems? Our state test is comprised of almost all word problems. These Multiple Choice Task Cards Whole Number Operations by Coffee Cups and Lesson Plans are a great way to amp up your review of word problems in a fun, engaging way!

I have also been using Math Moves: Daily Spiral Review by Fun in Room 4B. Each spiral review page covers all 5 domains every week. I started using this late in the year but it could be used all year. There are also separate weekly assessment pages covering the same standards from the daily work for the week. I am using it right now as spiral review for homework but would also work great for morning work. Check it out!

Our district also purchases the Common Core Coach books by Triumph Learning and I have pulled a few lessons from here to cover standards that I thought were lacking in the GoMath series.

Do you have other resources that you have found to be great for review of skills from the year?
I would love to hear your thoughts and comments!

This link up will be open for the month! Link up once or more than once! Thanks friends. :)

An InLinkz Link-up

Tricky Math!!

There are just some math concepts that are so tricky for our upper elementary students. The standards have become more rigorous and I have found myself constantly looking for new ways to address the standards to reach all the students. One teaching tool I love to use that makes a huge difference with my students mastering math concepts (or any subject) is using task cards or engaging, fun center activities. Students forget that they are actually learning and will go out of their way to complete these activities.

If you are looking for some amazing resources for practicing those tricky math skills for your upper elementary students, then you are going to love this amazing deal over at Educents!  I have teamed up with five other amazing sellers to load your classrooms with 10 resources to help kids with this tricky math! For a limited time, it is only $10.99 for all the downloads you see below!

The two products I included in this bundle will surely be loved by your students!  

My Line Plots with Fractions centers are a fun, engaging way for your students to practice this tricky standard.  

This packet (19 pages total) contains two variations of a math center where students make line plots using fractions and then interpret the data represented.

The first center game, "Pizza Party", instructs students to flip cards showing pieces of pizza. They graph the fraction represented on the card using the line plot and try to "earn" more pizza than the other player. Four different fraction line plot game boards using the pizza cards allows the teacher to differentiate the game based on the level of the students. 

The other center game can be played using dice at a center instead of the pizza cards. Use a die with whole numbers or customize the other line plot according to fraction or specialty dice from your supplies. Directions and a worksheet with questions for players to answer using their line plot are included with each center.

I laminated two sets of pizza fraction cards for my classroom and mounted them each on a different color paper to keep the piles separate.

Here are a few students playing the Line Plots with Fractions game.

The other product I have in the Educents Tricky Math bundle are two centers for Multiplying Fractions by Whole Numbers.

Multiply Fractions by Whole Numbers includes 25 pages of two fraction math centers aligned to the Common Core Standards for 4th grade. The centers can also be used for review for 5th grade or for challenging advanced learners in 3rd grade. The centers included are:

1. "Monster Land Race to the Finish"-Students play a game where they move on the number of spaces on a game board according to the card drawn that reads like a fraction problem (move 2/5 of 15 spaces!). Three variations of a game board, student directions, and an answer key for students to self-check answers are included.

2. "Word Problem Task Cards"-These are twelve word problem task cards where students solve a variety of problems involving multiplication of fractions by whole numbers. Some task cards also have students answer which two whole numbers their answer lies between and directs them to graph it on a number line. Students can record their answers on the task card (each a half page in size) or a separate answer sheet for all twelve task cards is included. An answer key is also included.

I also laminated two sets of cards for the "Monster Land Race to the Finish" game so two groups could use it at a time. My students loved this game!

The Educents bundle also includes these other great products so there is sure to things you love!  

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For a limited time, the whole Tricky Math pack is $10.99 from Educents which is about 70% off!  

And if you have never purchased from Educents before, it's an additional 20% off if you use this referral link!

Have a great weekend, friends!

Math Technology and Thursday Throw Down Linkies!

I am linking up (a day late) with two awesome linky parties!  

 The amazing duo Kristin at  iTeach1:1 and Aylin from Learning to the Core are hosting a technology linky and this week's topic is math!  I loved exploring so many new ideas for reading technology last week!!  Also, my wonderful friend, Erin, from I'm Lovin Lit is hosting a new linky on the first Thursdays of each month.  It is called "Thursday Throw Down" and is all about ways to make learning interactive!

To fit in the theme of both linky parties, I am going to share a few ways I make math interactive using technology. :)

This year, I had ONE class iPad and started exploring QR codes and apps.  We had to really take turns but next year I will have three!!! MORE iPads and am super excited!  It was great to just get my feet wet a little this year with this "new to me" technology.  

Of course, the students loved using the iPad and QR codes! 

 I downloaded the FREE app, Qrafter, for my iPad.  It was so easy!

The QR activities I tried for math were (click on pictures for links).  The first two were free!

I also posted some more about QR codes here.

Another technological tool for math that I use is my SMART Board.  

I use it everyday and I barely know what I would do without it!

Of course, I couldn't find a good picture of my SMART board with a math activity on it, but this is a picture of my board being used in ELA.

We start every morning with our math meeting that I have posted on the SMART board before the students even walk in the room.  Students know that they come in, turn their homework in to the right baskets, sharpen pencils, and get started on their math meeting.  When they finish their math meeting, they may work on a math center (either independently or with a partner) or read.  I encourage them to complete a math center three times a week.  

My motto for math meeting is "Try Your Best Like It's A Test" because we go over the math meeting everyday together.  I am a firm believer that students need to learn to attack problems themselves without relying on help.  Then, when we go over the answers together, they can really learn from their mistakes.  If they don't "try", then how will they learn to correct what they did wrong?  Of course, I always have some students who test the waters at the beginning of the year and they leave some math meeting problems blank.  They learn quickly that this is not acceptable.  They must at least "try!".  I just tell them that they can make up the time they wasted by not trying at recess :).  

