The Only Way to Learn Math? Do the Math!

There’s a quote I recently turned into a poster for our classroom:

“Math is not a spectator sport. The only way to learn math is to do math.”

And let me tell you, it’s so true in first grade.

You can have the cutest anchor charts, the brightest manipulatives, and the cleverest chants and songs...But until kids are actually solving problems by thinking, trying, struggling, doing, they're not really learning math.

Math is often messy! That's a good thing!

Click pic to download. 

🎯 What “Doing Math” Looks Like in First Grade

“Doing math” doesn’t mean sitting quietly and getting everything right. It looks like:

• Kids talking through a strategy with a partner

• Hands-on manipulatives: using counters, fingers, ten frames, etc., and then talking through strategies

• Getting an answer wrong, but being able to explain their thinking

• Drawing several different versions of the same story problem until it clicks

• Hearing “This is hard!” followed by “Ohhh wait, I got it!”

• Working with partners via "games" and learning how to be an ENGAGED partner

• reworking problems over and over again until success

• GRIT

These moments matter more than a perfect worksheet.

My Real-Life Math Moments

Highs:

• When a student who’s been unsure suddenly explains a strategy to a classmate and lights up like a firework

• When math journals are messy—but FULL of thinking

• When they make up their own word problems and giggle at their wild scenarios (I’ve had unicorns eating 7 cupcakes and flying away with 2...)

Lows (but still learning):

• When kids erase their work because it “looks wrong”

• When they give up too quickly and say “I don’t get it!” without even trying

• When a fast finisher calls out the answer and others stop thinking

That’s where I come back to:

“The only way to learn math is to do math.”

I remind my class: Mistakes are part of the process. We don’t watch math. We do math.

 Ideas to Get Kids Doing the Math

Here are some easy, go-to strategies I love:

• Math Journals with open-ended prompts: “Show me 3 ways to make 10.” I'm all about the open-ended questions!

• Partner problem-solving with mini-whiteboards

• Story-based word problems with drawings and labels

• Math talks where kids explain “how they know” even if their answer is wrong. 

• Hands-on games that require thinking, not just speed

• Infusing math into Morning Meeting (I use Which One Doesn't Belong as my activity once a week.)

• Providing kids with "Math Refresher Baggies" so they have other options besides "read a book" when they have a few extra minutes here and there.

None of these are fancy. But they work because kids are engaged.

🪄 Final Thoughts

First grade math shouldn’t feel like a race to get the “right” answer. It should feel like a puzzle to figure out.

If we want our students to truly understand numbers, patterns, and problem-solving… we have to let them wrestle with it, play with it, do it.

So here’s your reminder (and mine!):
Math is not a spectator sport. Let’s give them the time and space to get in the game.

Why 120 Chart Puzzles Belong in Your Math Centers

Looking for a low-prep, high-impact math center that builds number sense, encourages perseverance, and keeps kids engaged? Try120 Chart Puzzles  Such a small-but-mighty math activity that packs in tons of learning with minimal teacher effort.  Very minimal!

✂️ What Are 120 Chart Puzzles?

They’re exactly what they sound like! Take a 120 chart, cut it into pieces, and ask students to reassemble it like a puzzle. You can use a blank 120 chart as a base or let kids build directly on a table or tray.

Just print, laminate if you want, cut, and toss the puzzle pieces into a baggie—and you're DONE. It’s an instant, reusable center that students can work on solo, with a buddy, or in a small group. NOTE: I do not laminate. Instead, I print directly onto construction paper.  Sturdy enough. Just use different colors in case pieces wander about. This way, it will be easy to get the piece back into the right baggie.

🧠 What Skills Do 120 Chart Puzzles Build?

These puzzles do more than just keep early finishers busy. They actually strengthen key number concepts, including:

• Number Sequencing – Kids get constant exposure to counting patterns and one-more/one-less logic.

• Place Value Understanding – Students see how tens and ones interact as they place pieces.

• Number Pattern Recognition – Rows go up by 1s, columns by 10s. The more they build, the more these patterns stick.

• Problem-Solving & Perseverance – Rebuilding a 120 chart isn’t always easy, especially when the pieces are irregular. It encourages stick-to-itiveness!

• Spatial Reasoning – Students have to rotate and flip pieces to find their correct spot.

