Writing is one of the parts of language that young mathematicians are developing along with their reading, talking, and listening skills. For many students what they know about mathematics may exceed their ability to communicate it through the written word. Children learn to write by writing. Writing needs to be original thought, not just copying something that someone else wrote. Therefore it is imperative that opportunities are provided often for young children to engage in writing about mathematics. For the teacher, providing an environment that is rich in mathematical language is a priority. The following four learning station/center ideas can be first discussed in the classroom in a large group or small group setting before rotating out to an independent learning center. Facilitation notes are provided below for each station. The ideas presented are but a start for the many ways in which these activities can be adapted. Most of the masters have been made so they can be easily used in The Mathematician’s Notebook.

Rooster's Off to See the World by Eric Carle, is a beloved children’s book. Not only does the story engage children it can also serve as a foundation for many mathematical investigations for primary mathematicians. The natural progression from counting and making comparisons is to composing and decomposing numbers. The earlier experiences with sets and the relationships between numbers laid the foundation for young mathematicians to learn about operating with numbers. Using operations to make sense of situations in their world or to describe events in their world helps young children build an understanding for the need for operations. The discovery of some basic properties, such as the commutative property of addition, also allow students to build strategies for working with progressively larger numbers as they move from kindergarten through second grade. Primary mathematicians first model “put together” and “take apart” situations using concrete objects, drawings, etc. These concepts are then expanded to composing and decomposing numbers additively. A connection to students’ prior work with building sets is important as students are developing fluencies with their addition and subtractions facts. Children need many opportunities to experience these situations. Incorporating a familiar story allows children to practice these mathematical ideas in a contextual setting. To effectively facilitate these activities, be sure to cover the common addition and subtraction situations found in Table 1, CCSSM, page 88. Questions are provided that can be used during the development of the activity to determine the desired focus of the lesson. It is very important that young mathematicians understand that numbers are quantities represented by numerals, pictures, numerals, etc. Materials are listed for each of the activities. The 25 pages include both black line masters as well as color masters have been provided. Suggestions for preparing the materials have been noted as well to facilitate making classroom sets for long term use.

Do trade books have a place in today’s mathematics classroom? Yes! Incorporating literature into the mathematics classroom at any level can increase student engagement, can make the mathematics being studied come alive for the student as well as have meaning, and can help to differentiate instruction as well as support ELL/ESL students. See several samples of the mathematics that can be experienced by students from kindergarten through high school through well-known pieces of children’s literature. Experience how mathematics and the way it is presented can help make mathematics more accessible and understandable for students at all levels. Contains over 80 assorted activities with over 25 to engage students as you read, over 30 for students to experience Being a mathematician, and over 20 activities to provide students authentic Opportunities for writing. Activities can be adapted for large group, small group, centers, learning stations and for intervention. A MUST HAVE book for all primary teachers. Several activity sheets and blackline masters are included as well as tables identifying key words, topics, and suggested manipulatives. Books not included.

One Duck Stuck, by Phyllis Root, is a beloved children’s book. Not only does the story engage children it can also serve as a foundation for many mathematical investigations for primary mathematicians. Using doubles is one of the foundational strategies for primary mathematicians as they are building number sense. Connecting this study to a familiar story makes these activities more engaging for students. Additional literacy connections are suggested for use with introducing the concept of doubles. Questions are provided that can be used during the development of the activity to determine the desired focus of the lesson. It is very important that young mathematicians understand that numbers are quantities represented by numerals, pictures, numerals, etc. Materials are listed for each of the activities. The 12 pages include both black line masters as well as color masters have been provided. Suggestions for preparing the materials have been noted as well to facilitate making classroom sets for long term use. 45 pages of blackline and colorline masters 5 pages of facilitation notes and sample questions This resource is good for students with Dyslexia and language-based learning deficiencies. We'd like to hear about your experience with our resources. Just give it a star rating then tell us what you think, simple as that!

Writing is one of the parts of language that younger mathematicians are still developing along with their reading, talking, and listening skills. Children learn to write by writing. Writing needs to be original thought, not just copying something that someone else wrote. Therefore, it is imperative that opportunities are provided often for students to engage in writing about mathematics. As the teacher, providing an environment that is rich in mathematical language is a priority. Writing About offers a collaborative opportunity for small groups of students to work individually first to write about a concept and then to come together and putting their individual work into a paragraph about the topic. A word cloud is given as a prompt for words and ideas. Facilitation notes are provided as well as student activity sheet. This is a good activity for struggling students and ESL/ELL who may need some support in writing. Geometry, Positional Words, Numbers, Addition & Subtraction, and Measurement are included.

Vocabulary is one of the foundations for developing understanding for any subject area and mathematics is no exception. For many students words used in mathematics may not be familiar in context. Students need many opportunities to use vocabulary in their daily work. Providing additional opportunities to review vocabulary in a learning station, center, or small group will help support students who are challenged by the language of mathematics. These five vocabulary ideas can be first used in the classroom in a large group or small group setting before rotating out to an independent/pair learning center. Specific mathematical topics are included but the activities can be adapted for any topic, or discipline for that matter. Facilitation notes are provided for each station. The ideas presented are but a start for the many ways in which these activities can be adapted. These are licensed for one classroom use only.