 Students arrive 7:40-7:55 and we go over the math meeting at 8:25.  This schedule works well for my pull outs who have resource room, OT, or counseling from 8:00-8:30.  They are missing the math meeting but at least it is not the new lesson.  The math meeting is comprised of many components by the end of the year (some are added as the year progresses):

• Problem of the Day (any skill to be reviewed as a word problem)
• Let's Practice (usually a new skill learned very recently)
• Quick Thinking (some type of operations practice without a word problem)
• Money
• Time
• Measurement (especially useful when preparing for the state science exam)
• Number of the Day

The part that students love about math meeting is when it is their turn to be the math meeting helper!  The math meeting helper stands at the SMART board and records answers and uses tools from the SMART board to investigate answers (money interactive tools, polygons drawn with the Notebook tools, etc.).  The helper also calls on students to answer the different questions.  Most 4th graders love to have this power! :)  

The math meeting is so interactive and the students love it!  

I am not sure how math meeting will look as I continue to read Guided Math this summer and organize what my math block will look like.  However, I love how the math meeting forces the students to tackle problems daily independently!  Some problems are super easy and some are really challenging.  It is a good mix.  You can check out my math meeting files on TPT.  They are completely editable using Notebook Software if you have a SMART board.  I am always changing some problems on my files to match what the students need to work on but the files are a good starting point.  There are 190 files included.

I also plan to use this website next year. It is completely free and has a lot of fun math games.  The owner of the site is an elementary teacher and maintains this in his free time.  He is planning on adding a game a week this summer!  There are games for other subjects too.  Check out roomrecess.com!

From their site: RoomRecess.com is developed entirely by an elementary school teacher whose goal is to reinforce fundamental learning concepts in math, reading, spelling, language arts, and basic problem solving. Because our website is free, students do not have to sign up or hold an account with us. Children can simply load up an activity and learn while they play!

I had high hopes of getting to posting yesterday but was wiped out by the end of the day.  The rain did hold off for the most part for my daughter's parade.  We were there at 9:15 and it was 1:00 by the time we were in the car headed home.  Although it was a long walk, she had a blast performing and waving to everyone watching!

We are off to see Monster University on this rainy day.  Yay!!

 Don't forget to enter my Birthday/Blogiversary Giveaway!  Thanks for following, friends!!! :)

Mastering Math Facts, Winners, and a Sale!!

A little while back in the end of year school frenzy, I was contacted by Laura Candler's publisher to review:

Mastering Math Facts: Multiplication and Division aligned to the Common Core.  

Laura Candler is also the master teacher behind the Classroom Book Clubs product that I just LOVE!  I blogged about that here and here and will be sharing more soon (hint, hint...as soon as I get my freebies ready to share!).  Since my 4th graders NEED to know their facts and I just love Laura Candler's products, of course I said yes!!  I just had to wait a little while to post the review when I knew I would have more spare time on summer break (although, I THINK I am going to have all this spare time and it has really not happened yet!).  

I downloaded and printed this amazing, jam packed, 209 page resource while school was still in session and I was able to try a few of the activities with my math intervention students.  The book is just FILLED with creative methods for teaching, reinforcing, and providing practice for students learning their multiplication and division facts.  I love how the concepts are presented in a variety of ways and it is not just "drill and kill".  Students will understand the PROCESS and MEANING of multiplying and dividing while using these activities!  Here it is printed out:

The first activity we tried was "Graph Paper Arrays."

This was a great review of arrays and their relationship to multiplication and division!  

The graph paper squares were the same size as linking cubes.  

 Here students created a 4 x 3 array (or 4 rows of 3). Each row was created using a different color linking cube to really demonstrate "rows".  Then, the students colored the graph paper to match their linking cubes.  What a great visual!  We labeled our arrays (difficult to see in the pictures) and then I asked them questions as described in step #4 such as:  

How many rows are there?

How many columns are there?

What are the factors?

What is the product?

We also tried "Rectangle Race".  

In "Rectangle Race," players rolled two dice and created an array based on the numbers they rolled.  Each player colored in their arrays with different colors.  The "product" of the array was recorded in the center of each rectangle.  Play continued until there was no space remaining on the board and players counted how many squares they had total.  The one with the most squares won.  The students loved this game and it was a fun way to review multiplication facts for my intervention students!

Finally, my students tried "Tic-Tac-Toe Products".

 We have played a game similar to this before (learned it at a workshop) and the students love this one too!  It really gets them thinking because there is a lot of strategy that goes into it!  Students use the paperclips at the bottom of the page on the "factors" part and cover the product of the two factors on the gameboard.  The next player can only move ONE paperclip to come up with a product they can place their game piece on.  Play continues until one player makes a row of 3 horizontally, vertically, or diagonally (or you can change this up to 4 or 5).  Of course, players try to block other players like in Tic-Tac-Toe and they need to be careful about what numbers they move the paperclip to in order to anticipate what factors their partner needs to win!

Check out this awesome resource aligned to the Common Core by visiting this site.  While you are there, you can download a 43 page printable sample of this book for FREE!!

Drumroll please! Here are the winners for the Bloglovin' Giveaway!!

Congratulations to:

Kristin: Grand Prize Winner who wins two items from my TPT store and a BIG BOX of some of my favorite things in the mail!!

Natalie H.: Two Items from my TPT Store!

Heather K.: Two Items from my TPT Store!

If you had your eye on something from my TPT Store, please check out the 20% off sale from now until July 4th!!  I just uploaded editable versions of my APPR binder dividers for Danielson and TED rubrics last night (thanks to the wonderful tutorial by Jivey...I will post more about that later:).

 Thanks to the amazing AMC at Looking From Third to Fourth for the Cute Button!!  Check out her site for links to other stores hosting a sale too!