We had TONS of FUN doing math recently and I just had to sit down and tell you about it!! It was such a simple and easy idea that I am amazed at how much the kids liked it.
This year, I’ve been working on 1st grade studies with one of my children. We began introducing addition and subtraction in a more conscious way about two weeks ago but we had not used a number line yet. Primarily, we were using beans and legos to introduce the skills in a more hands-on way.
In one of my first grade worksheets books (is that the right way to say that?), I found a worksheet that introduced the number line with frogs hopping from one number to another and translating that into a addition sentence. I’ve been hesitant to use number sentences based on some great pointers I received from Ruth Beechick, but she seemed to have a good basis of *adding* two groups of items together, so we went ahead with the worksheet.
When I teach my first grader, I usually have her younger brother along with us in the learning. They are relatively close in age and I have always just taught them together. So, I look for activities that teach the first grade topics in ways that he would find interesting. When I saw the frogs on the worksheet, I figured “Why not pretend to be frogs by really hopping around?!” But, how to put numbers on the ground …
Since we live in Florida, the weather is (almost) always conducive to going outside! We got out our sidewalk chalk and drew two number lines – one in pink and one in green, of course. I had them start with their feet on zero and told them that they were frogs jumping from pad to pad on the pond. Be careful, don’t fall in the water!
They had a such great time jumping two and finding out what number they landed on and jumping backwards three to see what that number would be. The excitement carried all the way through actually completing the worksheet. My daughter loves to sit and do worksheets or color, etc. My son can do about three minutes and then he needs to do something else! Even he sat all the way through this one and didn’t ask to get up.
Every time they went outside, they asked me to have them add or subtract on the number line – until it rained, that is! I’m sure we’ll be drawing it again soon.
Dontchya just love it when a simple, spur of the moment idea works out great?
Tell me about a time when this happened for you! I’d love to hear about it!
What subject was it? Did you just know it was going to work or were you skeptical at first? What ages were your children? Give me all the details!
Related Posts
