Flip Sticks

This is an activity I use for nonsense word fluency.  First, you will want to make popsicle sticks to go with this activity.  For the sticks, you can use popsicle sticks or tongue depressors.  You will write one vowel at each end of the stick.  Students will hold one end of the stick in the slot of the missing vowel on the card.  Then, they will flip the stick and read the new word.  I made a set of flip sticks for each vowel pairing, so I have a/e, a/i, a/o, a/u, e/i, e/o, e/u, i/o, i/u, and o/u flip sticks.  I make six of each stick so that each student will be working on the same two vowels in a given lesson.  I have a set of cards for CVC words as well as CVCe words.  On the CVC Flip Sticks cards, you will see consonants that students often confuse with each other and need extra practice with.  There are many cards with b/d combinations.  There are also g/j combinations and c/s combinations.  You could also create additional cards to go with your flip sticks.  On the CVCe Flip Sticks cards, you will see words that are regular CVC words but change with the addition of a silent e on the end.  When creating the flip sticks for these cards, I write an e at one end and a black dot on the other end of the stick.  When students place the black dot in the blank, they simply read the CVC word.  So, the card "cut_" would be read as cut and cute.

Dominoes

There are many activities you can do with dominoes.  I have a couple sets of dominoes in my classroom, but I find that I mostly use my Paper Domino Set.  I have printed several sets on different colors of paper.  That makes it easy to keep the sets separate.  Students can use a set of dominoes to play Top It.  In this game, each student draws a domino from the pile and counts up the dots.  You can designate that the student with the highest number takes both cards or the lowest number could win instead.  You could ask students to locate multiple dominoes that represent the same number.  For example, the number six could be represented by a 6/0 combination, or 5/1, 4/2 or 3/3.  You could also call out a number and ask them to locate the domino that would come before or after the number you have stated.  Dominoes can also be placed on the Before and After Mat.  Ask the student to write a number in the center column.  Then, they will locate the appropriate dominoes to place in the before and after columns.  These dominoes can also be used for quantitative discrimination.  Place two dominoes before the student and ask them to select the larger of the two.  These dominoes can also be used as an aide in addition.  Show a domino and ask the student to add the quantities that appear on each side.

Place Value

One important element of understanding number sense is to understand place value.  Here is a variety of place value mats that I use in my classroom.  Like many of my other materials, I like to place these mats in clear sheet protectors.  This helps the mats to hold up, it allows them to be easily stored in a binder, and students can write on them like dry erase boards.  I use the Two Digit Place Value Mat with my K-2 students.  This mat can be used in several ways.  You could cut the sheets in half so that each student has a half sheet for working with one two-digit number at a time, or you could leave the sheet intact so that each student has two sets of boxes for comparing one number to another.  You could ask students to write one digit in each box with a dry erase marker, or they could place counters in the boxes to represent numbers, or they could place base ten blocks in the boxes.  If comparing numbers, I ask them to star or circle the larger number.  Other examples include asking a student to write a number that has four tens and eight ones, to tell you how many tens or ones are in the number 36, or you could show or tell them a number and ask them to write the number that comes before or after it.  If you are using base ten blocks, you may also want to try the Base Ten Place Value Mat.  This three-digit place value mat includes pictures of the base ten blocks above each column.  With these mats, you can ask students to "build" a specific number such as 368.  You could also ask them to build a number that has 2 hundreds (or flats), 3 tens (or rods), and 7 ones (or units).  You could also designate one of those place values, allow them to select the numbers they will place in the other two places, and ask them to read their final number to you.  This mat can be used to talk about trading ten units for a rod or ten rods for a flat.  After using the physical manipulatives, I also have them use dry erase markers to draw squares to represent hundreds, lines to represent tens, and dots to represent ones.  I use the Large and Small Number Place Value Mats with my 3-5 students.  The large numbers side is used for numbers that go as high as one million.  The small numbers mat is used for decimal places to the hundredth.  One way I use these mats is for comparing numbers.  I ask students to write two numbers that use the same digits but have some of the digits rearranged in the second number.  Then I ask them to determine which number is larger by comparing the numbers in each column.  Sometimes, I write a number on the mat and ask students to read it properly.  Sometimes, I say a number and ask them to write it without seeing it first.  I use numbers that contain zeros, such as 1,209,045 to see if they will know where to place the zeros when they hear the number orally.  We discuss the fact that we say the words "million" and "thousand" when we come to the commas.  In working with decimals on the other side, I often find that a student will think a number like 0.09 is larger than a number like 0.1.  I find this mat especially useful for that lesson, and I make note of the fact that then names of the decimal place values are counter-intuitive because the tenth is the larger number and the thousandth is the smaller.  I often ask them, "If you had to share a pizza with ten people or 100 people, which would you rather do?"  I also use these mats for rounding activities.  I ask them to write one number on the top row.  I name a place value to round to, and they write that rounded number on the bottom row.  I may then ask them to round that same number to a different place value.  One turn and talk activity that you can try is having each student create their own top number and trade mats.  They then have to round someone else's mat, and you can have them check each other's work.

