Monday, October 29, 2012

Math Facts Jenga

Here in Long Beach, there's a huge emphasis on math facts. The students take timed tests as early as first grade, and by second grade, students are expected to complete 70 addition problems in under 5 minutes. I'm sure this isn't a whole lot different than in other districts since knowing your math facts is such an important foundational skill.

Math facts can be fun, and we try to share our love for them with our students. Last year, I finally got around to making this. Each block has one addition, one subtraction, one multiplication, and one division fact on it. It's a fun way for students to review whatever facts they are working on, and there are so many different ways that you can play. I usually play one-on-one with my students, so I try to give them incentives. If they miss less that 5 facts, or if they catch 5 or more of my "silly mistakes" they get a sticker or stamp. Sometimes I also make the loser (the one that knocks the tower over first) answer all of the math facts on the blocks that fell over. 


Another fun thing to do is have the students match facts that have the same answers. For example, they might match 9+3 with 6x2, or 8-6 with 18/9.

How do you review math facts with your students?

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