Today I wanted to share a few of my go-to simple math stations for my second graders.  They can be easily differentiated for your students and the best part is that they are low prep.  That's right!  I said, "low-prep" isn't that the best word for all of us tired teachers!

#1 - Velcro Number Line
I don't know what it is about number lines, but my students always seem to struggle with ordering numbers on an open number line.  I wanted to create an easy to use, giant, number line for my students to work with.  One day when I picked up my kiddos from music class, I noticed that the music teacher had a giant music staff on her carpet.  I totally had to ask how she did it!  To my surprise, she had just used two strips of sticky back velcro and stuck both of the strips together.

Then, she velcroed the clingy part to the carpet.  It sticks to the carpet perfectly y'all ... and it's easily moved to another spot in the room!  No sticky residue left behind either!  Genius!!

Then, I wrote numbers on index cards and placed a small strip of velcro to the back of each card.  The kids take the cards and order them as part of a station.  I also have cards with question marks to have them identify the missing numbers on an open number line.  To differentiate, I have a variety of numbers for the students to choose from.  They can work with 1-digit, 2-digit, or 3-digit numbers.

#2 - UNO Cards for Greater Than and Less Than

I love using sentence strip stations because they are easily differentiated.  My students can choose to also use 2-digit and 3-digit numbers by building them with the Uno Cards.  They play with a partner and one partner draws the first card and then the second partner draws the second card.  They record their work in their math workstation journal and I do random quick checks through the week, to make sure they are completing their work.  I also have sentence strips with just the > and < symbols.

#3 - Roll and Show Place Value Game

Roll and Show is another math partner game that can be easily differentiated.  I also have another dice in the station, so that the kids can build 3-digit numbers.  The kids roll the dice and then build the number using the base ten blocks.  They record the number in their journal in standard form, word form, and expanded form.  Super simple but great practice for a hard math concept.


I hope you enjoyed these 3 super simple easy prep math stations!  I would love to hear how they work in your class.

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Stephanie

I was super duper excited when Casey from Second Grade Math Maniac asked me to review her Take Home Math Kits.  My kids could always use more practice with key math concepts, and I knew they would be excited to take these kits home.

The best part is that Casey has made it super easy to get started!  She even included a parent letter, instructional guide, and two different sign out sheets.  Most of the kits are print and go, but a few need either dice or a ruler.  I love that the kits have color, but don't eat up ink!  My printer was very happy too!

Getting Started

When I got the kits, I printed them out right away and decided to put them in a 10x13 manila envelope.  I liked the size because I knew it would easily fit in my kids' backpack.  At first, I only printed out a few kits on math concepts that I had recently taught.  The kids were begging me to send home more kits, so I ended up printing out even more.

I decided to glue the cover on the front of the envelope, and the directions on the back of the envelope.  I even laminated the recording sheets.  That way the kids don't accidentally write on the master copy.  The kids remind me when I need to make more copies.  That makes it super easy to manage the recording sheets.

Keeping Track .... Who has which kit?
I'm a pretty organized teacher, but I do struggle with keeping track of the books that students take home.  I was a little hesitant to get started because I knew that I would forgot which kits went home, and which student took it.  Thank goodness for the math kit sign out sheet!  It has saved my life!  I no longer have to say, "Who has the ....?" 

I placed the sign out sheet on a clipboard and I taught the students how to sign out the kit by finding the name of the kit on the list.  They initial the sheet and fill in the date they took the kit home.  My kids cross off their name, once they have returned the kit.  They do this independently, and it is one less thing I have to manage.  I love that my kids can easily and independently sign out the kits and return them.  It has saved me a lot of time!  What could you do with a little extra time?

My Kids' Favorite Kits
I decided to highlight two of my kids' favorite kits.  They both focus on a math concept that everyone can practice a little bit more...Place Value!

Most of my boys really love Place Value War!  It comes with a set of base-ten block cards that the students use in a war game.  Each student draws a card, and then identifies the number that the base- ten blocks represent.  The student with the highest number gets to keep both cards.  The one with the most cards at the end of the game is the winner.  I really love that the recording sheet focuses on greater than and less than.  It makes my heart happy that the kids love this game, because I know they are getting the extra practice that they need.

My kids also love Building Numbers.  Even in second grade, the kids need more practice building numbers and describing them using place value.  In this kit, the students are given a number on a task card that they have to build using the base-ten blocks.  On the recording sheet, the students have to draw the number in a base-ten drawing.  I love this activity because it gives my students the authentic practice that they need in place value.

I've been so happy with all of the extra practice that my kids have received by taking these math kits home.  They have been such a hit with my kids, that they beg to take home more!  Isn't that wonderful!  I love when kids ask to do more math!

Check out these Take Home Math Kits here.  They've been a perfect fit in my second grade classroom, and have really helped my English Language learners.

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Stephanie

It's FRIDAY!!  Woo Hoo!!  It's been a super long week, and I'm so thankful that I get to rest this weekend with my boys.  We have a birthday party, but that is the only solid plans we have.  It feels very nice, because we all need to rest sometimes.

I'm linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching for another Five For Friday.  You can click on the linky button above to link up or go read about other bloggers' weeks.  Here are five random things about my week.

 

Our class has been super busy with our research project.  A few weeks ago, the students searched through nonfiction resources, and chose a bird that they were most interested in to research.  Some of them picked some super interesting birds, and I've been amazed at all that they have learned.  They recorded some questions or "wonderings" on sticky notes, and then after researching they wrote the answers under the sticky notes.  It was a great way to collect and organize their research.  We still have a bit of research left, but I'll share the finished projects when they are done.  I'm also excited to say that I'm working on a bird research unit plan, and hope to have it done in a few weeks.

 

This week was STAAR testing week for our third through fifth graders.  On Wednesday, I had all 39 of my kiddos for the morning while my partner helped with testing.  I found this awesome bird craftivity on TpT from Learning Junction Depot and had to share.  It kept my kids engaged and quiet during the testing.  Click on the picture above to go check it out!

My kids wrote a cinquain poem about their bird.  They turned out really good too!

 

It is definitely spring in Texas, and I'm really enjoying the weather.  Here are some flowers that some of my sweet kiddos picked for me. 

 

Tonight was my sweet boys' Spring Show.  This year the theme was Beach Party, so they had to wear swim wear.  They are growing so fast!  This picture makes them look so grown up...sniff sniff!

I donated some of my TpT products to the Silent Auction, so I spent a part of my week getting them printed and ready.  This set of Addition I Have, Who Has will be perfect practice for one lucky classroom.  I was so happy to donate to my boys' school.  You can click on the picture above to see it in my store.

 

My family had such a blessed Easter.  The boys both got Dinosaur piggy banks from the Easter Bunny, and they found coins in the Easter Eggs that they hunted.  Mason loved putting his coins in his piggy bank.

Well, my week was pretty busy and now I'm off to go rest!  I hope you have a restful weekend as well!

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Stephanie