Math Game Monday: Multiplication I-Spy

Need a fast-paced, competitive math game for your students to practice their multiplication facts? This I-Spy game is all of that! Your students will be racing to be the first to find the products to the equations on the card. Fact fluency is simple and fun with this easy to prep game. 

How to Play Multiplication I-Spy

Start by printing out the boards and cards. Arrange the boards to make a large rectangle. Shuffle and place the cards upside down. Take turns flipping a card for all to see. Everyone will race to be the first to find the product on the spy-themed board. When someone finds it, they will cover it with a counter. Each player will have a different color of counter. Students can play this with a partner or a small group. 

Continue taking turns flipping cards and covering products until all the cards are gone or time is out. Each player should count their counters. The winner is whoever has the most. It's as simple as that!

Where I can Find Multiplication I-Spy

If you would like to purchase this game for your own class, check it out at this link. This game comes in full color or blackline to save ink. 

3 Things I Wish I Knew my First Year of Teaching

If I were to become a time traveler and travel back to my first year of teaching 1998-1999, I would tell that bright-eyed, dream-filled young teacher a few things. Here's what I would share. 

1. Spend a Lot of Time Teaching, Practicing, and Reinforcing Rules, Routines, and Procedures 

For a smooth year, you will need to keep a tight control on these. Set them up during the first week of school. Practice and practice some more until your students can do what you need them to do correctly. Practice again after every break, especially after long ones. You will be surprised at what students forget.

2. Once expectations are set, DO NOT let things slide. If you do, you will lose credibility and before you know it, you will be putting out behavior and procedure fires all day. For procedures, if your students do not do something in the way they were taught, stop and have them practice. If a rule is broken, start your consequences. Here's a look at mine.

First Offence: Stop Card - this is like a warning, only better because students must walk to my board and physically take a card back to their desk, placing it on top. This is a visual reminder for them to change their behavior.

Second Offense: Sideline - Students take a break at a designated spot in the classroom. They get themselves together and may rejoin the class by raising their hand when they feel ready. I generally allow them to choose their time to return unless they raise their hand right away or if they are visually not ready (still having a meltdown or upset looking). When they have their hand raised I will quietly allow them to return to their seat when I agree that they are ready.

Third Offense: Think Time - My students must fill out a behavior sheet to think about what they are doing and what they should be doing. They document what they will do when they return. I usually have them go out of my room and into another class (I have made arrangements with that teacher ahead of time) to fill out the form. 

Fourth Offense: Note Home - If students need a fourth reminder, they will receive a note home to explain that they are needing extra support to meet the behavior standards of the class. 

3. Third, I wish I knew that no matter what you do, how hard you work, the hours you spend, or any other variable, some parents will still be upset. It seems every year the class loves you, and occasionally one parent seems to be on a completely different page. Their expectations are sky-high, above and beyond the limits that a teacher should or could meet. You will have some of those parents over the course of your career. It feels like it derails you, but don't let it get to you. Shake it off and remember, you can please most people most of the time, but you will never please every person all of the time. It's not you...it's them. Don't let it get to you and make you feel like an inadequate teacher because that is far from the truth. 

I hope you keep these in mind, even if you are not a new teacher. Sometimes a few reminders can help all of us, myself included. 

 

Math Game Monday: Nacho Math-o

Are you struggling to get your students to master their multiplication facts? Try out this super fun, fact fluency game with your class. The colorful vibe and engaging theme help get students excited about learning. 

This is quick and easy to set up. Just print, cut out the boards, and you are ready to go. I would suggest laminating if you plan to use this from year-to-year. Once students are ready to play, they will each choose a board. Each board features one multiplication fact set. Students will spin the spinner, multiply by the number in the center of the board and place a counter on the board over the number that shows the product (I used these super cute taco erasers). Students will continue to take turns until one player fills up their entire board. Whoever fills their board first wins the game. 

Nacho Math-o is a fun game that can be played with partners or small groups. This makes them the perfect game to play for centers. While you, the teacher, works in a small group, keep your students learning with exciting games to hone their skills. 

