COUNTING CHANGE --- Money Mat and Overlay

Does your child or a student in your class struggle to participate meaningfully when you start talking about counting change and skip counting? Here is a great solution for any student (all students) who need a quick and easy way to follow along, actively participate, and LEARN to count mixed change!!

This was created to help my daughter who is in second grade. She hasn't mastered skip counting yet (she's still working on that, but in order to grasp counting change, she needs an adaptive tool to help her along). This will cut down on the amount she has to count out loud (counting to 25 for each quarter can really slow you down, when the rest of the class knows to skip straight to 25, then to 50, etc. These interchangeable puzzle pieces lay over the money mat (See below) created by Sparkling in Second.

First, head on over to Sparkling in Second to check out her awesome blog and download her free Money Mat! (You will need that for this activity!!-- so Seriously, Head on over there! Don't worry, it'll open a new tab so you wont need to find your way back here after you download it!)

Money Mat Overlay by swes333 on Scribd

Telling Time

Telling Time: First Grade

Flash card set includes analog and digital clocks. On the hour, half hour and quarter hours. I created these for Raven. Please feel free to use them in the home and in the classroom.  Print, cut, paste to standard 3x5" index cards. Can be front (analog)/ back (digital) used as flash cards or analog vs digital pasted to separate index cards for a game of matching. Download, share, print as many as you'd like for personal and commercial use.

Download Flash Cards - 12 hour clock
Download Flash Cards - 24 hour clock*

*24 hour set will require printing 2 sets of clocks OR download the 12 hour set, print just the clocks to use for 01.00-12.00 and the 24 hour set for 13.00-00.00

NUMBER MATCHING FILE FOLDER GAME (FREE)

Ice Cream Cone Number Matching Game

     I recently discovered filefolderfun.com and I must say I am very impressed! The site offers free file folder games (which could be used in or out of the classroom). Raven has been working on counting for quite some time now, so it's no surprise that I downloaded every number game they had. I think I overwhelmed Raven in counting dots. She has the ladybug Garden Counting Game that her BSC downloaded from ABCteach.com (however after searching their website for an hour, I couldn't find it). She also has Cupcake Count (from Filefolder.com). I also downloaded an Ice Cream Count and Match game (from www.themeasuredmom.com) *This one I adapted though because we already had 2 (listed above) games exactly like it. Instead of printing the small white piece of paper with the number printed on it-- i collected buttons that I actually have laying around (I make bows for Raven- so I have LOTS of Buttons!!) and found enough buttons to match the colors of the ice cream scoops, put a wee piece of velcro on the ice cream scoop's dots and the back of the button and Voila a hands on counting and color matching game!

(See my pics of all games listed above--- HERE) 

We are still having resistance with counting- She can, but it is still a non-prefered activity. This is why I decided to try a straight NUMBER MATCHING GAME. Instead of matching a written number with an amount of dots Raven will have a game of matching a written # with another written #. (We really like taking a holistic approach to her education, the more ways we can get her to focus on subject the better!)

ICE CREAM SCOOPS

*These were made for a borderless printer- however the margins are set at 1/2".

Ice Cream Scoops Number Match

ICE CREAM CONES

*you can print these and cut them out before gluing onto a file folder (make sure to cover in contact paper) or laminate the entire page and place in a binder with other similar games! Raven has file and binder games and likes both equally

Ice Cream Cones Matching

Simply print all 3 sheets. Laminate the Ice Cream Scoops and either laminate or glue the Ice Cream Cones into a file folder. Place a piece of velcro about a 1/2" above the top, center of the cone and a piece of velcro on the back of the ice cream scoop. Then ENJOY!!

Work hard- Play hard (remember, kids do them at the same time)

I have been working so hard lately (and loving it) to create a workbook and portfolio of games for Raven. She is 5 and transitioning into kindergarden this fall. She attends head start, but we know from last year she does her best learning at home over the summer. Ideally I would like to create these so she can take them to school, or at the very least give me experience so I can collaborate with her teacher to make adapted activities that are pleasing and Helpful for Raven.

I started off laminating everything until Raven's TSS suggested using sheet protectors (you can purchase 10 for $1 at your local Dollar Tree!) Though they are not as thick (or strong) as the laminated sheets, they are much cheaper. Raven uses dry erase markers on each of these

Many of these were torn right out of preschool/kindergarden workbooks I purchased at the Dollar Tree. Others were downloaded from google search such as the connect the dots pages (I googles connect the dot 1-10) and the number worksheets were found on Pinterest *please stand-by, I am working to get my follow button to stop malfunctioning).

*Warning- these were all made to be printed from a borderless printer- adjust accordingly!

  *Add your child's name on the blank line- I used KG Primary Dots (Here). You could also use a pen/marker using dots or dashes for them to follow along.

Raven's second binder consists of prepositions/ descriptives for example "circle something sharp, green, in front of, or tall) *Raven's BSC made these so I haven't a clue where she got them from, sorry.

Raven also has an assortment of file folder games all found at Filefolderfun.com 

• Apple Size Sequencing
• Cupcake Counting
• Noun & Verb Sequencing
• Lady Bug Counting
• Ice Cream Cone Button Counting--- I velcro'd color coordinating buttons on what appeared to be white circle sprinkles rather than having Raven velcro a small number onto the cones).
• Pumpkin Alphabet Matching
• Seal Color Matching

And FlashCards-- My daughter absolutely LOVES her flashcards! (I did not include pics because she has over 500 stuffed in a box that she shuffles through everyday *often spilling off the couch and onto the floor beneath it- Thanks my love). She is working on or has mastered, yet still reviews out of joy: rhyming, colors, shapes, nouns, number identification, counting, upper and lower case alphabet, emotions, what questions, inside outside (which we walked around taking pictures inside and outside our house!), fruits and veggies, sight words, and familiar names.