1st Grade Fall Addition and Subtraction Word Problems + Halloween Freebie

One of the skills I have to practice all year when I teach first grade is addition and subtraction facts (for automaticity) and solving word problems. Initially, my students need to act out and represent the problems in various ways so they can 'see' the problem and know whether to add or subtract.

I initially start with acting out and drawing pictures to represent the problem. But this is very time consuming! When students are ready, I show how 'mathematicians' use short cuts to become efficient at math, and we move onto using symbols to represent the objects in the word problem.

When modelling to the class, we always use 10-frames and different colors of cubes to represent the different parts of the problem. Finally, I move onto using number paths and recording in an equation. 

If you are looking for seasonal word problems for Fall, I have a pack in my TpT store. It has 3 types of addition and subtraction within 10 problems:

• result unknown (20 addition and 20 subtraction)
• change unknown (10 addition and 10 subtraction)
• start unknown (10 addition and 10 subtraction)

What are the benefits of using this pack for your class? 

CONSISTENCY

The pages in this pack all follow a consistent format to help in developing student independence. Each page has an addition or subtraction number story (or word problem). Students visualize the problem and draw a picture to represent it. This can help some students work out whether the problem requires them to add or subtract. In addition, students will complete a 10-frame (make it hands-on by using unifix cubes or counters), number line or track and number sentence (or equation) for each problem.

VERSATILITY

You can use the problems in different ways. For example, to start off the year you might project each page and complete whole class. Later, you might work with a small group before moving the pages to an independent work math tub.

LOOKING FOR A DIGITAL OPTION?

I've included JPEGS of each word problem for you to upload to SeeSaw (or other password protected online app). This gives you complete FLEXIBILITY in how you upload the problems - addition OR subtraction OR both, number line OR number track, problem type, how many etc. Use the word problems how YOU want to use them.

If representing and solving word problems in multiple ways is something your class needs, you can find the pack here. Winter, Spring, Summer and a Seasonal Bundle are also available. 

On another note, the other week we were looking at probability and events that will, might and won't happen. I made up this quick little activity which you can download in Google Drive. 

My kids had a lot of fun with it. I hope yours do too!

Halloween Math Centers for 2nd-3rd Grade

I saw this on Pinterest today and just had to share:

 Source

Hehe, this is so me when I'm supposed to be working and get distracted on Pinterest or Instagram!

Even with the distractions, I've managed to finish a Halloween math pack filled with lots of hands on activities for my kids to complete after the holidays. 

 

It comes with 13 math activities for multiplication, division, graphing, area, time, transformations, directions, skip counting, arrays and measuring. You can find it in my TpT Store. 

Peek at Last Week

We've been comparing and contrasting like crazy lately. We've compared food, clothes etc of traditional Australian Aboriginals with us today in SOSE, characters/settings/plots in English, insects in science and shapes in math. We've used Venn diagrams, comparison matrices and double bubble maps.

 Totally pinterest inspired!

We're finishing up our unit of procedural texts. Here are two charts we made earlier in the unit. 

 

Because I don't have a lot of wall space, I hang a lot of charts up on string going across the room. But sometimes a gust of wind will come in the windows and blow the charts up and they hit the fan... tear! rip! So I fold sticky tape around the edges of the chart and it stops them ripping. 

I'm always too busy during math to take photos, but some of kiddos have had a lot of trouble counting money, so we've worked on that the last week.

   

I've updated my Word Family, Blends and Digraphs pack with about 30 more cards. You can go to your Purchases page to redownload. 

I also made up a Fast Finishers board freebie based on a request. The lady wanted a similar style to my CAFE board cards. You can grab it in Google Docs here.  

I also uploaded a Fall writing craftivity that my class did earlier in the year. You can check it out here:

Oh, we won the Green Gnome for our garden too! :D

Literacy Activites, Games and Freebies

If you have been reading my posts for a little while now, you'll know that I've been having heaps of trouble uploading new things to TpT and Teachers Notebook. I'm glad to say that half of that problem has now gone! I can upload to TpT with no problems from my school laptop! I WAS able to upload to Teachers Notebook earlier today, but now it isn't - something about undefined error/syntax error - using the same files that loaded successfully to TpT! 

So here are some things I made about a month ago, but couldn't upload. The first three people to comment will get one each! These are all Autumn/Fall themed.

The first two people to comment with their email address will get the first three products for free! Everyone can have the last two - just click on the picture to download them for free from TpT!

Crow Crisis

Studets make their way through the pumpkin patch to scare away the crows. Good news - they are also practising reading (Level 1 and 2 cards) and spelling (Level 3) words with or, ore, oar, air, are and ar spellings/sounds. Easy differentiation!

Parts of Speech Leaf Sort

Students sort nouns, verbs and adjectives onto the correct mat and record on the recording sheet. 

 

 Spin a Suffix - er, est, ly, less

Students choose a card and read it. They then spin the spinner below and add the suffix onto the end of the word. If it makes a real word, they record it on the recording sheet. The first to fill their sheet (4 for each suffix) first wins. An answer card for each suffix (included) can be cut and lamiated and put together with a metal ring for students to check their answers. 

 Freebies available at TpT (I've only bought a TpT licence for freebies by Scrappin Doodles so far). Are we still allowed to post a link to TpT here? If we're not, can you please let me know so I can take this down! Click the picture to grab them!

I had this Making Words activity posted earlier but have just put it up again now that I've bought a Scrappin Doodles licence for TpT.

 Original artwork from Scrappin' Doodles.