• Math Talk – These are great for partner work and guided math groups. You’ll hear rich conversations like “This number should be right above 54…” or “There’s a 72! That means this piece might go here.”

🧺 Simple to Prep, Easy to Differentiate

The beauty of this activity is that it’s low-maintenance for you and highly adaptable for your learners.

• ✅ Use full puzzles for beginners

• ✅ Cut charts into larger chunks (like rows or columns) for support or K students.

• ✅ Use more complex cuts for early finishers or second graders

• ✅ Offer blank 120 charts or clues to scaffold learners that they can place pieces directly onto.

NOTE: Download a free chart on TpT...so many of them!

🎯 Perfect for…

• Math Centers

• Early Finishers

• Morning Tubs

• Sub Plans

• Take-Home Practice

• Small Group Interventions

• Partner Challenges

✨ Final Thought

120 Chart Puzzles look simple but they’re loaded with learning. Best of all? Once you’ve prepped them, they’re ready to use all year long. Mine above have lasted a few years so far.

Minimal prep. Maximum impact. That’s a teacher win.

Shape Talks

Ever since I started to incorporate NUMBER TALKS into my daily classroom routines, I've been thrilled to see the kids deepen their number sense, awaken their mental math tool bag, share their reasoning and strategies, justify their answers, and learn new ideas/strategies from their peers. My students have become better mathematicians because of Number Talks.

So I got to thinking...what about taking these same objectives and applying them to SHAPES? Well I did and Shape Talks was born!

The nudge for "shape talks" came last year when our new math program (Investigations) featured Quick Images, with shapes. See below. There is a clock you click on. Once you do, an image shows up for 5 seconds then disappears. Kids draw them. You can show it again for those that need it. 

They would feature three-four slides in one or two lessons in each unit. Honestly, the program only skimmed the surface and didn't ask the kids to do any deep thinking. What a wasted opportunity! So I quickly decided to dig deeper into the exploration of shapes and their properties like I did regularly with Number Talks.

Since the book had so few opportunities for the kids to engage in this, I made my own slides and came up with my own twist. After using them I can honestly say my kids can compose and decompose shapes and their understanding of shapes and the relationships between them and their properties was solidified. Way better than previous years. The best part for me? The inclusion of Shape Talks was a natural one since we use pretty much the same format as we do when engaged in Number Talks. 

What are the Benefits of Shape Talks?

• The discussions are short and easy to incorporate into an already packed schedule. Can be anywhere from 5-15 minutes but most days they fall into a 5-8 minute time frame. 
• They encourage students to think about the various attributes of shapes in relation to other shapes. Composing and decomposing shapes needs lots of opportunities for them to "see" the possibilities.
• Offer opportunities for students to strengthen their understanding of shapes through mental math.
• Kids can share their thinking aloud and can not only verbalize their answers but defend and justify them if questioned.
• They see, firsthand, how others are making connections and can test-drive their peers ideas.
• Without even knowing it, they are suddenly working on the seeds of area, perimeter and volume and it's also a stepping stone to part-whole relationships and even fractions.

How Do I Use These Shape Talk Slides?

Subitize: 

Pages 6-126 feature each shape (circle, square, rectangle, triangle, rhombus, trapezoid, semi-circle, oval, pentagon, hexagon and octagon) in isolation first. I introduce one shape at a time. This is an example of the intro slide for a square.

I simply ask: "What do you notice about this square?"

The answers always surprise me! Here are some I got:

• "Square begins with an "s" like Sandy."
• "Since there is a q there has to be a u next to it."
• "It has 4 sides."
• "It has 4 corners and four sides."
• "The sides are all the same size."
• "It's not a cube. A cube is 3D. This is a 2D shape."
• "The lines are straight."
• "There aren't any curved lines."
• "It kind of looks like a rectangle but there aren't any short sides." 
• "There are four vertices."
• "If you put another square on top of that one, it will become a rectangle."

Can you imagine all the great discussions their observations generated? They steer the boat but I get to elabortae and use their words as small teaching points. A lot of my decisions are based what I think the audience in front of me at the moment needs.  FOr example: When the one student saud, "If you put another square ontop ofthat one, it will become a rectangle." I immediately did just that so my visual learners could understand it. "There are 4 vertices." was quickly met with me marking off each one quickly. It's a great way to reinforce AND introcuce new concepts.