Counting

To keep counting from being monotonous, I like to have my kindergarten students perform motions while counting.  I have had them clap, snap, hop, stomp, golf clap, clap the tabletop, tap the top of their heads, and a variety of other motions.  We have also used the mini slinkies.  Students hold the slinky together in front of them, and they stretch as they say 1.  Then, they move the slinky back together.  The same is done as they continue counting.  At the beginning of the year, I start with 1-10.  Then, I expand as they learn their numbers.  For counting by 2s, they can hold up two fingers and tap them on their other wrist as they count.  For counting by 5s, they can show an open hand as they say "5."  They will close their fingers and open them again when they say "10," and so on.  For counting by 10s, they can open both hands (showing 10 fingers) and hit their knees or table top while counting by 10s.  Of course, you can use a variety of manipulatives as well.  They can count with counters on the table top or on a cookie sheet.  I also have metal rimmed counters that I use for counting.  I hand a generous handful of these counters to each child.  I call out a number and they will count out that number of counters.  I use a magnetic wand to pick up counters that have been counted correctly.  They enjoy seeing them swept off of the table.  You can also go back to the Set Matching Game as well.

Pig Game

Pig is a great game for reading intervention word work.  I have created several versions that I will share with you.  After creating my original version, I have just gone back and changed the words to make the next version.  With each set, I have also printed some type of pattern on the back as well.  This makes the cards look like playing cards and it also prevents the students from being able to see through the cards to see what they say ahead of time.  I will also include a couple examples of patterns I print on the backs of cards.  I have meant to create some math pig games as well, but I haven't done so yet.  If you are unfamiliar with pig, here is how it is played:  Each set of cards has word cards and pig cards.  You pass out cards to each student, and they must read them correctly to keep them.  If they don't read them correctly, they will lose the cards.  If they draw a pig card, they will lose their cards.  The student with the most cards at the end will win.  Some teachers allow the students to say if they want 1, 2 or 3 cards.  Requesting one card decreases the chances of drawing a pig, but requesting three cards increases your pile faster.  I find that students take to long deliberating on how many cards they want, so I don't allow them to choose.  I vary by rounds instead.  So, on the first round, everyone gets one card.  They get two on the second, three on the third, one on the fourth, two on the fifth, and so on.  NWF Pig, CVC Pig, CVCe Pig, Initial Blend Pig, Initial Digraph Pig, Cluster Blend Pig, Ending Blend Pig, Ending Digraph Pig, Diphthong Pig, Purple Heart Card Backing, Pink Checker Board Card Backing, Black Swirl Card Backing, Red Swirl Card Backing

