Math Two

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What it is: Math Two is a great alternative to flash cards for students who are practicing math facts.  Games are leveled by difficulty and include addition and multiplication facts.  Students are given a problem and must type the answer. Students receive immediate feedback about their answer (correct or incorrect).


How to integrate Math Two into the classroom: Sometimes you just have to mix up the flashcards a little bit when practicing math facts.  Math Two isn’t overly interactive or “gamey” but it will give your students another opportunity to be drilled on and practice math facts.  My students actually love practicing math facts this way, I tell them it is good practice for World Math Day where they compete against other students from around the world.  When they think of it as training in preparation for upcoming competition, they are excited to practice.  Math Two is best for individual computers or as a math fact center on classroom computers.


Tips: Send this link home to parents, they are often looking for new ways to practice math facts at home.  Thank you @2sparkley for introducing me to Math Two!


Leave a comment and share how you are using Math Two in your classroom.

iboard: Visual Numbers

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What it is: Visual Numbers is another great sample application from iboard for interactive whiteboards.  Visual Numbers lets students add numbers (1-20) to the workspace above.  You can show or hide counters to represent each number.  This is a fantastic visual for students learning how to count, add, subtract, or multiply.


How to integrate iboard: Visual Numbers into the classroom: Visual Numbers will help your students to visualize number concepts.  Ask students to add all the numbers on the workspace without the spots, then reveal the spots for students to check their answers.  Put several numbers in the workspace and ask students to order numbers from smallest to largest.  Reveal the spots so that students can check their answers and visualize which numbers are smallest and which are largest.  Teach beginning multiplication skills by putting groups of numbers on the board (for example three groups of eight).  Students can visualize what 3 groups of 8 looks like by revealing the spots.  Visual Numbers is wonderful for the interactive whiteboard or as a math center on classroom computers.


Tips: iboard has a variety of activities for the interactive whiteboard that can be purchased.  Visual Numbers is one of their freebie samples.


Leave a comment and share how you are using iboard: Visual Numbers in your classroom.

iboard: Interactive Number Square

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What it is: Interactive Number Square is another great sample application from iboard for interactive whiteboards.  This number grid is versatile allowing you to hide numbers, change the color of squares, change the start number of the grid, add more or less columns and rows, and choose a step number.


How to integrate iboard: Interactive Number Square into the classroom: Interactive Number Square is a wonderful tool for teaching various number concepts.  Hide some numbers and ask students to determine which numbers are missing based on those left on the board.  Ask them if the numbers are in a pattern, go up in steps of 1, 2, 5, etc.  Create a number pattern and hide the answers.  Encourage students to keep the pattern going as long as they can and then invite students to check their answers on the Number Square.  The Number Square can be used for everything from counting, to learning multiples, to skip counting, to adding, to introducing algebraic concepts and understanding number relationships.  Students can interact with the Number Square on an interactive whiteboard or on classroom computers as a math center.


Tips: iboard has a variety of activities for the interactive whiteboard that can be purchased.  Interactive Number Square one of their freebie samples.


Leave a comment and share how you are using iboard: Interactive Number Square in your classroom.

Kids Numbers

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What it is: Kids Numbers is a website from the Kids Knowit Network (they also have spelling, biology, history, etc. sites).  Kids Numbers is a free collection of resources for the math classroom.  Math skills include addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions, telling time, mixed skills, geometry, and Algebra.  When you select a skill to focus on, you will get a week by week break down of skills to practice and accompanying online games and activities.  There are games to play and mini tutorials to go through that will teach the foundational skills of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.  Everything on Kids Numbers is research based and designed by teachers to increase your students math abilities.

How to integrate Kids Numbers into the classroom: I love the way the mini tutorials on Kids Numbers teach students foundational math skills.  They are easy to follow along and perfect for your visual learners. Throughout the tutorial students are asked to participate by counting, sorting, etc.  There are games aligned to each skill that act as a practice area for the skill.  This is a great site to keep on your classroom computers as a math center year-round.  Students can use Kids Numbers to learn new skills, review skills that have been taught, or practice skills that they are learning in the math classroom.  Kids Numbers could be an excellent homework helper for students who are getting hung up on the basics and need a little extra help.

Tips: Kids Numbers does have advertisements on their pages.  Help your students identify the advertisements and use this as a learning opportunity about what an ad is and what they are used for.  Identify the differences between advertisement links and game and activity links on the site.

Leave a comment and tell us how you are using Kids Numbers in your classroom.

iPlay Math Games

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What it is: iPlay Math Games is an outstanding collection of printable math games for grades k-12.  Math games can be searched by grade level or skill.  These math games are printable pdf files and can be played with common items (dice, cards, and other manipulatives).  iPlay Math Games helps students build math skills such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions, decimals, percents, algebra, long division, measurement, graphing and exponents, problem solving, puzzles and games, geometry, probability, reasoning, logic, numeration, patterns, and counting.

