Isn’t it funny how students will instantly get more excited about their work if they get to use a computer or tablet during class, or even at home? I can’t be the only one to notice this! My students will jump up and down if they are given activities digitally, but be completely unenthusiastic if I give them a paper activity. Do your kiddos do this too?
This is why I love digital math activities for my first graders! It keeps them engaged while tricking them to be super excited about practicing math. Plus, with the ever changing uncertainty of whether we will be face-to-face all year or go virtual at any point these digital math activities are a LIFESAVER for quick changes in the plans. Plus, since these activities are in three different formats I can utilize them in any setting! Here they are:
Teaching your first graders to tell time means hands-on engaging activities. This is one lesson you cannot go without visuals! I’ve noticed now since we have phones and digital clocks everywhere that less and less of my students are coming to me with at least some knowledge or skills on telling time. Having a digital visual provides constant and endless practice! (You can check my resource out here!)
Whether it be length, height, weight, by cubes or feet, having digital activities for your kiddos to practice on will save you so much stress! It never fails for me to step on measuring cubes after one of these lessons and spend extra time after class picking them up off the floor. So, saving time on clean up and sore feet is one of the main reasons why these are a must-have as well!
Tens frames and blocks have become one of the easiest ways to demonstrate addition visually in my classroom! I have some amazing resources for this as well, here. Addition is the building block for math and some students who struggle with learning this really benefit from having practice that is fun and gives them a way to see the math.
Place value is yet another lesson which requires those pesky cubes. Instead of constantly reminding students to stop building them high enough to reach the ceiling, I love having a digital resource to keep my students engaged in the actual lesson. If you don’t have this lifesaver just yet, run and get it!
Here’s the grand finale… bundles. I don’t think I could have survived first grade math without an entire collection of all the digital activities I would need in one place. Having to gather materials that can easily be distributed through distance learning last year was the biggest challenge. These carried me through the year with resources that matched my first grade criteria and actually kept students on task even from home. Now I am super excited to be using them in the classroom as well and they are just as effective!
You can find these resources here and so much more. I am much more prepared this year with digital material and don’t have to spend my time scouring the internet or making my own makeshift activities.
-Jennifer
