Promoting Success: 2017

Tuesday, August 29, 2017

Multiplication Tables Game for 3rd Grade

Practice Hula Hoop Times Tables!

If you’re finding it painful to get students to practice math lessons learned throughout the school year and their skills are slipping, try this mental and physical multitasking game to get them back into the swing of things.

This physical coordination reinforcement activity uses a hula hoop to get the mental juices flowing. Plus, brain research shows that movement increases achievement!

This game is especially fun with two or more players taking turns and keeping score, but it works just as well with one. It works well in math centers or stations. You could even take the students outside! Also, this game could be used for addition, subtraction, multiplication and division facts.

What You Need:

Hula hoop
Pad of paper
Pencil
Bowl or hat
Timer

What You Do:

1. Make a list of the multiplication tables your students have learned during the school year. Students will be reflecting on and reinforcing these lessons as they looks back on what they have learned. Space these out on the page so that you will be able to cut each item into a separate strip of paper. Once the list seems substantial, cut up the paper, fold it in half, and place it in the bowl or hat.

2. Now let the hula thinking begin!

Start by having one person pick a piece of paper from the bowl, read the category out loud and get ready with the hula hoop.

The other player will be the note taker, and should write down the times table category and name of the Hula Hooper for score-keeping purposes. Put the paper back in the cup once read, so it can be picked it in the future.

3. The hula hoop player starts hooping, while reciting the times table category that she has chosen. For example, if she has chosen the 6 times table, she should recite "6, 12, 18, 24 ..." as she keeps the hula hoop up.

Using a stopwatch or other kind of timer, the note taker keeps track of how long the hula hooper keeps the hoop going while still managing to recite the answers.

The turn ends when the hula hoop falls to the ground and stops or the hooper can't come up with any more products.

4. Now the next player gets a turn, following steps 2 and 3, until everyone gets a chance to play and all of the multiplication tables are practiced by each player.

If a player chooses a number they've already done, they should place the paper back in the cup and choose again.

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You may also like the following printable math activities from our store:

Free Multiplication and Division Word Problem Task Cards

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Multiplication Task Cards

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Missing Factors and Multiples Task Cards

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Shelly Anton is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. ** This means there are Amazon affiliate links in these blog posts. This does not mean you pay a dime more when you purchase a product through the link. It just means I am trying to save you valuable teacher time by making it easier for you to find valuable resources for your students, and I earn a few cents for my research and time. Thank you for all you do for kids!

Thursday, February 9, 2017

Free Valentine's Day Crafts for Kids at School

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Are you looking for some Valentine's craft ideas for kids? Here are some popular ones. Ideas for math and literacy are included under each craft video.

Valentine's Day Party Poppers: These would be really fun to have the kids make and then exchange to pop during the party! (Hint: You may want to limit the really small pieces. LOL)

Option 1:

Fill with miniature math problems (cut apart a worksheet). After students pop the poppers, they clean up and complete the math problems.

Option 2:

Fill with Valentine's Day vocabulary words. Cut apart a spelling list. Students pop the poppers, then gather up words and write a story using the words.

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For some reason, I find Crafty Carol so entertaining. Of course, you could start the activity by showing the kids the video. Then, you could have a group project for students to create their own craft videos.

You could have the students attach little writing prompts or math problems to each arrow. Shoot them around the math or literacy center (or the entire room if you are adventurous). Students must complete each message they pick up.

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You may also like these printable Valentine's Day crafts from our TpT store:

Valentine's Day Foldable Craft Card

In this craft, your students will be drawing or writing a card for a special loved one for Valentine's Day. The are six variations of the ONE template, including open-ended options to meet the individual needs of all your students. This activity works well year after year for multiple grade levels.

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Valentine's Day Accordion Book Craft Activity

Valentine's Day printable book craft for kids to make

This printable Valentine's Day craftivity works well in your writing or literacy centers as a stand along project or for an interactive notebook. It features a love and kindness theme for this February holiday and any time of the year. Extra blank pages are included for easy differentiation. The books may vary in length based on student grade level and ability. It also works well for ESL, counseling and special education.

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You may also like these items from our Amazon Associate store:

144 Mini Smile Face Heart Erasers (Perfect for the Poppers)

Peanuts Valentine's Day Bulletin Board Set

Who doesn't love Snoopy?

