Bright Idea for Creating Arrays

Welcome to the March Bright Idea Blog Hop hosted by Curls and a Smile.

Creating arrays using everyday objects is a fun way to build on concepts of multiplication strategies. You can use any object to create a fun counting game. This lesson started with the blue grid below, it came from a memory matching game where you had to remove the pieces from. It turned into an entire lesson. You just have to love when you get a bright idea!

One way of teaching arrays is with graphing paper. Write the amount of rows and columns. Then show the repeated addition, and draw the groups of. To further visual what the boxes represent we use our handy new grid with counters. The colored pens bring out each array. These can be cut and stored in a math notebook to be referred to later.

We have tons of legos, believe me when I tell you my six year does not share them. They hang out in boxes similar to the one shown above.  This one was his idea, he found the pieces and helped to create all of the arrays. I love how using legos can be color coordinated to form a bigger multiplication equation. Or can be used to form groups of 2, 4, 6, 8 etc. Its hands on learning that maybe will think about while they play with them later on.

Each time we created a new array we added it to a chart for repeated addition, commutative property, groups of, and showing the array. Later I will make blank ones where they have to fill them in, and glue in the array pieces. For practice they are not glued and they have to add the counters into the chart each time. Searching for other objects we found toy cars,  and soy sauce packets from when we ordered Chinese food last week (we used all the duck sauce). Then we created an array using box tops.

Other Objects for Creating Arrays

K'NEX

Beads

Blocks

Fruit

Cookies

Cereal

Pens

Mini dolls

Action Figures

Scrapbook flowers

Wiggle eyes

and more

That wraps ups our Bright Idea for March, I hope you enjoyed it. For more Bright Ideas, visit the links in this Blog Hop hosted by Curls and a Smile. Choose the grade level/topic that interests you. This Blog Hop is unique as you will only find teaching ideas, no products or printables, just creative ways to make learning fun.

If you enjoyed this Bright Idea please consider joining me on Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter

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Bright Idea for Creating an Interactive Cork Board K-5

Welcome to a Bright Idea Blog Hop!

Today I want to tell you about a way to encourage independent study habits. This idea came from our love of interactive notebooks and cork boards. Both are great for visual learners. We created an interactive cork board. My daughter and I covered the board with fabric, created pockets, added labels, and elements she wanted to use on a day to day basic.  It has worked really well to encourage her to study on her own. She can visually see everything she is learning for that week. She will unpin the pockets, work with the task cards inside recording the answers in her notebook. Best of all she does this independently. The next day we discuss what she was studying.

 This is our interactive cork board. It hangs near our computer desk.

Interactive Cork Board Elements

1. My Word Cards: Words we are reviewing and learning are kept in two different colored sets a week She has to read them without help.
2. Draw this: We keep clip art printed half pages for her to color and draw. 
3. Health, Math, and Language Arts: have an expanded accordion with Velcro that stores sticky notes. These are used to write questions or topics that she may want to research or ask about. Its a way of communicating between us if I not able to answer her questions or prefer her to look them up.
4. Tutor Time: This section is for play time with her little brother. She plays school with him and wanted to create school work for him, all of these task cards are blank and she makes them up as they play. I sneak in some work for him sometimes. 
5. Journal Prompts: She can create her own journal entry or choose one in the pocket. I include picture prompts in this pocket too.
6.  My word cards: She uses this pocket again for word work in her writing journal
7. Library books: She has her own library card so she is responsible for reminding me when they are due. 
8. Health/Recipes: Spot for keeping recipe finds, she types them up and adds them to her cooking scrapbook.
9. Punch Cards: These are for her to reward her little brother for the great job he did while they played school.
10. The Hanging Flip Flop: This moves from day to day. My daughter will pick one pocket to add to her morning work so it will be hanging on different pins.

That wraps ups our Bright Idea for August, I hope you enjoyed it. For more Bright Ideas from 150 Bloggers, visit the links in this Blog Hop from Teaching in the Early Years. Choose the grade level/topic that interests you. This Blog Hop is unique as you will only find teaching ideas, no products or printables, just creative ways to make learning fun.

Thank you for visiting. If you enjoyed this Bright Idea please consider joining me on  Pinterest Facebook,Teachers Pay Teachers

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