SamizdatMath

FACT: Students need more practice solving subtraction problems. FACT: This collection has lots of subtraction problems. FACT: Not all subtraction problems are the same: some are "take away," some are "let's compare one with another," some are "I have something and took away this, now I have this...." This is a collection of over 200 different "BIG Busy Bee Hive" puzzles where students practice subtraction in a context that is fun and thoughtful. That is, yes, they get lots of opportunities to do

Description FACT: Students need more practice solving subtraction problems. FACT: This collection has lots of subtraction problems. FACT: Not all subtraction problems are the same: some are "take away," some are "let's compare one with another," some are "I have something and took away this, now I have this...." This is a collection of over 200 different "Busy Bee Hive" puzzles where students practice subtraction in a context that is fun and thoughtful. That is, yes, they get lots of opportuniti

This is a set of 90 puzzles (30 at each level) of "Square Knot" Puzzles focused on practicing problems solving for early learners (1st - 3rd grade) using addition and subtraction. Why you should try these: One of the things that we should be emphasizing from the very earliest of ages is mathematics as problem solving. This is more than writing a bunch of word problems: problem solving is about using various techniques for finding the correct answer. In this set of puzzles, students have to arran

This is a set of 60 puzzles (20 at each level) of "Square Knot" Puzzles focused on practicing problems solving for early learners (K - 2nd grade) using addition. Why you should try these: One of the things that we should be emphasizing from the very earliest of ages is mathematics as problem solving. This is more than writing a bunch of word problems: problem solving is about using various techniques for finding the correct answer. In this set of puzzles, students have to arrange four numbers so

Are you sick and tired of drilling & killing your kids on the combinations of 10 and just saying, "okay, there's nothing fun about this, so let's just move on." Sorry, I've got to call BS on that. Because learning combinations of 10 is also an opportunity for your students to do some problem solving, do some algebraic thinking, as well as make many, many mistakes. These are NOT worksheets! They are puzzles and are designed to be "hands on" and "manipulative." That is, your students will work w

This is a collection of 95, yes, you heard it correctly, 95 different "equation search" puzzles that target different kinds of computational strategies. There are actually 15 or so different puzzle types, with 6 different iterations (that is, same puzzle with different numbers.) So if your students need additional practice, you can have them do more of them. Actually, I've automated all these puzzles to generate random numbers, but that' another matter. For example, there is a search sheet where

This is a collection of 40 different hexagonal subtraction/additional/logic puzzle cards (hence, the title above.) It includes a solution recording sheet, so your students can do them in any order they want. These would be best used for advanced first graders (who want to tackle double digit addition), 2nd graders who are practicing single and double digit subtraction and addition, and assessing and remediating 3rd graders and above. What's nice about these puzzles is that they are "threefers" -

Yep, you read it right: 100 Questions for the 100th Day of School - it's 10 pages, numbered 1 - 10, 11 - 20, yadda, yadda, yadda. The questions vary between things like estimating ("How long would it take you to draw 100 stars?" to counting ("What's the total number of tally marks? How many more would have to make to get to 100?") to complements of 100, and all sorts of interesting facts about 100 (for example, that a googol is a 1 followed by 100 zeroes....) I've used this with first through

This is a collection of 24 different puzzles that challenges your students to find the coin combinations in a piggy bank. There are 8 pages of cards, with 3 puzzles on each card, in both glorious black/grey/white and pastel colors (pink and chartreuse.) Cut out the 24 different cards, laminate and then put out for your kiddos to solve. Lower number cards are easier, higher number cards are tougher. They can solve by putting the coins into the circles printed on the cards. You can check students

This is a collection of 10 different cut n' paste activities where students look at addition and subtraction problems with missing addends, subtrahends and minuends. There are 24 problems on each page. Students cut out the solutions and paste them into the missing part of the problem. Why this is awesome: 1) The equals sign has been placed on alternating sides, so that your students get practice working with equations like 6 + ? = 12, but also 12 = 7 + ?. 2) The solutions have been placed in

