Once children are comfortable with multiplying two-digit numbers by one-digit numbers, they can go on to learn the multiplication of two-digit numbers by two-digit numbers. There are a number of ways in which teachers can help children become fluent in performing two-digit number multiplications. This article describes simple strategies to do so. Read on to […]
Activities to Practice Multi-Digit Whole Number Subtraction
In the fourth grade, children begin to do arithmetic with multi-digit numbers, including subtracting multi-digit whole numbers. Teachers do their best to engage a 4th grader’s attention while practicing multi-digit number subtraction but may notice that sometimes their mind wanders. If you’re a teacher looking to create an engaging classroom to help children with multi-digit […]
Multi-Digit Whole Number Addition
Children begin adding and subtracting in kindergarten and gradually build their understanding through the first three grades. In the fourth grade, they’re already starting to employ the standard addition algorithm to accurately and quickly add multi-digit whole numbers. If you’re a teacher, you may be wondering how to best guide your students toward mastery of […]
Rounding Multi-Digit Whole Numbers
In grade 3, children familiarize themselves a bit with rounding a given number to the closest 10 or 100 by applying their place value knowledge. In grade 4, they start learning the benefits of rounding to any place value and become comfortable with rounding multi-digit whole numbers to the nearest thousand, ten thousand, or hundred […]
15 Amazing Math Activities for Preschoolers
Research indicates that learning math early contributes to better math achievements later in school and even better achievement in literacy. The same study points out that the most predictive thing for later success in school is entering school with math skills. This is why we’ve compiled a list of 15 amazing math activities for preschoolers that will […]
How to Teach Place Value to 4th Graders
Place value is arguably one of the most important math concepts in the curricula of elementary school. As early as grade one, children start to recognize place value in numerals beyond 20. By grade four, students should have developed a solid understanding of place value in higher numbers, including three-digit numbers. Thus, they should be […]
13 Fun and Educational Math Activities for Middle School
When students start middle school, they leap into a brand new math realm. For many children, the size of the newly acquired math schoolbook, along with the increased workload will seem intimidating. As a middle school math teacher or educator, you’d naturally want to facilitate this tricky transition to ‘tweenhood’ math and help your students. […]
How to Help My Child With Math at Home?
Even if your child is nimble with numbers, at one point or another, they might struggle with math in school. These math struggles will not only affect children, teachers, and educators but also, another critical group – parents, who may find themselves wondering with a voice laden with exasperation: “How to help my child with math at […]
15 Fun Math Games to Play at Home
It’s no secret that math has gotten a bit of a bad rep over the years because many children simply see it as boring. And let’s be honest, not many of us remember those timed multiplication drills with a lot of fondness, right? But is there a way to change that? Well, you can simply […]
How to Help Kids Learn Multiplication Tables
Teaching multiplication tables is a struggle for many teachers, educators, and homeschooling parents. This should not come as a surprise, since multiplication is the first arithmetic operation where the sensory-motor experience of using your fingers for equations is no longer an option, and thus the first abstract arithmetic operation that children come across. To help […]
How to Teach Kids Patterns and Sequences
Observing the relationship of number patterns over a given period of time is what allows scientists to make educated guesses, and is at the heart of making mathematical pattern analyses. Understanding patterns will open doors for your students to understand more complex mathematical operations, but also, improve their ability to understand the world. This is why, in […]
Teaching Math to Students With Autism
Whether you are a homeschooling parent or a teacher at a school, if you have at least one student with autism, it’s possible that you’re struggling to fully meet their needs. In fact, one survey conducted by the charity Ambitious About Autism indicates that as many as 60% of teachers in England felt they lacked appropriate preparation […]
Find and Identify Angles in the Real World
How are Angles Used in the Real World? Angles are everywhere! It’s great to have an angle hunt or to search for angles in the real world because students and teachers start to see angles that they may not have noticed before. When you look for angles in objects, you can find patterns and see […]
Money as Decimals
Money is a great way to learn about decimals. Students have learned the value of coins and they have seen prices in stores and online. Money is a real world use of decimals and it’s important to show how it works with place value. After understanding place value with coins, I thought it was […]
Factors and Multiples: The Factor Factory Activity
Factors and Multiples When I taught fifth grade, my school had a meeting with incoming fourth graders and their parents. Some of the most asked questions had to do with math and multiplication facts. I remember telling them that it’s not just knowing your times tables, what’s more important is being able to recognize factors […]
