Image Map

Saturday, December 29, 2018

3 Tips for Pre-K Writing

Is your preschooler ready to write? 

Tip #1: Make sure your Pre-K student is ready. I recently found myself at the point where my preschooler was ready to write letters and form words. This was a great step in the writing process. He would pick up the pencil and trace the letters. Then he began to write the letters himself with little to no direction. Afterwards, I noticed that there was a problem. His pencil grip needed adjusting.

Do you practice the proper pencil grip? 

Tip #2: Check their pencil grip. I began the search for a pencil to help him with his pencil grip. I was constantly reminding him to "three finger pinch" the pencil. I was saying it so much I thought about recording my voice and just pressing the play button again and again. Instead of automating my voice, I found a solution by using a new writing tool.

What do we use?

Tip #3: Have the proper writing utensil. We are using the "Tri-Write" pencils that I found on Amazon (affiliate link below). These are helping him develop his "three finger pinch". It has definitely helped him hold the pencil with ease. He is able to write and hold the pencil to make the letters. When he has mastered this skill of pencil grip and hold we will be transitioning to a regular pencil.




I hope this helps in your journey of teaching writing. This is a great accommodation for students who need help holding a pencil, learning to write, and forming letters. Learning to love writing starts with learning to hold a pencil. The right pencil can make a big difference to the learner.

Happy Teaching!

Thursday, December 27, 2018

6th Grade January Math

Are your students ready for a fun Winter review?

Do your students need math fluency practice?


THIS JANUARY NO PREP MATH PACKET FEATURES:

*20 different math puzzle worksheets

*FUN activities and puzzles centered on reviewing math curriculum 

*Packed with 6th grade math problems for review and practice 

*AN ANSWER KEY for each activity

*Lots of coloring fun! A MUST: Using a set of crayons or markers.




Topics covered:
-Operations with Decimals 
-Graphing 
-Operations with Fractions
-Rates & Unit Rates
-Expressions & Equations


Other teachers have said:

"Perfect for a substitute."

"Makes homework and easy math days a breeze. Perfect for morning work as well! Thanks so much!" 

"I teach remedial math in middle school and this product will be nice to have on hand!" 



These math activities are great for bell work, class work, extra credit, and fast finishers. Let your students have fun with math this Winter. 

Happy Teaching!

5th Grade January Math

Are you ready for Winter?

Do your students needs a fun math review with a Winter theme?



THIS JANUARY NO PREP MATH PACKET FEATURES: 

*20 different math puzzle worksheets

*FUN activities and puzzles centered on reviewing math curriculum

*Packed with 5th grade math problems for review and practice

*AN ANSWER KEY for each activity

*Lots of coloring fun! A MUST: Using a set of crayons or markers.




Topics covered: 
-Adding Decimals
-Subtracting Decimals
-Multiplying Decimals
-Dividing Decimals
-Comparing Fractions
-Adding & Subtracting Fractions with unlike denominators
-Multiplying Fractions

Other teachers have said:

"Awesome resource!"

"My kids loved these! Thank you." 

"Great resource for centers or enrichment for early finishers!" 

"This is a great resource! I plan to use as morning work or in math stations."

"These are awesome! Use them everyday for bell work and review!"


These math activities are great for morning work, class work, extra credit, and fast finishers. Let your students have fun with math this Winter.

Happy Teaching!

Monday, December 17, 2018

4th Grade January Math

Are you ready for January and the new year?

Do your students need a fun math review with a winter theme?



THIS JANUARY NO PREP MATH PACKET FEATURES:
*20 different math puzzle worksheets
*FUN activities and puzzles centered on reviewing math curriculum.
*Packed with 4th grade common core math problems for review and practice.
*An ANSWER KEY for each worksheet.
*Lots of coloring fun. I’ve intentionally designed this packet with lots of pictures and borders to color. A MUST: Using a set of crayons or markers.



Topics Covered:
-Addition
-Subtraction
-Sequences
-Factors & Multiples
-Multiplication
-Division
-Creating Pictographs
-Measurement with Line Plots
-Comparing Fractions
-Adding & Subtracting Fractions
-Adding & Subtracting Mixed Numbers
-Multiplying Fractions by Whole Numbers


These math activities are great for morning work, class work, extra credit, and fast finishers. Let your students have fun with math!

Happy Teaching! 

3rd Grade January Math

Are you ready for January and the new year?

Do your students need a fun math review with a winter theme?


Not only is it full of 3rd grade common core math problems, it also gives students fun coloring, puzzles, and problem solving math activities.


THIS JANUARY NO PREP MATH PACKET FEATURES:
*20 different math puzzle worksheets
*FUN activities and puzzles centered on reviewing math curriculum.
*Packed with 3rd grade common core math problems for review and practice.

*An ANSWER KEY for each worksheet.
*Lots of coloring fun. I’ve intentionally designed this packet with lots of pictures and borders to color. A MUST: Using a set of crayons or markers.
Topics Covered:
-Addition
-Subtraction
-Multiplication
-Division
-Creating Pictographs
-Measurement with Line Plots
-Comparing Fractions


These math activities are great for morning work, class work, extra credit, and fast finishers. Let your students have fun with math!

Happy Teaching!

Tuesday, December 11, 2018

Christmas Middle School Math Coloring Pages

Are you preparing for December?

Do your students like to try different math activities?


These Christmas Equations and Proportions Coloring Pages feature different colors with presents with bows, and gingerbread men. These coloring pages are a great way to practice algebra skills for class work, home work, or fast finishers!