Be sure to pick up your own copy of this game. You can find the link right here. 

Purchases I Made for my Classroom & Professional Development this Summer

If you're anything like me, your wheels are always spinning and the teacher in you never shuts off. That's why every summer I find myself getting inspiration and collecting things from the places I've been and things I've seen. Here's a look at things I have purchased over the past few weeks of summer for my class or for myself (I love teacher books). 

First up is this super cute calculator. I love the colors. I love the tall oversized buttons. And this will eliminate my problem of leaving my calculator at home or at school when I need it most. Now I can leave my old one in one place and my new one in another. And yes, I know my phone can also be a calculator, but I am usually using another screen with a video or music and do not like going back and forth...or my screen turns off causing me to have to log in again, so no, I am not going to use my phone calculator on a regular basis for grading. This ne is just the perfect one for me. 

This summer we traveled to Buffalo Bill's mansion and gravesite. I picked up these arrowheads because I know that we will be learning Native American history and I thought this would get my class excited about their learning. I purchased enough for each child to have one.

At another historic spot, I purchased a little container of fool's gold. This will be great to give out when we learn about the gold rush in social studies. Again, instant buy in. 

Teacher PD books are my downfall. I wanted to learn more about the science of reading. I did a bit of research and found these three books on Amazon. 

A lot of these have been on my wish list and they can be pricy. However, this summer when I dropped my daughter off for college, a bookstore nearby had all of these. Most of them were 75 cents. But a couple were more expensive. None was more than $3.

These are some chapter books I found. We LOVE Andrew Clements and his books. And these were two that I was thinking we did not have. I also picked up this graphic novel to read and see if it was good for my class (it isn't). They LOVE graphic novels. And I picked up the other one to broaden my religious book section (since I teach in a Christian school). 

 

Last year, I started collecting books, for my math center, that featured different math standards. I found these books at the used bookstore for mostly less than $1.50 each. These will be a great addition. 

I am a paper planner girlie and this one was calling my name. I love the clipboard, the pattern, and inside there is space for 3 daily to-dos and a water drinking tracker, which I am all about right now. 

That's my summer haul so far. I have a few more items on my list for decor, so stay tuned to see my new classroom theme. 
 

Math Game Monday: Rounding Round Up

Rounding is a vital skill to math success. Beginning in third grade, students start to learn the ins and outs of rounding to the 10s and 100s places. One great way to get students excited to learn and keep them practicing and honing their skills is through games. Rounding games perfect for doing all of this. 

Rounding Games for Third Grade

Every time I have a challenging math skill, I love to create activities that bring it to life, make it hands-on, and help students enjoy learning. One of my favorite ways to do this is by creating math center games for different required math standards. 

In this set of math games, students will practice rounding to the nearest ten and hundred. This set of games has a cohesive theme (western/rodeo) making them fun to play. There are 5 different games to help students solidify this important skill. I find that even students in higher grades can benefit from this game. Rounding is a challenge for most students and that can happen in any level. 

Setting Up Place Value Games

You will need to print and cut out the games. I always suggest laminating because it can significantly grow a games' lifespan from just one or two years to many, many years. While this is not a requirement, and adds prep time, in the long run it will save time because you can use this game for many years to come. 

What You Get in the Rounding Game bundle

You will get 5 games for just $5! That's $1.00 each, just a tiny investment with a huge payoff. 

 Here are the games you will receive.

•  Rounding Round UP
• Rounding Race
• Round 'em Up
• Round Up Four
• Rounding Rodeo: An I-Spy Game

For more information, and to get your students growing in their place value skills, follow the link here. 

How I Get my Students to Master their Multiplication Facts

Every single teacher in the upper elementary classroom has a common struggle, and that is getting students to memorize their multiplication facts. We KNOW the difference it will make in the long term, but lets face it, it is laborious and in many cases BORING for your students. 

Memorizing multiplication facts does matter in the long run. I know that some people are on team "just build understanding" and don't worry about team "memorize your facts". But...I am here to tell you that if your students memorize their facts, it will be a game changer for them in not only multiplication but also division, fractions, decimals, algebra, and more throughout their schooling. 

