Fact Fluency Practice!

One of the third grade standards is to focus on fact fluency and that is just one that needs to be practiced all year long... we all know that! I've been meaning to share a few of the activities that I use to practice math facts and how we check out progress each week! I'm going to drop in really fast to share! We have cinnamon rolls in the oven this morning!! :)

This is a game called, multiplication dual - you can read more about this here.

We also play multiplication Top-it where you students place cards in a pile. Each student pulls two cards from the pile, multiplies them together &  then the student with the highest product gets to keep everyone's cards. When the pile it gone, the game is over. The student with the highest number of cards wins the game! 

This is another simple, easy prep game that we play. You just need 3 circles on a paper as seen in the picture. Write the desired x? factor in the circle. Then, students roll a dice and place that many manipultives inside each circle. Afterwards, students write down their multiplication problem and solve.

This activity is from a multiplication unit that is still in progress and will be posted as soon as it's finished! But, you could always use envelopes and wrote multiplication facts on note cards. I folded two file folders inward so it opens like a door. Then, glued the back of the file folder together. The pockets keep the multiplication facts. When students finish math work early, they grab this and practice whichever fact they need to master by Friday!

I'm sure you've seen this one floating around on Pinterest and that's exactly where this idea came from. Students grab a cup, solve the multiplication problem, look at the inside of the cup to check and then they can use it to build their tower. It's a popular one!!

Each Friday, students are 'tested' on their ability to master their fact for the week. Students keep track of their progress in their math journals on a simple chart (that I forgot to take a picture of). During the week they know which fact to practice so they can master their 1 minute fact fluency test on Friday.

After we take the test, I have students get with the same people who also took the same test, they check answers - I walk around and check too. If they master that fact they get to write their name in the factor on the wall (see picture below). If they do not master the fact, they know that they need to practice again next week!

To read more multiplication posts by me you can click one of the links below:

Doubles Books

x2 Facts

Multiplication Strategies

Introducing Multiplication

I am going to try to be back tomorrow with my Visual Plans for the week!!!! :) You'll want to come back!

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Multiplication Duo - A Free Card Game!

Hey everyone! I just posted at Owl-ways Be Inspired! It's all about this fun multiplication card game that is SO MUCH FUN! Hop over to learn more about it and grab a directions printable too!

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Doubles Books!

Yesterday we were introduced to our x2 multiplication facts & you can read about it here. Today, we learned about the commutative property and we created doubles books to work on word problems and our x2 (doubles) facts!

To work on commutative property I gave students a simple printable where they answered x2 facts. Then, we reviewed commutative property and students flip-flopped their multiplication problems. We discussed the patterns we saw and how we learned not just one fact... but, actually 2 facts!

You can grab the x2 activity below by clicking the picture below:

I will be making multiplication products & you can grab a little part of this one for free! ;)

As we worked on our x2 facts we took breaks, flipped over our paper and recited the facts to work on memorizing them! *Fact Fluency!!!!*

Afterwards, I brought students down to the rug and presented the following word problem.

We worked together to solve the word problem using ALL of the strategies that we have learned so far! The kids came up to the board and completed each strategy. Then, we explained and discussed it for review.

After our little whole group lesson, students went back to their desk - I presented more word problems on the board and they completed the task you see above on their white boards. We shared and discussed again!

Then.................................... we started our Doubles Books!!

I let the kids take total ownership over these books. We all had to agree on a common topic so it was 'book like.' Then, we brainstormed situations that could happen with our topic.

They picked candy and came up with the situations that you saw above.

After we brainstormed, I modeled how to use the topic and a situation to create a x2 multiplication problem. Then, students brainstormed and wrote their own on their whiteboard - got it approved by me and then wrote it on their book page (aka blank white piece of paper)!

The kids did an awesome job and some students even created multi-step word problems! Happy teacher heart!!

I hope you are enjoying these little lesson posts - nothing crazy-but, I am taking it slow and figuring out how to teach this stuff! ;) I'll get more creative in later years but for now - it's working and we're having fun!

Tomorrow we are working on fact fluency with x2 facts and then we'll be moving onto x10 facts!

