Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Math Facts and WHAM Math

The snow is beginning to melt now and everything is wet.  Maybe I should say soaked!!  At school the kids can not go out because of the mounds of puddles from the melted snow.  I think everyone knows how 5, 6, and 7 years old children behave when they are not allowed to go outside to play for recess.  Ahhhhh!!  They are so FULL of energy!!
Today my kindergarten colleague and I decided to do math in the gym.  The gym was available, the kids needed to run, and I needed to feel like I was accomplishing something.  We have been working on math facts pretty hard the past couple weeks.  I actually purchased Racin Thru Math Facts by Christie from First Grade Fever.

I absolutely LOVE this pack.  It is Common Core aligned, jammed packed with data charts for tracking student progress, and FUN!!  My kindergarten students enjoy math so much.

We had the students answer math facts, count to 100 by 1's and 10's, and even played "pass the ball" with a tennis ball as we counted until the last student was left.

Each day begin math as a whole group.  Next, we so some type of hands-on activity using manipulatives, blocks, coins, or counters.  Then, we move to our tables to work with pencil and paper.  This is our math seat-work.  Finally, students meet back on our rug for reviewThis is what I call WHAM Math: Whole Group, Hands-On, At Your Seat, and Meeting...

In WHAM math, I talk to my students about what a mathematician is.  We create a mathematician can/have/is chart together and display it as an anchor chart to refer to daily.
Students need to know what a mathematician is and who uses math.  Students even create and read an emergent reader text in the literacy block.  I love integrating subject areas.  Below is a preview of the math emergent reader.
We actually revisited this reader today before we went to the gym to run and learn.  After reading it, we went to the gym.  Each time a student said the correct math fact, they got to run to the end of the gym and back.  It was really neat and encouraging to hear when a student said, "Mrs. VanMeter, mathematicians can run fast too!"
If you are interested in WHAM Math.  Click here.

After school today, I came across this website for teaching math to kindergarten students.

I liked this sight because it is Common Core aligned and user friendly.

How do you engage your students in math?  Do you use online math games?  How do you integrate math into other subjects?  What do you use to teach math facts?

Endless Possibilities,
Stephanie VanMeter



  1. Great post! I start off with a short whole group lesson, then my students rotate by either working with me, working in a math station, or completing independent work. I have found this to be the best way to meet all of my diverse learners.

    The REAL Teachers of Orange County

  2. Right now I'm teaching Maths almost entirely in small groups and in centers. Our new curriculum spirals throughout the year (repeating every concept every term) which forces differentiation. I find it practically impossible to do whole-class teaching now since my students are all at different levels. It's great for the kids and actually I'm enjoying the challenge of making different units of work for all the different groups - open-ended projects for my extension students and lots of manipulative work for the ones who need a little extra help. Your gym Maths sounded great!! I got some energizer games from Cap'n Pete (TpT seller) to do short activity bursts when they all get fidgety. They sound a bit like your gym games :)

  3. I LOVE that little reader! What a great idea!! We talk all about being mathematicians for the first week, and I am totally gonna use something like that next year! :) I usually do a whole group lesson, group/partner practice, and then try to pull kiddos to finish the activity or reteach/preteach while the others do Math Tubs.