How to integrate iPlay Math Games into the classroom: iPlay Math Games is an excellent collection of printable math games that can be downloaded and printed out for the classroom.  Use these games as math center activities, and to reinforce math skills being learned.  These games are a great way for students to practice math skills sans worksheet.

Tips: iPlay Math Games has not always been a free resource, take advantage of the new free status!

Leave a comment and tell us how you are using iPlay Math Games in your classroom.

Make 5

Make 5

What it is: Make 5 is a fun interactive tic-tac-toe type game (it actually reminds me of Connect 4) that I learned about this morning on Twitter from @annemarie80.  This game is a great way for students to practice math facts and to recognize relationships between numbers.  Students are given a target number, they choose an equation on the grid that equals the target number.  The goal of the game is to get 5 squares on the grid in a row in the least number of tries.  The game has several play options; students can play the game with one or two players, set up the game to get 5 or 3 in a row, and can play to practice addition, subtraction, or multiplication.

How to integrate Make 5 into the classroom: Make 5 is an excellent little game that students can play to practice math facts.  Use Make 5 as a math center on the classroom computers.  Students can visit the center in groups of two and play the game together.  In the computer lab setting, students can play Make 5 individually.  Make 5 would be a fun whole class game using an interactive whiteboard.  Split the math class into two teams.  Students take turns coming to the board as representatives of their team.  Give teams 30 seconds to plan their move before sending up their representative.  Make sure that every student has the opportunity to be at the board (you may have to play more than once).

Tips: Send this site home to parents, this is a great way for students to practice their math facts at home, too!

Leave a comment and tell us how you are using Make 5  in your classroom.

Arcademic Skill Builders

What it is:  Arcademic Skill Builders are educational games that help students learn basic academic math and literacy skills. The games are all research-based and standards-aligned.  This site blends the fun of arcade games and key educational skills into fun online games that engage, motivate, and teach students.  All games are free to play and have the option of multi-player or single player games.

 

How to integrate Arcademic Skill Builders into the classroom:   Arcademic Skill Builders has games that will help students practice addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions, ratios, and language arts word skills.  These games can be used as a center in the classroom during math or literacy.  They can also be used with the whole class in a computer lab setting.  I look forward to the addition of the student tracking so that teachers can see trends in student learning and differentiate instruction and practice accordingly.  These games will help excite your students about learning while building important basic learning skills.

 

Tips:  Arcademic Skill Builders has plans to add features that will allow students to save records, teachers to differentiate instruction through the games, and pinpoint students problem areas.

Leave a comment and tell us how you are using Arcademic Skill Builders in your classroom.

Number Nut

 

What it is:  Number Nut is a site all about math.  I love their  catch phrase: “enough math can make anyone nutty”.  This site certainly has enough math for that!  Topics on Number Nut include: shapes and colors, numbers and counting, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, order of operations, dates and times, fractions, decimals, percent values, estimation and rounding, ratios, and money math.  There is something for every math class here!  Each topic gives an overview of the math concept (kind of like the break down students would find at the beginning of a new math chapter).  This is followed by two interactives where students can practice their new found knowledge. Number Nut is standard aligned and has a great math glossary.

 

How to integrate Number Nut into the classroom:   Number Nut is truly like an interactive math textbook, there are multiple pages for each concept and each page is followed by two interactive practice areas.  I love this as an alternative to math textbooks because students get immediate feedback as they work.  They know whether they have mastered the concept or need to keep working at it.  With traditional math textbooks, a student doesn’t know if they understand a concept until they turn in their math worksheet and get it back a few days later full of red marks.  Number Nut is good for teaching new math concepts on an interactive whiteboard or with a projector.  Students can read along as you explain and demonstrate new math concepts.  Then, students can practice on their own.  Ideally, Number Nut would be used in a computer lab setting where every student is using a computer.  This would allow students to work at their own pace and on the skills they need the most practice on.  Number Nut could also be used as a math center where students take turns visiting and solving problems.

 

Tips:   I learned about Number Nut from a tweet by @kellyhines she is full of great classroom resources and one of my favorite education follows!  Number Nut does require flash so make sure that you have the appropriate flash plugins before using this site with your class.

Leave a comment and tell us how you are using Number Nut in your classroom.

Learning Clip

 

What it is:  Learning Clip is a site that I reviewed in Nov. 2008 that I took another look at today and was even MORE impressed than I remembered being the first time I saw it.  Learning Clip is a collection of interactive whiteboard resources for primary math.  Resources and activities include topics such as: using and applying math, understanding numbers, number facts, calculating, understanding shape, measuring, and handling data.  Each activity is interactive and encourages students involvement and discovery in math.  Each activity comes with a brief description of the activity, a pdf of notes that accompany the activity, the age appropriateness, and a corresponding worksheet that can be printed out.  Each topic has several sub-topics and each sub-topic has several interactive activities.  When an activity is loaded, a video clip explaining the math concept will play.  Each activity includes a game or interactive activity space for students to practice what they are learning.

