The Scoot

Notice my little man here is wearing a tie..LOVES IT!

No, that's not what I'm talking about.  It's a game, silly!

This week, on top of  TPRI testing (yay for them putting the app on our iPads); we're covering beginning place value  in math. It's the first big concept we've learned, and I think my kiddos are doing a bang up job on comprehending this topic.  We started out with counting cubes, just making sets of 10s and ones on a sorting mat.  Once they grasped that, up went the counting cubes and out came the food!  Pretzel rods and mini marshmallows to be exact.  I gave each one their baggie of "tens and ones" and we figured out which would be the 10 and which had to be the ones.   I would call out a number of 10s and then ones; they had to build it on their sorting mat, and then skip count to figure out my number.  They got lightning quick at this near the  end of the game, and even began to connect that they really don't even have to skip count.  My favorite quote from one of mine "Geez Miss Curtis, why can't I just tell you I have 4 pretzels and 3 marshmallows,,,it makes 4-3,  instead of skip counting--that's way too much work!"   

click to download the freebie packet! 

Another game we've played is the place value scoot.....the STAR of this post!  This is a game I'll play with all sorts of topics.  Place value was just the first to pop up!  First, we move all the desks into 2 long tables, that way I'll have 2 groups moving around an easily identifiable path.  I've tried playing it without moving the desks & it was not pretty!  Basically, I print out and post a problem on each students desk.  I give everyone a recording sheet, and they start working the problem that is posted at their desk; making sure to record the answer in the corresponding number on their recording sheet.  Then, I say "on your mark, get set, SCOOT!"  They take their papers with them, and scoot one desk to their right (we prefer to move in the derby direction in my room!)  They work through that problem, and record the answer in the appropriate space; waiting for the next scoot direction to move again.  I love it cause it gets them practicing those math skills, and they love it cause they get to get up and move around every few minutes...it's a win-win!