Rotating Cups

This idea can be used for both reading and math activities.  All that you will need are styrofoam cups and a sharpie marker.  On the half-inch lip of the cup, you will write numbers or letters.  You will want to write them in such a way that the student will hold the bottom of the cup in his left hand with it tipped toward his right.  If the student is holding the cup in front of his face, he should be able to rotate the cup toward himself or away from himself and see all of the letters or numbers oriented in the same direction.  If the cup was placed on the tabletop, the letters would look sideways on the lip of the cup.  In order to leave enough space between letters, I would typically write 6-8 letters per cup, but I write more when I do letters and less on vowel cups.  A second cup is placed inside with another set of numbers or letters.  The student can use his left hand to rotate the outer cup, and the right hand will rotate the second cup.  The math application is double-digit number identification.  The left hand cup will have digits 1-9 written on the lip of the cup.  The right hand cup will have digits 0-9.  You can then ask students to form specific two digit numbers with the cups.  The reading application is with nonsense word fluency or CVC words.  Each student would hold three stacked cups instead of two.  The center cup would have each vowel written on the lip - spaced about a half inch from each other.  The first and third cup in the stack would have consonants written on them.  Use letters that are commonly used in CVC words.  Avoid q and x.  Students can form and read their own words, or you could call out words for them to form.  One additional variation would be to write initial or ending blends on the lip of a cup.

My Sound Box

I realized I had been posting only math ideas so far, so I wanted to put some reading activities out there as well.  This activity supports initial sound fluency (or first sound fluency, if you are using DIBELS Next).  My sound box is an old Kleenex box.  I like Kleenex boxes because they are sturdy and often have a nice design on the outside.  You can also use a small gift bag and call it My Sound Bag.  The bag contains 26 items that represent the 26 initial phonemes.  I select items that easily fit in the box and hold up well over time.  Students take turns drawing items out of the box and naming the item and the sound that it begins with.  You can keep all 26 items in the box, you can remove some items if you only want to focus on 5-6 phonemes, or you can place several items with the same initial phoneme to demonstrate the same sound multiple times and ways.  Here are some idea for each letter:  A - ace playing card, acorn; B - button, deflated balloon, barrette, dry beans, building block, bracelet, bell, rubber ball; C - candy, crayon, comb, calculator, candy cane, cork, cardboard, matchbox car, candle, crystal, cotton ball; D - tiny doll, dice, dime, domino, dollar; E - eraser, plastic egg, envelope, earring; F - foil, folding paper fan, floss, mini flag, silk flower, baby fork, feather; G - glass, glow stick, golf ball, glue stick, something green; H - Barbie hat, heart, hay, small screw-in hook, lock of hair, handkerchief, small horn; I - plastic insect, silk ivy, invitation; J - jellybean, jack or joker playing card, jacks; K - kazoo, key, key chain, king playing card; L - lace, label, lock, lid, silk leaf, Lego, Christmas tree light bulb; M - marble, matches, small mirror, macaroni, magnet, magnifying glass, mail, map, marker; N - nail, nail file, napkin, necklace, nickel; O - something orange, origami crane, ornament, octagon; P - penny, pacifier, pretzel, pen, pearls, popsicle stick, pencil, puzzle piece, paintbrush, paper clip; Q - quarter, quilt square, queen playing card, Q-tip; R - rabbit's foot, ruler, ribbon, rock, ring, something red, rice, rubber band; S - starfish, shell, safety pin, shamrock, screw, sandpaper, stamp, paper snowflake, Barbie shoe, sample spoon, stick, stickers, straw, staples; T - toothpick, tweezers, old movie or concert ticket, matchbox truck, thread, thimble, twist tie, toothbrush; U - fancy drink umbrella; V - velvet, Valentine's card, silk vine; W - whistle, small wheel, wheat, wood, watch, something white; X - x-ray (I made my own mini x-ray with the clear plastic from a window envelope and a black sharpie marker); Y - yarn, something yellow, yo-yo; Z - zipper, Ziplock bag