First Grade Math in Focus Chapter 1 (Numbers to ten)

Anyone who's been reading my blog on a regular basis knows that last year was my first year in first grade.  During the first month I was fortunate to have a lot of help from my teaching partner and the veterans of the primary blogging community and Teachers Pay Teachers.  And I reflected on my practices; what did they struggle with and what did I need to do differently?

Math was one of the hardest subjects for us the first year.  I knew we needed a lot more hands on activities to alternate with the math workbook that we are required to use.  I just couldn't get them together fast enough. But this year I was ready!

Not all cards are pictured

The kids needed a little more practice with number words.  Math in Focus has one number word on the test that they need to write, and that number is "eight."  (Really?  I know most numbers are sight words, but of all the number words, we had to pick the one that is farthest over their heads, phonetically speaking?).  So I used number word dominoes to give them extra practice with their number words.  Although there was no copyright information on the version I "inherited," you can find a very similar number word dominoes game here for free.  Since our pretest indicated that students are able to match numerals with quantities, students refer to our anchor chart that hangs in our calendar area to check their knowledge of these number sight words.

Next, I knew I didn't do enough subitizing last year.  Some of my first graders struggled with counting last year.  To make sure those struggling kids were caught early and practiced regularly, I used the dominoes from Math in Focus for 3 different activities.  

• First, I used them in conjunction with fish memory cards from Angelina Grimes-Graeme from Extra Special Learning.  Instead of cutting out the words and numbers, I left the pages in tact, in order.  The kids simply match the dominoes to the fish bowl.

• Next, I had students order the dominoes backwards and forwards.  
• The last activity was a simple game of "War" (each player flips over a card at random.  The player with the greater number wins both cards).  I modeled how we can go fast once we visualize instead of count the dots. 

Another activity that we did do last year was with simple greater than and less than symbols and numbers.  This year I differentiated the game and some students used numbers to 20.  The number bears are from Yara Habanou at the Sea of Knowledge (and graphics by DJ Inkers).  If you recognize where the greater than/less than signs are from, please let me know.  There was no copyright information on these pages.

Finally, the trickiest concept was "number patterns," which I think is more aptly named, "Counting backwards and forwards."  Continuing a sequence that required "backing up" or sequencing from greatest to least were two skills that were SO difficult for students.  Even after practicing one more and one less, (using this sheet by A. Brantley) to transfer this skill to the new context of a number line was too much of a leap.  I knew that manipulatives would be better than worksheets that had to be erased.  Markers would be more fun, but I thought of a number line activity that would be self correcting.  Most kids could see right away that their first try did not work.  Partnering the kids with more number sense with those who needed more support ensured that they could see the fix up strategy again and again.  

By rotating students through the games as well as the written work, they were much more engaged and less frustrated in math than they were last year.  The workbook was not an effective tool to help them practice at the beginning of the year.  So instead I spent time doing the pages together in order to help them get used to the process of looking for key words, using the pictures, and writing responses in the correct spot.  The time they spent on the activities were the more efficient way to practice the math concepts.  I was even able to introduce choices toward the end of the unit, so students picked the activity they wanted to work on (after they had had experience using all the activities earlier in the unit).

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