Concepts

Combining letters with numbers and mathematical operations is new and exciting for students starting with basic operations. I find that many students see these equations as puzzles and love to solve them. As the equations get more complicated, however, including fractions, exponents, and more, many students start getting frustrated. Algebra …

Fractions operations are usually a challenging concept for students to grasp. The multiplication of fractions seems to be “easier” than adding and subtracting fractions since the algorithm is more straightforward in the sense that we do not need to find the LCM and turn the fractions into like ones. However, …

New day new game! Today I would like to share with you a simple multiplayer game that I created to help my students practice finding the Least Common Multiple of two or more numbers (2-12). Being able to find the LCM quickly comes in handy when adding or subtracting, unlike …

The concept of area like the concept of perimeter is used constantly in everyday life so students will already have an intuitive understanding of it. We need to use and link that understanding to the math activities in the classroom. Hands on activities and word problems that connect to real-life …

Students start to learn about perimeter around grade 3, however, perimeter appears in all grades. Since the perimeter is the sum of all the sides of a 2d-shape, activities can take many forms, from measuring with crackers to algebraic expressions. Depending on the skill level of your students you can …

Have you used number bars/tape diagrams (similar to equation strips) to show division and practice visual factoring? I am always looking for visual ideas and this one seemed right. I tried this with my students and it was a great success. I used cards like the ones below for different …

Multi-digit multiplication is considered one of the most “challenging” concepts to teach students. The reason for this view is, in my opinion, the fact that understanding multi-digit multiplication requires students to have gained a deep understanding of place value, and the multiplication properties. As the digits increase the process of …

Grades 1-3 Using 100 grids to solve addition and subtraction problems is a great way for students to understand place value and regrouping. Placing/coloring tens and ones on a 100 (or more) grid helps them represent the first number and then add or subtract the second. They can see how …

By transforming any math activity into a “puzzle” you can instantly engage students and make a lesson so much more exciting. I often use puzzles to initiate number talks and to challenge my students. I love the Aha! moments they have once they solve a problem/puzzle. Why do students enjoy …