Here's what I like to do that builds success in my classroom. 

Build Understanding of What Multiplication is

If you have third graders, but this could also apply to any grade level with weak multiplication skills, you should definitely build an understanding of what multiplication is and how it works. Some great ways to do this are by using the following strategies:

• Arrays
• Equal groups
• Repeated addition
• Skip counting
• Number lines

Teach Multiplication Fact Families in a Strategic Order

One way you can do this is to begin with the simpler facts first. This is a good way to order the facts as your students memorize them. 

• x0
• x1
• x2
• x10
• x5
• x11
• x9
• x4
• x3
• x6
• x8
• x7
• x12

Zeros are the easiest because anything times zero is zero. After that, 1's are next because whenever you multiply by one, the answer is always the other factor in your equation. Most students who are coming into third grade already have some knowledge of counting by 2's, 10's and 5's, so that makes these facts easier to target near the beginning of the order. Then I slowly build. Another thing to point out here is that when your students are learning their facts, another way you can do it is to introduce the fact with the factors in both orders. For instance, if a student is learning their 2's facts, they can learn that 2x3=6 and that 3x2=6. This is an example of the communitive property and can lesson the amount of facts they have to learn when they get to the higher numbers, because they will have already memorized several just by focusing on the communitive property as they go along. 

Practice for a Short Amount of Time Each Day 

Here's what this can look like. 

• 1 minute fact sheet timing (most of my students really love these, but for those who do not, that is OK, because this is just one part of how we practice.) 
• Partner practice (I have my students practice a facts list aloud with a partner. They say the facts and answers in order as many times as they can in one minute. The partner acts as a checker and stops and corrects them as they go along. Then they switch.)
• Multiplication Games (During small groups, my students practice multiplication games with a partner or in small groups. They can practice while focusing on just one set of multiplication facts or as they build their skills, I have games that have a mixed group of facts.) 

The key is to be consistent in your routine. A consistent time each day can build skills faster and help students retain them as well. Be sure to revisit previously learned sets. A good way to do this would be to keep fact cards for each set that has been memorized in a file box or baggie for each student. Every day they can go through those quickly in 2-5 minutes and with an answer on the back of each card, they can self-check.

Focus on the Hard Facts

Students often struggle most with these facts:

• x6
• x7
• x8

A great way to motivate them to memorize their 6s and 7s is to use the current 6-7 trend. There's just something about that that just gets kids excited. You could challenge students to memorize those two sets in just 6-7 days. Have a fun little party at the end for those who make it. Here are some easy (and cheap) 6-7 party ideas.

• Get giant 6 and 7 balloons. Have students take their picture with the 6 and 7 for the 6-7 multiplication hall of fame. Be sure to post their pictures and send one home. 
• Serve Sixlets as a snack
• Make trail mix from 7 items
• Drink 7UP

To make the 8s facts easier, you can build on the previous knowledge. If they know their 4s times tables, they can simply double those answers. For instance 4x4=16. 8X4 =16 doubled, which is 32. 

Celebrate Growth Instead of Perfection

• Personal best charts
• Class goals
• Sticker rewards
• Mystery prizes
• Fact master certificates

Celebrate improvement, not just speed. Some of my students really struggle with speed and can get discouraged. So don't forget those who are improving. Maybe last time they solved 25 facts in the minute timing and this time they solved 30...that is worth celebrating!

The Resource that Saves Me Time

A few years ago, I sat down and created a system for teaching my students that included lots of different ways for them to practice. I kept the learning styles in mind when creating this and focused in on different styles for the different activities. I also wanted it to be a fun theme that students could really get excited about. So, I created a resource that is a Multiplication Spy School Challenge. Students work to master their facts, set-by-set, with a fun set of spy activities, earning badges along the way to solve a mystery. At the end we have Spy School graduation with certificates for all the multiplication spies. It truly is a lot of fun and it saves time in planning out the activities or having to create them. If you want to save yourself the time and trouble, check out the resources by clicking on the links below. 

