I am excited to be linking up with K's Classroom Kreations and Theresa's Teaching Tidbits for back to school math tips! Be sure to check out the link the first Monday of the month for new math tips. this month will be focusing on Back to School Ideas.
August is such a hectic month with getting your classroom ready, Getting curriculum maps planned out, and preparing yourself for a new set of students. Here is a resource to help prepare your room for the first day of school.
ANCHOR CHARTS. Using anchor charts has helped my students year after year. Whether my class and I create them together (more on this later,) or if they are already made and introduced, they are beneficial to all students. Anchor charts give students quick reminders and guidance to what they are learning. Through scaffolding, you can remove the anchor charts and replace them with new content or a summarizing chart.
Be sure there are some essential tools ready for students to use. Not everything has be put up during the first week. This can become overwhelming for students on the first day. Add more content as you address it, (more on that later.) In the mean time, think "What do my students need right away?" Well, they need an alphabet, they need classroom rules, and they need something to do with the idea of number.
These FREE Number Anchor Charts are perfect to use in your classroom all year long. They show different representations of the numbers one through ten. The bright colors and simple design will allow students to focus on the content, plus it will add a little color to your classroom. Who doesn't love that?!
Grab the freebie by clicking here on the pictures.
It is important your classroom is reflective of what you are currently teaching. Creating anchor charts with your students builds community in the classroom because students feel in control of what they are learning. I often introduce a new unit or idea by creating an anchor chart with students. It is an interactive and fun way to talk about a new idea. Below are some examples of discussing part-part-whole using the visualization of a number bond. These anchor chart was made whole group earlier on in the lesson and was referred to through out the unit.
Anchor charts can also be used to summarize an idea or unit. These are great "All in One" charts that can be kept up for a longer duration for students to refer to. Below are some examples of anchor charts that summarize multiple ideas within the same topic.
After introducing several subtraction strategies, we summarized them and put them into an "All in One" anchor chart.
During a measurement unit we created an "All in One" chart about measurement. Students were able to refer to the visuals and content through out the unit and the year.
As you can tell, I LOVE making anchor charts with my kiddos! They have many different uses such as introducing a topic or summarizing a larger idea. Below are some more math anchor charts my classes and I have created through the years.
Remember to pick up your FREEBIE Numbers 1 - 10 Anchor Charts to jump start your classroom! If you have other ideas for math anchor charts, I would love to hear from you in the comments or email!
Happy Mathing!!