Monday, August 21, 2023

Free Reading, Math, and Science Videos For Kids


 Check out my YouTube channel for classroom-friendly videos about reading, math, and science topics.  Remember to click the follow button on my YouTube channel to get notified about new videos too. Click Here

More videos are added regularly.

Wednesday, August 2, 2023

Sale Today

 

Save 20% on everything in my store today.  Use the discount code BTS23 to save huge today.Click Here



Sunday, July 30, 2023

What is Onomatopoeia? How Do Authors Use Onomatopoeia?

 


Literacy and Math Ideas created this helpful video to explain what onomatopoeia is and how it is used in passages.  This video shows how this types of figurative language is used to enhance reading texts.

Wednesday, July 26, 2023

(Free) A Full Year Of Monthly Crafts For Kids-Labor Day, Indigenous Peoples/Columbus Day, Thanksgiving, Groundhog Day, Valentine's Day & More


 


Access a full year of monthly crafts for kids (templates are included).  Save time looking for seasonal resources.  There is a color illustration for every craft, activities for each school month are included, and templates are included to make planning even easier.


Follow my blog to get updates about additional resources and freebies.




Click Here to access these fun activities.











Thursday, July 20, 2023

Free Printable Math Storybook That Teaches About Vertices, Faces, Edges, and Geometric Solids (Plus A Worksheet)

 










I am back with a freebie! Have you ever wished that you had copies of printable math stories so that your students could see how math applies to real-world situations or so that students could conceptualize math topics?

I absolutely love writing stories, and I love trying to find ways to make it easier for students to learn concepts.  I recently created a math printable storybook series that contains printable storybooks that teach a variety of math topics such as perimeter, area, categorizing 2D shapes, money, and fractions.  Try this sample book for free!  Click Here For The Freebie







Thursday, July 13, 2023

Printable Books & Worksheets That Teach Figurative Language


Click Here To Access


 Access seven printable books that teach figurative language.  Each book teaches a specific figurative language topic and contains a story/passage with multiple instances of each type of figurative language so that students can practice each skill.

Benefits:

  • Save time.  There is no need to hunt for books that teach each figurative language skill.  This resource contains (7) seven books that students can print or view online.
  • Easily assess student progress.  A comprehension worksheet is included for each book. Students evaluate similes, metaphors, hyperboles, idioms, personification, and more multiple times in the context of stories/passages.
  • This provides quick review.  Each carefully written story can be read in one class session to provide quick student information about student progress. Use these stories independently or with novels.

Tuesday, April 18, 2023

Math Teaching Strategies From Around the World (Part 1)




We rarely get to see other teachers teach. Can you imagine how much we could learn from our peers in the classroom next door or from down the hallway? Imagine getting a glimpse into the tools and techniques used by educators all over the world. My background includes international math education, and I have had so many wonderful experiences learning from other educators worldwide and from being able to actually watch teachers from other countries teach their students. Today's post is just part one. I would like to share teaching strategies from all over the world that I have actually used. There are so many interesting things to say about this topic, so this post is just part one in the series. Come back to see more posts. I believe you will find the ideas interesting.
I absolutely LOVE this technique. Not only is this teaching tool hands-on, it also helps students "see" the process of regrouping with addition. Most teachers in India make their own visual tools when introducing a new math topic. In addition to writing on a chalkboard, teaching visuals are often made from construction paper or cardboard. I recycled a carboard box to make this visual for students. After "showing" students the procedure for addition with regrouping, I let them work with partners to create and solve problems. Students LOVE this. This technique has worked well with on-level and slow learners.

To create this, I stacked two pieces of cardboard onto each other and cut an upside "L" shaped slit in the middle.  Poker chips with numbers on them were used to create the math problems.


Students slide the one to carry the number.  Physically moving the one helps them remember to carry.






Teachers in Finland, Singapore, Japan, and Korea use bar modeling to teach word problems.  I have used this method with students that are below level, on-level, and above grade level.  Once I saw how using bar models works well with students, I have not turned back.

Not only have students that I have worked with been able to visualize the parts of a word problem, they have also understood why different operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division) should be done.  I will do an extensive post on this topic alone.  It is very intriguing.  With this method, students can "see" how the numbers and ideas work together in word problems.  They are also able to notice patterns across word problems.

Word problem instruction begins in first grade in Finland and in Singapore.  


Using a simple box with holes cut into it, mini storage containers, and small objects such as beads (I used mini ducks that I found on Amazon), you will have a tool that does wonders for teaching multiplication and division.

This method is a very common method for introducing multiplication and division in India.  

I used this is same technique as well as a teacher here the United States.

I have left a small stack of word problems for students to solve.  For division, students place the number of objects they are dividing into the larger cup.  If the division problem is 18/6 for example, students put 18 small objects in the large cup.   Then, they divide the small objects equally between only six of the small containers in the box.  The goal is to tell how many are in each cup when 18 is equally divided by 6.


For number lines, a piece of cardboard and a string with a piece of paper taped to it is used.  Students can slide the x back and forth to use a number line and answer math problems.

Access hands-on methods of teaching main idea using this resource from my store.Click Here To Access It