Multiplication Spy Academy Learning System - 

Comes with a free multiplication center game (Find Five)

I-Spy Multiplication Game

Math Game Monday: Multiplication Draw and Trace

Welcome to Math Game Monday!

If you are anything like me, you realize that students learn best when they are actively engaged in their learning. That's the main reason why I am excited to introduce my Math Game Monday - a weekly series that will be filled up with fun, easy to prep math games for students in 3rd-5th grades. These games will help students practice and review important skills and they can actually start enjoying math.

Each Monday I will share a classroom-tested game that is perfect for not only math centers, but can be used in small groups, with a partner, or for early finishers. You will find out just how easy these games can be to set up, encourage meaningful math conversations along the way, and give students plenty of opportunities to build confidence in their math skills.

In whatever you are teaching, whether it is place value, multiplication, division, fractions, or decimals, my goal is to give you engaging activities that will save you time and keep your students excited about math. 

So, grab a drink, bookmark this series, and check back each and every Monday for a new game your students will ask to play again and again. Here's to making math the most anticipated part of the week!

This Week's Featured Math Game:

Multiplication Draw and Trace

This is a really simple game that is highly engaging and easy to differentiate. There are lots of options for this game. 

How to Play Multiplication Draw & Trace

Committing the multiplication facts to memory is so important for math. There are many ways you can play this game. The game comes with all the different multiplication sets form 1-12. Each board focuses on one set. 

1. Play Independently

This is a perfect game for students to play alone, making it great for early finishers. Students choose the set of multiplication facts they are currently working on memorizing, add a one minute timer (I like the little sand timer that I purchased in the Target Dollar Spot) and they are ready to go. The student will mix up the cards, flip their timer, and begin flipping cards one at a time. Each card has an equation and when flipped, the student should locate the product, to that equation, on their board. When found, they will use a whiteboard marker to trace over that product. The student will continue to flip and trace until the timer runs out, or they complete their entire board. If they can complete the whole board before the timer runs out, the student wins. 

2. Play with a Partner

When playing with a partner, it is easy to differentiate. Students can each choose the board of the multiplication fact set they are working on. The sets can be different, or they can even work on the same set if you print multiples of each set. Both students will mix their own stack of cards, placing them upside down. On "GO" students will begin flipping one card at a time, finding the product and tracing it. Students continue to flip and trace until one student completes their entire board. The student who completes their board first is the winner. 

3. Play with a Group

To play with a group, each student will choose their own board. Choose the multiplication set they ware currently working to learn. Different students can have different sets or the same (if you have multiples of each set). Each student will mix up their cards, placing them face down. On "GO" each student will flip their top card and work as quickly as possible to find the matching product, trace it, and continue flipping and tracing until one student finishes their board. That student is the winner.

4. Play with your Whole Class

This version is great as a review when students have a good understanding of the basic facts 1-12. Students will each be given a game set (board with matching cards) and a marker. The teacher will set a 1 minute timer. Students will mix their cards and on "GO" everyone will race to flip and trace the products on their board. The goal of this version is to finish before the timer runs out, so you can have multiple winners. If you choose, you could have students slide around the classroom from seat to seat playing multiple times with different fact sets. 

Why Multiplication Draw and Trace is a great classroom game

This game is super simple for students to learn. There are multiple ways to play. You can fully differentiate this game to meet the needs of your students, making it the perfect level for all. 

How to Prep the Game: Multiplication Draw and Trace

First, print out each board and set of cards. I made the cards in a grid, so they are quick and easy to cut apart. This saves time for busy teachers. I printed two sets of each so two students could work on the same set of multiples if needed. One tip I would give is to laminate if possible. This will allow your game to last for years, saving a lot of time in the long run. Place each game set in its own large one-gallon bag to keep them organized. I store mine in hanging folders in a crate for easy access. I sort my games by multiplication fact and store each fact set in a separate folder that is labeled with the fact number. 

To view a small video of this game or to purchase it, follow this link.