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x2 Multiplication Facts!

This week we are learning our x2 multiplication facts. Yesterday, we learned the basics about the x2 facts and practiced after we read the book, "Two of Everything!"

After we read the book, we recalled the types of items that were doubled and wrote multiplication facts together on our whiteboards.

You can see student work below.

They came up with such cute doubling pots!

To end our lesson and keep with the book, we of course had to answer word problems! Each word problem got progressively harder and it did throw them off a bit... but, it was a great problem solving activity.

That is what we did on Monday to begin to learn our x2 facts! Super easy & effective! I will be back with more later this week!

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More Multiplication!

I updated you a few days ago and showed you what we did on our first day of learning multiplication.

I'm here to update you with the rest before I fall behind and forget what we did! :)

All last week, we did a LOT of exploring with manipulatives! We talked a lot, read two books, worked with repeated addition, arrays, groups and learned vocabulary.

We didn't complete many worksheets... So, what I am about to show you may or not make sense. Just keep in mind that we spent all last week learning bit by bit and exploring!!

We read, Amanda Bean's Amazing Dream and then searched the room for arrays. We wrote a list of items in the classroom that had arrays and shared them with one another. During the reading, there were a ton of great discussion points that you can find here.

Since the day prior we learned about grouping and repeated addition, on day 2 we were introduced to the multiplication fact table. Students used their new learning to create arrays and area tables to practice their multiplication facts.

You can grab this mat plus more here for free.

Students got their facts from using multiplication dice. We call it, dice in dice! ha!

Another book we read is called, "Stacks of Trouble."

This book helped us review multiplication in equal groups!

After we read the book, had discussion, and learned vocabulary - we explored some more!

**Don't you just love my anchor charts?** I don't have time! lol

Students wrote their new vocabulary into their math notebooks and illustrated a picture to show what it meant.

Here is our exploration again:

My students are at varied levels. I basically set stuff out and told them to go where they needed to go. I helped scaffold learning as they explored!

On Friday, we went over arrays one last time and students had a quick assessment. As in... on sticky notes!! I created some arrays, projected them on the board and students wrote their multiplication problem on a sticky. It is the perfect way to see who gets it and who doesn't!

After our quick check students broke out into math workshop.

You can grab this activity here.

Here are more activities (not multiplication related) from our Friday Funday!

Every Friday, I have students do math stations no matter what - I walk around and help students on concepts that they need help with. We always review old concepts through our math tubs! We don't want to forget!

 These activities are from my December Math Stations, Elapsed Time Unit & Multi-step Word Problem Unit.

I'll be back tomorrow with information on Literature Circles in my classroom & a freebie!

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Multiplication is here!

Ever since my third graders walked into my classroom in August, they have been asking, "When are we going to start multiplication?" That is the ever nagging question of third graders... let me tell you. We had lots and lots to learn before we got to this ever so important skill and I didn't know how to start teaching it. I slowly got the courage to ask for HELP! Yes-I need lots and lots and lots of help this year - I'm learning and growing so much this year.

Through my search for help - I found this book:

I am basically doing whatever this book says to do because guess what... I have no idea what I'm doing & we don't have a math curriculum to follow - my full trust is in this book (while throwing in my last minute ideas of course)!

So, here is some of the things we've done so far!

We started off by exploring a multiplication word problem together. I read one and went over it together. 

Then, I gave them two multiplication word problems to do on their own. A few minutes later they came back to the rug and we discussed how we found the solution.

After this we began to explore equal groups!!

 I LOVE having kids explore and sometimes I may go overboard but I think it's important. They get to talk and really build understanding of the concept.

Students were given 5 fish tanks and cards with numbers 1-10.

They pulled two cards - The card with a fish tank on it told them the number of groups they needed. The second card gave them a number that they needed to divide equally.

Students used this to create a multiplication problem.

On their recording form I also asked them to show me their grouping with repeated addition and actually draw the group.

After we completed our recording forms - we shared our strategies with partners and a few more as a whole group!

You can grab the materials I used for this lesson here. (freebie)

Students took this work home and the next day we were introduced to arrays... that'll be a post for tomorrow! :)

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