THIS CHRISTMAS EQUATIONS & PROPORTIONS PACKET FEATURES:

*2 different Engaging Math Activities (2 different color options)

*1 Version of Gingerbread Men Solving Equations (2 different color options)

*1 Version of Presents with Bows Solving Proportions (2 different color options)

*3 different Banners to hang on a Bulletin Board

*NO PREP, Print & GO Activities! (Only materials needed: 5 to 6 different colored crayons or markers, and a pencil). 

*FUN & rigorous activities centered on math curriculum

*HIGH QUALITY CLIPART is included 

*Topics covered: Algebraic Equations and Proportions

*Engage your students in Math for December!


Get your students in the holiday spirit with fun math activities that incorporate rigor and relevance. Making math meaningful this time of year will help keep them engaged until the winter break.

Happy Teaching!

Tuesday, November 27, 2018

CYBER Monday Gift Card Winners



Congratulations to these lucky 5 teachers! 

They each won a $10.00 TpT Gift Card for signing up for the weekly newsletter.

Do you receive the weekly freebies, giveaways, and math resources?

Sign up HERE=> http://bit.ly/KellyMcCownNEWSLETTER

Tuesday, November 20, 2018

Why I Don't Assign Homework

Do your students struggle to complete and turn in all their homework assignments?

Do you want to keep them accountable for missing assignments?

Do you want your students to turn in 100% of their homework?


I struggled for many years to find a solution that worked best for my students and I. How do I get students to do their work? How do you get students to turn in their assignments? How much is the right amount of homework?

After reflecting upon my teaching practices and how students would respond to certain homework policies and situations I found solutions that worked. First, I stopped "giving homework". Instead I would set out 10-15 minutes of class time to let the students work on what I would assign as "homework" and call it "classwork" to students. This "classwork" time is mandatory and students are required complete the assignment or finish it for homework. Most students would finish it in class and have no homework! Students that didn't finish would be required to finish at home.

Did all the students finish in class? No. So I had to come up with some other solutions to get to 100% homework turn in rate. These are solutions to the homework problem. Try one or all of them to meet the needs of your students.

More Solutions 

1. Homework Excuse Slips. Have you tried homework excuse slips? I've tried them and determined they did not work for me. After two quarters I found that I was wasting printing paper for students to tell me "I forgot" or "I just didn't do it". It wasn't a solution, it just gave the students the feeling that they were justified in their excuse. My goal of the excuse slips was to get students to see what they weren't doing and to fix the behavior. This was not attained, but I abandoned this solution.

2. Makeup Slips for Absent Students. Absentees can become a problem depending on the school you teach it. I've work at 85% attendance rate schools and 98% attendance rate schools. The system that worked best after years of perfecting was the "While your Were Out" slips. I print multiple sheets of absent work forms, assign other students to fill them out at the beginning of class for absent students, and then those students place the slips in the absent box. Minimal work required for the teacher, just print and go! You can make your own slips or Click HERE to download these.

3. Progress Report Printouts. This has been the best solution for my students. Students are able to see what they are missing (I highlight the zeros and missing assignments that they can turn in before the end of the quarter). Parents are required to sign the progress report printout for homework or extra credit (depending on how I want to assign the grade for being responsible and completing all the work). Parents appreciate the support and reminder of how their student is doing. This also helps keep students accountable and on track for success.

4. Assign Less Homework. After assigning too many homework assignments one year, I made a homework calendar and a plan to only assign 1 homework assignment a week. You can CLICK HERE to read about why I don't grade homework after school and how you can too.  I write down the dates when I will collect and grade any homework (less than 9 a quarter) in my planner. It makes it simple to keep track of all the assignments. If you need a planner I highly recommend Occolo planners. This is the exact planner I use. Keeping track of assignments and tests grading helps keep grading simple and planned. If I haven't planned to grade it, I always ask "does this have academic value?" If it does and needs to be graded then I add it to the list. Assigning less will help you grade less, and in return you will not have to look for as many missing assignments.

5. Assign Less Problems. Along with assigning less homework, I took the 10 problem challenge. Only assigning 10 math problems which was the equivalent of 20-30 minutes of work for students. This greatly improved the percentage of students who completed the assignment. It was more manageable for them to complete and achieve success on an assignment.


I hope these homework solutions are making you reflect on your teaching practices. What could you do to improve the rate of homework return? How could your students have a better attitude about homework? What would be easiest for you to maintain and keep up with grading? Homework doesn't have to be difficult or time consuming. Make it relatable and effective for students.

Happy Teaching!

Friday, November 16, 2018

Christmas Math Grades 3 to 5

Do you want a fun Christmas Math review?

Do your students need to review multiplication and division?

Do you want a NO PREP holiday bulletin board display with student work?


Are you ready for Thanksgiving? These Christmas Multiplication and Division Coloring Pages feature coloring problems to create Candy Canes and Christmas tree pictures. 


THIS CHRISTMAS MULTIPLICATION & DIVISION PACKET FEATURES:

*2 different Engaging Math Activities (2 different color versions each)

*1 Version of Candy Canes (Multiplication by 2-digit numbers. Ex: 9 x 98)

*1 Version of Christmas Trees (Division by 2-digit numbers. Ex: 810 ÷ 90)

*3 different Banners to hang on a Bulletin Board

*NO PREP, Print & GO Activities! (Only materials needed: 3-5 different colored crayons or markers, and a pencil).

*FUN & rigorous activities centered on math curriculum
*HIGH QUALITY CLIPART is included
*Topics covered: Multiplying & Dividing by 2-digit numbers
*Engage your students in Math for the Holidays!


Have fun this holiday season with your students and engage them with extra practice of multiplication and division. Every student enjoys coloring and creating mystery pictures. With multiple options for students to create, the pictures will all be unique to each student.

Happy Teaching!