Math Tool Box

At the beginning of the school year my students created their math tool box with a Sterlite clear container. Most of the math tools students will need are stored in this box. I have five tables in the classroom and each table has four to five students.  Each table shares this math tool box. Here is a list of the math manipulatives that are in the clear plastic box.

1. Unifix cubes
2. Clocks
3. Rulers
4. Colored tiles/circles
5. Coins
6. Paper bills
7. Base 10 blocks
8. Dice
9. Spinners

Of course there are other math manipulatives that students use. Other math manipulatives I have them stored in plastic carts and bookshelves. At the begining of the school year I let my students know that anytime they need to use other math tools that they are welcome to take them to their desks.

School Year Begins in Two Weeks

The 2011-2012 school year will start in two weeks for the students; however, teachers have to go back in a week, Monday, August 15. Bummer! This summer seems like it went by too quick. I think it's because I kept myself somewhat busy. I did teach summer school for three weeks in June. Anyways, it's time to start thinking of ways to make math fun for this new batch of children. I know I didn't post much, but with the new school year approaching I will post ideas I use in class. 

Super Teacher Worksheets Web Site

UPDATE: This use to be one of my favorite sites to visit for printables, but now there is a yearly membership fee ($19.95) to get full access to all they offer.  There is this web site that teachers (actually anyone) can print worksheets for free, Super Teacher Worksheets. This was is one of my favorite sites to visit on a regular basis. On this web site you can find printables for math, language arts, science, and social studies for elementary students.

Here are some of my favorite 4th grade math links on Super Teacher Worksheets:

• Decimals--value, decimals to the nearest tenth and hundredth place, adding decimals, subtracting decimals, multiplying, dividing, and rounding decimals.
• Fractions--fraction strips, fraction circles, fraction games, and fraction worksheets.
• Geometry--a variety of printables on perimeter, area, polygons, line segments, rays, congruency, angles, translations, rotations, and reflections.
• Measurement--measurement and capacity worksheets. Also, temperature (celsius and farenheit) are available.

These worksheets are easy to print out and each one has the answer key as well. I did find quite a bit of printable math and language arts worksheets I can use with my 4th graders. However, I have used worksheets tailored for a lower grade level since I have one student that is at a 2nd grade level.

Math Resource with Excellent Interactive Math Activities

In my 4th grade math classroom I use an awesome math resource, Hands-On Standards. I cannot imagine what it would be like without this book. Hands-On Standards has various interactive math activities. Every activity incorporates math manipulatives which helps make math fun for the students.

How I Did Not Make Math Fun

If your children are bored on a daily basis during math time then chances are that you are not making math fun for them. That is okay because as an educator I have been guilty of it myself time after time. Teaching methods have changed from when I was a child in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. I recall the teacher standing in front of the classroom while she wrote arithmetic problems on the board and you were expected to solve them. Like I mentioned before I have been guilty of doing this and expected my students to soak it in. However, as I have progressed as a teacher I see the importance of making math fun for our students. When introducing a new mathematical concept during the math core lesson make sure you are using math manipulatives because children are very hands on. This will help reduce their chance of becoming bored easily. Also students need to start from the concrete and eventually move to the abstract. Using math manipulatives to teach math concepts will help build the foundation for that particular skill.