Problem of the Day and Counting by Fives

 Numbers can be anywhere...

They can even be found on our shirtsleeves!  We were able to practice counting by fives using the numbers on a football field!

 Skip counting can be done by twos and by fives.   Since we've been counting tally marks, counting by fives is a more familiar skill for the first graders.   We know that counting bundles of tallies makes it simpler to count by fives.  Another way we've been learning about counting by fives is by sorting groups of counters into groups of five as an easier way to count a large number of objects more quickly.

Common Core Standard 1.NBT.1 Count to 120, starting at any number less than 120 and read and write numerals 0-120.

Another activity some students did was tracing their hands and labeling their fingers with "count by ones", and their palms with "county by fives".  Then as a class, the students practiced counting by fives. 

 

 

Putting numbers in order by fives is a good skill we are practicing. 

We've been reviewing counting by twos.  When learning about this, discussion often leads to even and odd numbers.  Students have enjoyed learning about concepts like this through literature.   

These students thought of some odd and even numbers after reading the story above. 

Common Core Standard 1.0A.1  Use addition and subtraction within 20 to solve word problems involving situations of adding to, taking from, putting together, taking apart, and comparing, with unknowns in all positions, e.g., by using objects, drawings, and equations with a symbol for the unknown to represent the problem.  

We've also been perfecting our word problem solving strategies.   We continue to circle the important numbers in the problem and underline important information in the question to pay attention to words/phrases like:   how many are left, how many in all, and how many are there now.

We must include our number sentence (equation), along with the answer labeled with the units, and our "prove it" strategy (i.e. a picture, ten frame, tally marks, hopping on the number line...) to show our thinking in how we solved the problem. 

Click this link to view a ScreenChomp on problem solving.  
http://www.screenchomp.com/t/6e45a3XLNV9z

**FAMILIES** Our first math assessment will be this Friday, and will cover all of the skills we've been working so hard on the last few weeks.   We've been reviewing the last few days in class to prepare, as well.  See previous posts for more information on math in first grade.