Writing in mathematics involves more than just putting word to paper. Words need to be carefully chosen to communicate ideas and concepts clearly. Writing involves all of the language of mathematics. Reading, vocabulary, notations and symbols, diagrams, charts, graphs, and metacognition all serve a role as students are engaged in writing in mathematics. Many and varied opportunities need to be provided for students to engage in original thought writing. And remember, just because a student can say something in words, it in no way shows that they can write those same thoughts. Those are two different skill sets. Writing also provides opportunities for the verbal learner to excel as well as the creative learner. Vocabulary is one of the foundations for developing understanding for any subject area and mathematics is no exception. For many students words used in mathematics may not be familiar in context. Students need many opportunities to use vocabulary in their daily work. Providing additional opportunities to review vocabulary in a learning station, center, or small group will help support students who are challenged by the language of mathematics. These five vocabulary ideas can be first used in the classroom in a large group or small group setting before rotating out to an independent/pair learning center. Specific mathematical topics are included but the activities can be adapted for any topic, or discipline for that matter. Facilitation notes are provided for each station. The ideas presented are but a start for the many ways in which these activities can be adapted. These are licensed for one classroom use only. This resource is good for children with dyslexia and language-based learning deficiencies. We'd like to hear about your experience with our resources. Just give it a star rating then tell us what you think, simple as that!

Tangrams, those seven simple geometric pieces, are manipulatives that can support diverse topics with students at all levels. This dissection puzzle can offer many challenges to students. The seven tans can be manipulated into various shapes, pictures, letters, etc. Tangram shapes and puzzles support the development of various geometric topics while building spatial reasoning and problem solving. Fractions are a natural fit with tangrams as is area and linear measurement. This 31-page packet includes: literacy connections and ideas for creating tangrams as well as discussion prompts to use as students are creating a tangram; Ideas for investigating shapes and discussion prompts to use as students are investigating shapes; Ideas for using tangrams to study fractions and discussion prompts to use as students are working with fractions and tangrams; art activity suggestions and resources; and several extensions with resources. Blackline masters and sets of task cards are also included. Activities and ideas for all grade levels and for various levels to support differentiation. This resource is good for students with Dyslexia and language-based learning deficiencies. We'd like to hear about your experience with our resources. Just give it a star rating then tell us what you think, simple as that!

Students learn mathematics more effectively and more deeply when reading and writing is directed at learning mathematics. (Bossé and Faulconer 2008) This packet includes activities that target foundational components for developing understandings and building fluency. ELA, Social Studies, and Science activities are included and can be easily differentiated based upon the instructions given by the teacher. Vocabulary and writing are targeted and facilitation notes are provided. This resource is good for children with Dyslexia and language-based learning deficiencies. We'd like to hear about your experience with our resources. Just give it a star rating then tell us what you think, simple as that!

Primary mathematicians first model “put together” and “take apart” situations using concrete objects, drawings, etc. These concepts are then expanded to composing and decomposing numbers additively. A connection to students’ prior work with building sets is important as students are developing fluencies with their addition and subtractions facts. Children need many opportunities to experience these situations. Incorporating seasonal manipulatives allows children to practice these mathematical ideas in a contextual setting. To effectively facilitate these activities, be sure to cover the common addition and subtraction situations found in Table 1, CCSSM, page 88. Nine seasonal and topical activities are included. Color masters are provided for both tables for each of the activities, the seasonal objects as well as the counters. Hyperlinks are also provided for manipulatives when applicable. This resource is useful for students with Dyslexia and language-based learning deficiencies. We'd like to hear about your experience with our resources. Just give it a star rating then tell us what you think, simple as that!

One Duck Stuck, by Phyllis Root, is a beloved children’s book. Not only does the story engage children it can also serve as a foundation for many mathematical investigations for primary mathematicians. The following 23 activities are a sample of the possible uses for these materials in the primary mathematics classroom. These activities are flexible enough to be used for leveled instruction in the primary grades, even into early intermediate grades. A second grader who is still struggling with counting can benefit from the counting activities denoted with kindergarten standards. Also many of these activities can be first introduced in small or large group instruction and then rotate out to a center or learning station. One interesting and important concept in mathematics is Pascal’s Triangle. The combination of One Duck Stuck and the related mathematical concepts that can be found in Pascal’s Triangle allows students a fun, unique, and engaging venue for developing mathematical literacy. The main focus standards from the CCSSM have been identified at the beginning of each cluster of activities. Notice that for many of the activities the standards transcend two or all three of the primary grades. This was intentional to show the possible development of the learning trajectories for a topic and the possibilities for leveled instruction. Geometry connections although thin are there as well, just not identified as focus standards. Materials are listed for each of the activities. The 128 pages include both black line masters as well as color masters have been provided. Suggestions for preparing the materials have been noted as well to facilitate making classroom sets for long term use.