Then I project 3-5 slides to practice subitizing and engage them in Number/Shape Talks. 

I simply project for 5 seconds while asking, "How many squares are there?"

After the shape disappears, I record the answers given on the board: 10, 11, 13, etc. Then I put the slide up again for a few seconds longer and ask, "Does anyone want to change their answer?"  Some do.

Then the all important question: "How did you count the squares?

For the slide above, I had the following answers:

• "It's 10 because this is like a 5 and a 5 on dice. And there are two of them so 5 + 5 is ten."
• "I counted by 2s: (Then they proceeded to show me the top 2 in each cluster then the bottoms clusters of 2 and then, finally, the middle two. (It sounded like this as they pointed: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10.)"
• "I counted by 4s and then added on two in the middle: 4, 8, 9, 10."
• "I counted the diagonals first: 3, 6, and then added on 7, 8, 9, 10."

Since not all kids are sharing out, I then give them 30 seconds to share with a partner before we move on. There are 11 Subitizing slides for each shape.

Here is another example for the square. I do all 11 slides of the new shape over the course of a week. Then it's time to move on to a different shape.

Draw and Label Shape Talks

(Pages 127-213) I've also included slides that have two shapes that kids can draw and label before we talk about what we know. (NOTE: I wouldn't present this slide UNLESS I've already covered circles and pentagons.) You can do this is tandem with the subitizing slides OR complete all of the subitizing slides and move on to these.  That is what I do.

After presenting this, I simply say, "Draw and label the shapes that you see."  Here are two results.

This student did a nice job drawing and this labeling was perfect for her. I like the way she ticked off the sides to count. I noticed how her had to concentrate on drawing the pentagon and it took her a few minutes.

This child, as you can see, is more advanced. She finished in half the time as the above student. One quick glance and I know she can draw the shapes and labels with pretty accurate spelling. Love the carot used and the numbers to count the sides. The "V" is for...you guessed it! VERTICES! 

Two drawing that tell me a lot about the student before they even open their mouths to engage in Shape Talks!

I ask: "Is there anything you want to tell me about these shapes?" and I get such varied answers during the Shape Talk. I do remember one of the students saying the pentagon was the same shape as home base in their baseball game and another said, "My uncle works at the Pentagon in Washington and I bet the building is shaped just like that."  WHOA! Real-life! 

Advanced Draw and Label Shape Talks

(Slides 214-338)  I've also included Draw and Label slides with more then two shapes. Some are quite challenging and I use them in small group instruction. Here are a few examples:

Although harder, I often try subitizing with these: can they draw them after seeing them for only 5 seconds? It gets easier in time! Other times, I leave the shapes on the screen for them to draw, label, and then we discuss what they notice.  Again- it comes from the students!

Create a Shape Picture

(Slides 239-350) Kids love to get their creative juices flowing and Create a Shape Picture is the perfect opportunity for them to show how shapes work together to form new shapes and pictures. Kids love these! I use these as Do-Nows in the morning, for a Morning Meeting Activity or print out and have them complete for homework.

Here are two results:

The above pictures were done as a Math Do-Now. If I had offered this as a Morning Do-Now, I would have had them color it in and most students would have added more details.  I love both these pictures and can see how hard they worked. 

NOTE: I do allow them to use lines in addition to their shapes.

I admit to being totally in love with Number Talks and Shape Talks! The benefits are immediate and it's the one area in math that ALL of my students feel immediate success. 

Have you done Number Talks? DO you love them as much as I do? How about Shape Talks? Let me know! 

Fire Prevention Week Activities (October 9-15th)

Are you looking for some ways to reinforce Fire Prevention Safety in a meaningful way that doesn't suck up hours of your planning time or instructional time?  I have some simple ideas for you!

When I was teaching Second Grade, I was going to give a quick mention of Fire Safety Week and move on. But a Firefighter friend of mine told me to ask my 7 year olds the above question.  Not one student answered with the correct answer: ONE. Oh boy...there was work to be done!

If you subscribe to Scholastic News, I suggest starting there. 

If you do subscribe, I hope you're taking advantage of the fabulous online content. Top notch. You also get access to all of the older editions throughout at least the last five years. That means the videos, games, etc. Here are the back issues I saw yesterday.