Subtraction Involving Mixed Numbers
Subtraction Involving Mixed Numbers The great thing about subtracting fractions (Specifically Subtraction Involving Mixed Numbers) is that we have the opportunity to cut up the “wholes” into the number of pieces we need! Fractions can be tough because students see the numbers and don’t always think about the value of the fraction. I like to […]
Mean and Median Climate Activity
Mean and Median When I first start to teach measures of central tendency and compare mean and median, finding the median can be fun! Some students think that calculating the average and figuring out the mean is just a bit more… mean. But if we do some games and activities, my students start to find […]
Multiplying 3 and 4 digit Numbers using Area Models
Multiplying 3 and 4 digit Numbers using Area Models Multiplying multi-digit numbers using area not only helps students to visualize the products, but also helps show them how partial products work and add up. This can help students learn and understand multiplication as well as apply it to the standard algorithm for multiplication. In this […]
Composition and Decomposition of Polygons
Composition and Decomposition of Polygons Years ago, I had my bathroom redone. The man that came in to do the tiling was quiet, meticulous, patient and efficient. I live in an old house and was amazed at how he placed those tiles and got them to fit perfectly, even though the walls were not always […]
Graphing Inequalities with Cheerios
Graphing Inequalities When I start working with graphing inequalities with my students, and show the symbol <, there is almost always someone who remembers the inequality alligator who opens his mouth to gobble up the greater number. One of the hardest parts of inequalities is figuring out which way the sign faces in terms of […]
Solving Multi-Step Addition and Subtraction Word Problems
Solving Multi-Step Addition and Subtraction Word Problems Solving multi-step addition and subtraction word problems can help students see the relationship between operations, as well as practice their calculations. When I teach subtraction, I also like to show how students can use addition to check their work! Students often think that they are done when they […]
Comparing Multi-Digit Whole Numbers
Compare Multi-Digit Whole Numbers If students really understand place value, then they can get a stronger grasp on other mathematical operations! I like to start by asking students how many digits are in the universe? And most times students say infinity! Because fourth graders love the idea of infinity. But in fact, there are only […]
Equivalent Expressions Memory Cards
Equivalent Expressions 6th Grade Math I always tell my students to remember that math is a language. Sometimes writing expressions and finding equivalent expressions can be difficult for students. When they just see variable expressions on a page, it can be tough to figure out what the letters and numbers mean. But if we talk […]
Least Common Multiple and Greatest Common Factor Worksheets
Launching GCF and LCM with a Real World Context Teachers often want to know how they can teach greatest common factor and the least common multiple in a way that is more concrete or constructivist. Using Least Common Multiple and Greatest Common Factor Worksheets is fine but we can do better. They’ve been teaching factor […]
Dividing Fractions Activities
Dividing Fractions is one of the lessons that students struggle with their whole lives. I have heard the argument over and over… “Why do they need to learn to divide fractions by hand when they all have phones and calculators that will do it for them?” “When will they ever be in a position […]
Ordered Pairs on the Coordinate Plane Activity
Ordered Pairs on the Coordinate Plane I can remember learning about longitude and latitude and looking at maps long before I learned about the coordinate plane. And I know I played battleship before learning about ordered pairs in math class! Battleship is a great way to introduce the concept, but those coordinates do not have […]
Unit Rate Activity: Find the Better Deal
Cost Comparison – What’s the better deal? Unit Rate Activity: What makes a bargain? How do you know which price is a better deal? Many products, especially snack foods and cereal, are sold in different sizes. A great way to teach unit rate is by doing unit cost and price comparisons to find out which […]
Patterns and the Coordinate Plane: Ordered Pairs Initials
Patterns and the Coordinate Plane Played Out This activity (Ordered Pairs Initials) will provide students with practice in graphing ordered pairs and seeing how patterns in the ordered pairs play out on the graph. Students are usually pretty good at graphing ordered pairs. It takes a class period or two to get the X and […]
Classifying Two Dimensional Figures: Shapes in the Real World Project
Classifying Two Dimensional Figure: Shapes in the World This lesson is a chance for students to see that the world is made up of shapes. When they ask, “Why do I need to know geometry?” this is why. Our lessons in geometry and shapes often rely on 2D shapes in a textbook or drawn on […]
How to Teach Volume of a Right Rectangular Prism
Manipulatives and Volume: Volume of a Right Rectangular Prism I have noticed that students often leave out the unit label when doing word problems or measuring. For the longest time, I didn’t understand why this was the case. However, one day I had an epiphany. My students didn’t understand what the label actually meant! When […]