My New Teacher Toolbox

I just finished making my new teacher toolbox! Don't you just love it!?! it's going to be so handy in my new classroom! I ordered the tool organizer from Home Depot. Click here to go to Home Depot's website. This is a 24 drawer organizer. I used a full sheet label to print off the organizer labels, then I laminated them. The labels were made by Erica Bohrer's. Visit her site by clicking here. The labels are easier to find on Teachers Pay Teachers, so go here.

You can see how helpful a teacher toolbox will be! Make yours today!

Free Classroom Schedule Cards

Just finished laminating and cutting out what felt like hundreds of free schedule cards! What a find! You just need to go to Sharing Kindergarten to get your free set today.  Click here to go to her site and get your free set of schedule cards today!

I got my Scholastic pocket chart on Amazon.  Click on pocket chart to go to Amazon's website to get the pocket chart pictured here.

I am almost ready for school to start!

Free Numbers Posters for My Classroom!

So last night, I just finished printing and laminating these wonderful number posters for my classroom. And guess what, they were free! They are from The Resourceful Room Blog. Click here to go to her blog and download your copy today! These are just what I needed for my room. I just meet with some of my teammates yesterday and they reminded me that I would need some numbers. Well, luckily, I already had these pinned. They turned out perfect! I can't wait to put these up in my room. We can't get into our building again until the 21st of July. I'll have to wait until then! I have plenty to get ready before then!  Keep following- I have more ideas on the way!

Don't Bother Teaching Math Facts?

Don’t Bother Teaching Math Facts? 

I recently came across an short article on Pinterest, "Are Math Facts Worth Teaching?" by Squarehead Teachers. As a teacher, I was intrigued by this article topic. It linked to an article in Teaching Children Mathematics called "Strategies for Basic Math Fact Instruction" by Andrew M. Issacs and William M. Carroll. To read the article click here .

So interesting, that just the other day, I had a discussion with a tutoring client's mother who wants me to push learning the basic math facts on her recently graduated first grader who struggles with math.  She wants me to spend half of our tutoring sessions drilling her son on basic facts. So, when I saw the article, I just had to read it to find out what the experts say about learning the math facts. I actually decided to send her a copy of the article. I'm still waiting to hear back.

Basically, it talks about not pushing math facts on kids until they have a conceptual understanding of the mathematical concept. I have to say, I completely agree. If kids don't understand how they got the answer, it doesn't matter how many times they practice it- they're still not going to understand it. Kids go through many stages of understanding before they are able to simply memorize the facts. They will use numerous strategies to help them solve basic facts. In math, students go from solving concretely (with manipulatives- finger counting or counters), to pictorial (visual representations), to abstract (just thinking about it). Even if they are at the concrete stage, they can have a good conceptual understanding, but just need the reinforcement of manipulatives.  Students also go through stages where they know certain facts, say double facts, and that can help them figure out other facts. If they know 3+3=6, then 3+4=3+3+1. I believe, like the article authors suggest, letting the students develop these strategies as developmentally appropriate and not force fact testing requirements, just because it's the way we did things in the past. Allow students time to develop their mathematical strategies and conceptual understanding. As they get to higher grades and they still don't have the facts mastered, then we need to work on the facts with them. Until then, let them develop the understanding. Please read the original article and let me know what you think! Please comment your thought below.