The Fire Tech tools is one I'll be revisiting this year. If your school has funding available and you're not yet a subscriber, I promise you it's well worth the price. You get 4 "magazines" a month. Each child will get to bring home their own copy. Then of course, the online access which I use all the time.

We often have Fire Fighters come to visit the students.  Most of the time, they bring the truck but while fun and a cute photo op, I think it's best left to the Kindergarten classes. I think it's way more important to have them speak to the kids and introduce/review the importance of Stop, Drop and Roll as well as calling 911 when needed.  Our department brings SQUIRT who answers questions and interacts with the kids. 

After the visit, I have two poems that I like to use to reinforce the lesson shared.

I'm big into Poetry Binders so we add these to them and sing often! Read about a fun way I incorporate poems into my classroom via a Poet Tree! 

Of course I have books available to share with the kids and let them look through. I don't read all of them but do make sure they are easily accessible to the kids.

I usually have the kids make a headband / crown when the Fire Fighters visit. The kids make it as their Do-Now one morning so it's a quick activity.  It's also a good visual reminder to parents to continue the convo at home when they see the kids coming off the bus wearing them.

Another Do-Now (Which is done in the morning after arrival but before I take attendance and school officially starts) is to play a simple, Roll and Cover game.  I just added graphics to support the week but really a basic game. I have them play with a partner. Usually when someone wins one of our games, they pop up and yell, "Winner, winner chicken dinner." In the case, they pop up and yell out, "Stop, Drop and Roll."

Another tried and true activity...Origami Dalmatian Dogs that take under five minutes.

 I like to hang them around a "Fire Fighters Are, Can, and Have" poster we make together. In the past, I had them list a prevention tip or piece of advice on the back to share with the class and their families.

But this year, I'm going to add to our class library and have everyone contribute one page to a class book.  There is a pre-made cover that you can print or have a student color in the page.  (Note: I make these all year long, place in library and at the end of the year, each students gets to take home two of the class books. A great memory!)

Each booklet (Five booklets for each month) comes with lines paper or simply a drawing space for those not yet writing.  Honestly, I let them pick the one that is best for them. Most kids used the lines paper but I usually have 3-5 opt for drawing only.

I added these class books to my store recently. There are 5 books per month. Check out my October Books if interested.

If you know me, you know that I LOVE Which One Doesn't Belong OPEN-ENDED activities. There are always MULTIPLE ANSWERS. I use them for a five minute filler activity, a Morning Meeting Activity, during math (when I'm using my math focused one) and as Do-Nows, too.  One included in my October packet has a Fire Fighter theme. To see these in action, take a peek at my video of the students sharing answers or a blog post showing answers. Hands down, my kids favorite activity.

Here are some FREE Which One Doesn't Belong? slides for you to share with your class. I'm sure you will be amazed at their thinking. 

I hope you were able to get some ideas for Fire Safety Prevention Week here. Are there any you're planning on trying? Let me know. 

Distance Learning: Sending Home My Products

I've been recovering from surgery this last month but wanted to jump on and let you know that I just got an email from a 1/2 teacher asking if she could share this with families via email since they are remote.

She especially wanted the clipcards and craft to send home today.

I told her she can send home all 89 pages if she wants!

ANYTHING you've purchased from my store can be shared via email with your families during remote learning.

ANYTHING!  

These are such difficult times and if I can make your life easier, I'm thrilled to do it.

Hope your year is off to a smooth start.

Which One Doesn't Belong (Kindergarten Edition)

Been promising this for what seems like forever but with a recent nudge from a buyer of my First Grade product, I finally finished my NO PRINT Kindergarten version of Which One Doesn't Belong Open-Ended Questions.  A great way to add rigor and relevance to your classroom.

On sale for next week!

This set is a bit different from the First Grade Set as I don't offer any paper versions here.  I didn't feel it would enhance the product for Kindergarten.  However, I increased the slides from 40ish to 80.  Yep, EIGHTY!  And I added an ELA component.  You can do two slides a week for the school year!

I use these in my classroom all the time for Do-Nows, Math Talks, large and small group discussions and when the kids ask for them...which is quite often!

I think they love them so much because there are so many possible answers for each one.  Things that I didn't think of myself.  It's always a proud moment when they make a connection that was lost to me.

To see how I used the First Grade packet in my classroom (VIDEO!) and to get some free ones, click on this link.  

Enjoy!