This is the BEST cut 'n paste activity you're ever going to use (which will be for many, many years, I'm going to bet....) Here's why: 1) EZ Cut 'n Paste Format - the answers are arranged along the two sides and can be trimmed using a minimum of cuts - most students can do the cutting in under 8 minutes. 2) Multiple Formats: You know how we always write equations as A + B = C? What do your students do when they see C = A + B? They panic! Well, no more, because there are many examples where t

This is an activity that your young ones can cut out in about 5 minutes and then paste together to form practice cards that they can use to remember their "missing addend" facts. Some innovations: • This is very, very easy for young children to cut out: the pieces are all straight sides (no curves to trim), and can be completed with a minimum of cuts. My 2nd graders cut them out in under 8 minutes. • There are 24 different problems, with a minimum of wasted paper (2 short strips and 2 small

Take a number tile from a bag: is it a moose or a squirrel? This activity is a fun and lively way for your kids to practice comparing numbers and classifying them as larger (moose) or smaller (squirrel.) The fun never stops: you can start with just placing the tile on the activity sheet in the correct column, or your students can use the moose/squirrel stamps provided to cut and paste the animal into the correct column. A third variation asks students to state how far the numbers is from the co

Ah yes, nice to see you back again. This is a number comparison activity I developed for my first grade teacher, but I've also used it with my kindergarteners and pre-k. It's cute, but not cutesy. Students take a number tile and place it on the game sheet at the top. They then take additional number tiles and decide whether it is an "elephant" (bigger than the number at the top) or "mouse" (smaller than the number at the top) and paste the correct stamp in the second column. A second version i

Are you using those cruddy "mad minutes" or some computer based assessment program in order to assess whether your students have gained automaticity with their addition facts? If you are, then I guarantee that not only are you doing it wrong, but even worse, you're probably getting incorrect information about what your students know or don't know. The first thing you're doing wrong is that you're testing all the facts the same, for speed and accuracy. That is just plain wrong: not all addition

I developed this activity for a kindergarten teacher who wanted to introduce her students to the "syntax" and "grammar" of writing equations without the need for drill. She also wanted me to make it somewhat fun, AND include practice for fine motor skills, as well as practice writing numerals. Can you believe it, I packed this all into one activity? Yes, I did, and here it is. Full disclosure: this is NOT a "drill your little kindergartners on addition and subtraction facts." Kindergartners are

Why should you spend your hard-earned pesos on this product? (Choose one) a) you loved the cover and thought, “oh, what could be inside?” b) you enjoy purchasing products from red diaper babies (you’ll have to Google that one) d) you thought this activity seemed really cool and you want to try it out, and how much could you loose for 5 smackers? Here’s the idea: there is no point in your students “practicing” addition facts (or any other factual information, for that matter) if they’re go

Yes, you saw it with rats, turkeys and reindeers; fact it, you're eventually going to buy one of these, so why not snowmen and snowballs? NO JOKES PLEASE! Okay, the concept is simple: take the snowballs numbered from 1 - 6 and arrange them on the three sides so that each side adds up to 9. Rearrange them and they add up to 10. Do it again, and they add up to 11. Then do it one more time and they add up to 12. Record your results and see for the patterns that emerge in the corner numbers. Want

NOTE: THIS IS A NEW & VASTLY IMPROVED VERSION OF THIS BELOVED GAME ! Same price, mo' better materials! • I added versions of this game where the students don't need to select cards from a deck: instead, they choose a number from a table, then double it and double it a second time to choose which square on the playing board to choose..... • I added "biggie" versions of the game - now your students can practice doubling 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80 and 90! You'll love it and so will your kids

Stop That Rat! ? Why would anyone want to "stop that rat?" Well, because it's really fun to watch your students work on this puzzle, which comes in gritty color as well as black and white. 63 pages of rat fun! Seriously, the basic puzzle is simple: take the disks which are numbered 1 - 6, and arrange them on the board so that each side adds up to 9. However, things get very interesting when you find out that you can re-arrange the 6 numbers to add up to 10, 11 and 12. But it gets better than th