New product...and a freebie :)

Good evening! We're (finally) getting settled in to our new place here, which is great. I did pretty well with unpacking boxes and getting things organized when we first got here but my motivation for it has been dwindling ever since...(and we won't even talk about all the school stuff I still have packed away!)

I finished a product that I'm pretty excited about. I promise I don't only create math games and centers. Actually, there is a story behind that. It seems like there are so many resources available for reading instruction and intervention, but far less resources available for math. In fact, in the district where I student taught and the district where I was teaching before our move, teachers were creating materials to supplement the core math series. Well, when you work with some of the most struggling students, they need lots of exposure and practice to master the skills, which means you need quite a few resources. I especially like creating games and center activities because students seem so engaged with them...which usually leads to higher levels of mastery. It's always great when students approach you to ask if they can have a copy of the game to play at home with their families!

 So anyways...this resource is called Cat and Mouse (and it's super cute!). It is directly aligned with EIGHT Common Core grade 1 math standards. It's a game where students choose a mouse game board and work to fill their game board with cheese cards. Students take turns drawing a cheese card and answering the questions. If they answer the question correctly, the card goes on their board. Watch out though- cat cards are lurking and if a student draws a cat card, they have to put their cheese cards back. There are 8 sets of game cards included and the borders are color coded according to the standard addressed. Skills addressed include comparing 2 digit numbers, addition, subtraction, place value: tens and ones, working with equations with unknown numbers, word problems and more!

Here is a preview of this resource:

It can be downloaded by clicking this link.

This is a great resource for math centers or small group instruction. I even created a freebie so you can try it out! The freebie includes the blue set of question cards (1.OA.7: Working With Addition & Subtraction Equations...Are They Equal?) To get your free copy, click here! Enjoy :)

 Hello again! It's Thursday (already!) and summer break is quickly coming to an end. It is definitely bittersweet as I love having some free time, but I am also really looking forward to meeting the staff and students at my new school soon. I have several teaching projects in the works right now. I just finished a new multiplication game called Dinosaur Dash. This game can be used in math centers or in small group math instruction. I had many students working towards multiplication mastery last year but fact mastery was not too exciting for them. Multiplication games were a great way to get students engaged while reinforcing their skills. Plus, the students seemed more engaged in the core instruction if they knew they were going to play a game afterwards!

Here are some images from Dinosaur Dash! What I especially like about this game is the fact that the cards are designed so students can self-check their answers. This means they can play the game with a partner without practicing incorrect answers! It also means that I can meet with groups for small group math instruction or with individuals who need targeted practice. The cards are also color coded for easy differentiation. There are 4 "levels" of cards- red borders contain multiplication facts with factors 0-5, green borders contain factors 0-9, blue borders contain factors 6-12, and orange borders are multiplication word problems. The game board, playing pieces, cards and recording sheets are all included in this resource.

Dinosaur Theme!

(You can also use the game cards as flash cards by printing them and hole punching the top corner. Add to a ring for student practice rings!)

This resource is available at my Teachers Pay Teachers store. Thanks for stopping by- have a great day! :)

Hello blog world! I have been debating for awhile now whether or not I wanted to start an education blog. With our recent move to Maryland, I figure it is a great time to try new things...so here I am! I hope to use this blog to share teaching ideas and resources I have created. I do have a Teachers Pay Teachers store, but I also like to give away freebies. I hope to connect to other teachers using this blog as well.

For my first post, I will share a little about myself. I am a special education teacher and I will be starting my third year of teaching very soon. I have lived in a town hardly anyone has heard of outside of Columbus, Ohio for pretty much my whole life. I got married in December 2011 and my husband accepted a job in Maryland this summer. I am finally getting settled in to our new home and am looking forward to starting a new job in a great school. For the past two years I taught in a cross-categorical special education position, working with students in grades K-3. I worked with these students in both inclusion and resource room settings. My new job will be working with students in grades 2 and 4 in a primarily inclusive setting. I am already creating new resources that I can't wait to share, so stay tuned! :)