Addition and Subtraction Using Frames

 Children can easily solve the problems 2 + 7 = ___. They find it more difficult to solve the following problems:

2 + _ = 9

9 = 2 + __

9 = __ + 2

The materials can also be used to complete subtraction problems:

9 - __ = 7

7 = 9 - __

These number cards and the weighting scales can be used to allow the children to form their own sums, to then be recorded on the answer sheet. 

I had spent 5 days working on this concept with the children in my class using a variety of materials and there were still a number of children who could not understand the concept. This method worked and today, even my weakest children managed to create their own problems using these materials. After I took these photos, I made one small change to the mats having watched the children working with the materials. I placed an equals sign on top of the weight scales as it helped the weaker children to visualise the concept.

I laminated the number cards and gave each child a box containing 2 of each number card  and the operations cards. I also laminated the mats, to ensure they last longer.

The Victorians Project

It has been a while since I did any work for my store. I changed classes last September and that has kept me pretty busy. I have made lots of new materials for use with this older age-group. One of the new things I am uploading is a template for a project based on the Victorians. Below are the links needed for the project.

The Suffragettes - BBC GCSE Bitesize

The Suffragettes - Kids.Net.Au

Dr Barnardo

Victorian Britain - BBC 

The Victorians - Woodlands Junior School 

The Victorians - Primary Facts

Victorian Children 

The Victorians - links created by Usbourne

Victorian Children - Channel 4

This is a link to some great teaching ideas about the Victorians.

5 Currant Buns.

Last year, I decided to create packs of literacy, numeracy and social studies worksheets created around rhymes being completed in the classroom. We used this video on YouTube to learn the rhyme and then worked through the activities contained therein. As I teach in a multi-grade classroom, there are worksheets of varying difficulty to use with the different level abilities. The pack contains a detailed description of the strand unit and objectives covered for each worksheet, based upon the Irish primary school curriculum. These objectives are:

Page	Subject	Strand Unit	Objective
	English	Reading: developing concepts of language and print	Listen to, enjoy and respond to stories, nursery rhymes, poems and songs Develop a sense of rhythm and rhyme
14, 15, 16, 17		Reading: developing reading skills and strategies	Engage in shared reading activities Learn to isolate the part of a word or a syllable which allows it to rhyme with another word or syllable
3, 4, 5, 13, 18		Writing: developing competence, confidence and the ability to write independently	Copy letters and words informally as part of class activities
		Oral language: developing emotional and imaginative life through oral language	Listen to, learn and retell a rich variety of stories, rhymes and songs
19		Writing: developing emotional and imaginative life through writing	Hear a rich variety of stories, rhymes and songs and draw and write about them
6, 7	Maths	Matching	Match equivalent and non-equivalent sets using one-to-one correspondence
8, 9, 20		Counting	Count the number of objects in a set, 1-10
11		Extending pattern	Identify, copy and extend patterns in colour, shape and size using a range of objects, e.g. cubes or threading beads continue the pattern, what comes next?
10, 21		Numeration	Read, write and order numerals, 1 -5 Read, write and order numerals, 5 - 10
24, 25		Comparing	compare sets without counting more than and less than.
22		Analysis of number – combining	combine sets of objects, totals to 10
23		Analysis of number – partitioning	use the symbols + and = to construct word sentences involving addition
13, 18	Geography	People at work	Discuss the work of people in the home, at school, in the local community, in towns or countryside nearby and in wider environments
12			Identify materials used to make familiar items

Some sample images from the pack:

 

 

A sampler of the worksheets can be found here. 

The complete pack can be purchased in my Teachers Pay Teachers store here. 

Full and Empty

Recently I completed capacity with the children in my class. As an introduction to the activity, I created a Smartboard file to use with the children to distinguish between full and empty containers.

As I have a child with special needs in my class, I created a file folder game for use with this child, to help distinguish between full and empty.

I laminated the sheets and store them in a folder in the room.

A last exercise was the creation of a worksheet, where the children have to colour the pictures to indicate if they are full or empty. This file is available here.

I created another worksheet which practised full, half full and empty.

The entire pack may be purchased in my Teachers Pay Teachers store here. 

Indonesia.

I went on holidays to Indonesia this year and I have decided to do a unit with the children about Indonesia, as I brought home lots of batiks, puppets and masks, which can be used in the classroom.

This is a work in progress. Tomorrow, we are going to learn where Indonesia is located and the colours of their flag. Click here if you would like to get the flag file. 

What time is it?

I have just spent the morning creating resources to use with my class next week.

I have created a smartboard file to help the children to think about the different things they do at different times. This is part of my unit on time, and it will be used to help the children to read time on the hour. Here are some sample pages from the file.

I have also added a page, where the children have to match a clock to the correct written time and some links to online games. 

As a writing exercise, I have created a mini-book, to allow the children to draw the activity they do at a particular time and to write a sentence about their picture. A sampler can be found here. 

In Ireland, we teach the children analogue time first, so these activities are in analogue time. 

Sight Word Readers.

While there are many commercially produced reading schemes available, I don't like to use them as I believe that they move the children too quickly through the sight words. For this reason, I have created my own reading scheme for use with the children.

I re-organised the words so that the flashcards could be used to make simple sentences before the children even get near a book. Then they are given a simple book to read based on each sight word. I also created some simple tracing sheets and worksheets based on the words.