How to integrate Learning Clip into the classroom:  Learning Clip is an outstanding resource for interactive math activities!  The video clips help students understand the math concept that can be practiced in an interactive environment.  This site is perfect for use with an interactive whiteboard and whole class or small group instruction.  Students can take turns interacting with the content to strengthen understanding of math concepts.  Learning clip could also be successfully used in a computer lab or on classroom computers for individual student learning and practice.  One thing that Learning Clip has added since I visited last is the ability to choose what currency you would like students to practice with in the Money activities.  This site was created in the UK so this feature makes it very user friendly for us Yanks. 🙂    The activities are all wonderful!

 

Tips:  Registration is required but it is free.  If you create a username and password, consider creating one that is class friendly.  This way if you do decide to use the activities in the lab setting, students will be able to logon and access activities easily.

 

Leave a comment and tell us how you are using Learning Clip in your classroom.

Number Gym

Number Gym is math software that can be purchased for the math classroom.  However, they have a number of free online activities (examples of their software) that are perfect in the math classroom.  I want to review each of these freebie mini-math games:

Exploring Fractions

What it is:   Exploring Fractions is an interactive way for students to learn about fractions.  Students see the fractions represented graphically and numerically.  As students change the numerator and denominator of the fraction, they see the graphic change accordingly.

How to integrate Exploring Fractions into the classroom:  Exploring Fractions is a great interactive site to teach your students about fractions.  This is a wonderful website to use with an interactive whiteboard for whole class fraction instruction.  Invite students up to the whiteboard to take turns adjusting the numerator and denominator of the fractions.  Have students observe the graphic changes taking place and describe the changes as a class.  Exploring Fractions is also very useful as a math center on the classroom computers.  As students are learning about fractions, they can visit the computer as a visual manipulation center.

 

Tips:  All parts of the Exploring Fractions website can be hidden (hide the numerator, denominator, or graphic).  This is a nice feature for having students “fill in” the missing information.

 

Mr G’s Place Value Chart

What it is:   Mr G’s Place Value Chart is a great mini-site to teach students about place values.  The chart has a thousands, hundreds, tenths, and ones column.  Students can drag counters up and down the chart to create numbers.  Every portion of the Place Value Chart can be hidden from view depending on what you are using the chart for.

How to integrate Mr G’s Place Value Chart into the classroom:  The Place Value Chart is an excellent visual manipulative to teach students about place value.  Each time a student moves a counter, the number at the top of the screen adjusts accordingly.  Use the Place Value Chart to teach your whole class with an interactive whiteboard.  Call students one at a time to adjust the number with counters.  Encourage students who are at their seats to observe how the numbers change.  Hide the number at the top and have students move counters and say what the number is aloud as a class.  This is also a great mini-site to set up as a math center in the one or two computer classroom.  As students are working on place value, they can visit the math center for a visual manipulative.  

 

Tips:  Hide the columns that are not being used to teach with so students aren’t confused by all the ‘extras’.  

Bond Builder

What it is:   Bond Builder is a mini-game that gives students a ‘dot spotter’ that looks like a dice, students add the numbers on the dot spotter and drag it to the correct sum on a dial.  They are timed as they drag the dot spotter cards to the correct location.

How to integrate Bond Builder into the classroom:  Bond Builder is a fun basic addition or counting reinforcement game. This game could be played as a center activity in the one or two computer classroom or whole class with an interactive whiteboard.  See who can get the fastest time and practice those addition facts at the same time!  

 

Tips:  There are two levels of dot spotters (really just different sets of dot spotter cards).

 

 

Table Extender

What it is:   Table Extender is a multiplication game that gives students a challenging multiplication problem and asks them to drag the problem on top of the correct answer.  Students are timed as they go through the various challenges.

How to integrate Table Extender into the classroom:   Table Extender is a  good way to get students practicing their multiplication.  It makes them think quickly and attempt to beat their own fastest times.  Split students into teams and take turns sending students to the interactive whiteboard to solve the problems.  This mini-game would also make for good practice as a computer center in the classroom.  

 

Tips:  There are three different levels of Table Extender for students to work on.

Getting to Grips with Graphs: Trigonometry

What it is:   Getting to Grips with Graphs: Trigonometry lets students explore the equation y=aSin(bx*+c*) through adjustments to a, b, and c in graphical form.

How to integrate Getting to Grips with Graphs: Trigonometry into the classroom:   This mini-site is a wonderful visual representation of Sin.  Students can adjust a, b, and c and watch the affect of changing numbers on a graph.  Use an interactive whiteboard and call students up to change the values of a, b, and c.  Encourage other students to observe and describe the changes of each value that is adjusted.

 

Tips:  The scale of the graph can be changed to fit your classroom needs.

Leave a comment and tell us how you are using Number Gym  in your classroom.