Miss Slacker

My word! Have I been neglectful or what? I wish I had a good reason, but I really don't! Is it just me or does it seem like February, although it is the shortest of the months,  has been draaaaaagging on with no end?

I can't complain TOO much I suppose. We were blessed with a snow day on Friday. Pretty fabulous. I finally finished up my latest creation. A money activity pack!

 When I first started using TPT as a buyer, I always thought how great it would be if, with those outstanding activity packs, you had the option to purchase corresponding smartboard interactives. SO... when I started creating, that's what I included with my packs, smartboard lessons! 

I have only created 2 units for TPT. One is the money unit above, and the other is my "Look Whooo's Multiplying" unit. They are a TON of work, but it is pretty spectacular knowing that there are other educators out there who think that something I have created is good enough to use with their precious students. It makes me a better teacher.

I have nothing new to share about work/school. Seriously. How sad is that? It's not that we haven't been super busy learnin' and creatin', I just have nothing new to share about my littles. Besides the fact that they are starting to go wild with the weather. Stir crazy I tell ya'. If we have one more day of indoor recess, I may scream. 

We are starting some new and exciting things this week, so hopefully I will have more to share soon! 

Technology Linky!

I'm linking up with Katie King over at First Grade Jungle!

 I have to share this great resource that my students and I absolutely adore. It has helped them become such great problem solvers! 

It is called Thinking Blocks! We use it on the smartboard during whole class instruction as well as independently in the computer lab. It is super easy for kids to navigate and offers help when they get stuck on a certain step of a problem.

It fits perfectly with the Core's mathematical practice "model with mathematics". I'm seeing students carry these skills over into their independent work on a daily basis. 

Check it out! 

Addition with Regrouping

We started addition with regrouping this week! I was SO impressed with my kids and how hard they worked to grasp this skill. They came in in the mornings asking "Do we GET to work on regrouping today?". Melts my heart. I always think that it is going to be so difficult to help them understand the concept, but they always seem to pick it up.

Anyway...

We started off reviewing double and triple digit addition last week to prep. We started concrete with my beloved place value chips. Students worked on a work mat to add the numbers together. We then moved on to a pictoral reference as a whole class. I used this SMARTboard lesson. The pictures match their chips, so it's easy for them to pick up on what were doing on the board. We played a fun double digit addition bingo game as independent practice. They loved it! You can snag it by clicking on the picture below.

Once we started the BINGO activity, I noticed they could only get five in a row up and down, not diagonally... whoops! 

Then we started regrouping! We used base ten blocks to get a concrete hold on making even trades and did A LOT of white board practice. Regrouping is one of those things that you have to lay a lot of ground work for, so we practiced making even trades (ten ones for one ten) for a couple of days before we actually put pencil to paper (or marker to board). I'm a huge fan of having them work their problems out on personal white boards... I think they feel as though it's not quite as permanent if they make a mistake!

They are taking their assessments tomorrow. I know they'll do great. I couldn't find an assessment in our math program that I really liked, so I made one of my own. It contains regrouping in ones and in tens. You can have that one too by clicking on the picture!