Snoopy Valentine's Day classroom bulletin board set

Bundle of 3 Valentine's Day Plush Hanging Monkeys

These would be fun to hang around the room in different places each day. Students could write about the monkeys' nightly adventures when no one is in the school.

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Click HERE to SUBSCRIBE to our V.I.P. Promoting Success teacher newsletter for SECRET SALES and FREE printables.

Click HERE to SUBSCRIBE to our Printable Art newsletter for SECRET SALES and EXCLUSIVE COUPONS.

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Click HERE to follow us on Facebook.

Wednesday, January 18, 2017

How to Teach Students Empathy & Caring for Others

Empathy Activities and Games for Kids

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NOTE: Click HERE to find the following activities in a no prep printable packet.

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Activity 1: Defining Empathy

Instruct the students to draw four squares on their paper.

Square 1: Define the word.

Square 2: Use it in a sentence.

Square 3: Write synonyms for the word.

Square 4: Draw a picture to demonstrate the word.

Click HERE for the free printable vocabulary activity and rubric.

Activity 2: Perspective Taking

Instruct students to role-play some scenarios that require perspective taking.

Group 1: Role play a student missing a basket in the final seconds of the game.

Group 2: Role play a student not included in a recess game.

Group 3: Role play a student who was the only one who didn't pass the test.

Group 4: Role play a student who was preparing a speech to give in front of the whole school.

Group 5: Role play a student who fell and was injured at recess.

Activity 3: Points of View

Read "The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs" and the original version as well.

The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs

Divide the students into two groups. One group must take the point of the view of the wolf. The other group takes the point of view of the pigs. Students may have a debate modeling how to respect others' points of view or they may write a letter to the other group.

Activity 4: Listening to Others

Students may sit in a circle. Begin the game by having the first person whisper a sentence in the next person's ear. Players continue to repeat the sentence by whispering it in the next players ear. The game continues until the last player hears the sentence. The last play says the sentence out loud so everyone may see if the sentence changed.

Instruct students to brainstorm individually or in groups at lease ten ways to improve listening skills.

Activity 5: Being Different is Beautiful

Instruct students to create classroom posters by completing the sentence, "Being different is _________." Encourage the students to draw colorful pictures to go along with their sentences.

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Empathy Activities for Students

printable empathy activities and games for kids

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You may also like the following teaching resources from our Amazon Associate store:

The Idea Box Kids Caring: Acts of Kindness - Teaching Empathy - Learning Manners

Youthlight Acts of Kindness Thumball - 4 inch

Stand in My Shoes by Bob Sornson

Learning to Listing, Learning to Care: A Workbook to Help Kids Learn Self-Control and Empathy

What If Everybody Did That?

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Sunday, January 1, 2017

Goal Setting for Students

Note: This blog post contains resources from our TpT store and Amazon Associate store.

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Do you set goals with your students? The new year gives us opportunity to review our beginning of the school year goals, reflect on our accomplishments and revise as needed. Teachers have been trained to write their own SMART goals, and they are also very effective with students.

SMART

Specific

Measurable

Attainable or Actionable

Realistic and Relevant

Time Bound

Watch this one minute video describing each step of SMART goals.

And, of course, who doesn't need a pep talk by Kid President?

Here are a few goal writing tips for your classroom.

1. Make sure each goal has a VERB. Here are some action verbs to get you started: acquire, become, complete, demonstrate, execute, formulate, generate, improve, locate, obtain, recite, resolve and summarize.

2. Break larger goals down into doable parts. For example, "Achieve an A in math." This may be broken down into doable parts, such as, complete all homework, attend all review sessions, meet one-on-one with the teacher, etc.

3. Develop a timeline for the larger goal and for each smaller step.

4. Identify resource to help achieve the goal. Some goals require outside resources, such as experts in certain fields, tutors, peers, parents, etc.

5. Conduct on-going progress monitoring. Depending on the range of the goal, set daily, weekly or monthly dates to stop, collect data and reassess if needed.

6. Make the goals visible. This may be publicly or privately visible; however, goals that are tucked away in a file without review do not achieve the best results.

7. Brainstorm potential barriers or roadblocks. How will these obstacles be overcome? Who may help prevent or eliminate these barriers?

8. All goals are successful as long as some progress occurred. Goals are valuable even without perfection. If the goal wasn't made, would have any progress occurred?

You may also like these resources from our store:

Free Personal Reflection Activity for Students