Never heard of Numicon? You’re not alone! But ever since I introduced them to our school, my love for them has grown! Numicon are number plates that represent the numbers 1-10. They are a great manipulative for the Pre-K to Grade 2 population, in that they are large, easy to grasp and manipulate, colourful and … Continue reading Never heard of Numicon?!
Subitizing
Establishing Benchmarks of 5 and 10 through estimation
Much of primary math is about establishing benchmarks of 5 and 10, but have you ever stopped to wonder why those are good numbers to use? Here are a few reasons: Benchmarks of 5: We have 5 fingers (if we count the thumb!) on each hand, so a hand-y (ha!) benchmark to start with is … Continue reading Establishing Benchmarks of 5 and 10 through estimation
Odds and Evens
I went and asked a few Grade 5 students to tell me about odd and even numbers, and this is what they said: Student A: “3 is odd, 2 is even” Student B:“anything ending in a 0, 2,4,6,8 is even and anything ending in a 1, 3, 5, 7, 9” is odd. The students told … Continue reading Odds and Evens
Tenzi Frenzy!
We are away for the summer at a cottage, with no internet or TV, which I usually love. We’ve already read lots of books, frolicked in the waves, swam to the Big Rock, sailed to Seagull Island, canoed...dumped the canoe and had lots of good old fashioned fun; but my heart still felt the pitter-patter … Continue reading Tenzi Frenzy!