Tens Frame Games

I love using games in the classroom especially to help teach math.

You set up the 'game' you teach the rules and then you let them go for it.  They race, they compete and they try and beat each other, and they have fun.

But what they often don't realize is they are learning, and the learning is really getting in.

I mean, it ticks all the boxes, its doing, seeing, and hearing.

So for me it's a win win.  Engaged happy students who are having fun while they are learning and best of all want to play the games again and again (even outside of math lessons).

With my tens frame games, the set up is easy.  Each student gets a tens frame, ten counters, a recording sheet and a means of spinning a spinner (this can be done via a pencil and paper clip or brad or by attaching a spinner.

You start with 5 monkeys on the tens frame.

Spin the spinner and see what it lands on.  You then follow the instructions e.g minus 3, so you remove 3 monkeys from your tens frame and write the equation on the recording sheet.

The answer then becomes your starting point for your next equation

So you keep spinning and adding and subtracting the monkeys until you reach ten monkey's in your tens frame.

The game can be played without the tens frame and monkeys but it does help your students see the equation and help them answer the equations.

Best part is it can be played by yourself as practice or in pairs as a race to see who can fill their frame the fastest.


If you would like to check out my tens frame games I have a few listed in my TPT store just click HERE where you can find this a more tens and twenty frame games for your classroom.

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Taking a Leap

The last few weeks has been about taking a leap of faith in posting a new line of products on TPT!  I have um'ed and ar'ed about this for months.

I finally took the leap and listed my first flip book (or tab book depending on what you like to call them).

I love flip books, I have been using them in the classroom for ages, even as a sub I have created flip books for the students to use, sometimes I do it on the fly (when you have made a few, you get good) other times I have taught the students to do it themselves, and when I know I am going into the classroom for a few days and what they are working on, I have created ones to take in.

I love how they can provide students with such a fabulous way to present their information or learning which they can either paste in their books or with some flair and art work can make great displays for the classroom wall.  They are so great for consolidating learning into an easy reference point (rather like doing an interactive notebook).  What's even better they are easy to find in a book for study.  Whether it's Math or Literacy they can be made to work.

Do you get how much I like them.

I made a few (before my TPT journey even started) that I have used a few times, but I never posted them - to be honest I wasn't sure they stacked up well enough.  Then I was ask by a fellow teacher to make them one, they had seen what I was doing for shapes, loved it, asked for a copy, wanted to know what else I had and asked if I could make one for Christmas (unfortunately I didn't have time).

It's amazing how someone's else validation can make you feel more confident about the stuff you are creating, rather like when you get that cha-ching sound on the TPT app when you make a sale, it lets you know someone else thinks your stuff is good (other than the students who sometimes seem so easy to please).

So I have dusted of two that I have previously made (100th day and New Years), gave them an overhaul and revamp, added a Martin Luther King flip book, bundled them up into a little packages and listed the first one (New Years)!

Then held my breath.

I waited to see what people thought......

I waited to see it would sell....

Apparently a few people liked it, it's become my top selling resource.  I must say I rather proud of it.

So I have taken the plunge and listed the other two.

New Years Goal Setting Flip Book

100th Day Flip Book

Martin Luther King Jr Flip Book

Each pack has 2 or more cover options and different level of response pages to allow teachers to cater to different grade/age levels and differentiate where needed for student operating levels, and of course each pack comes with the all important 'How to Assemble' pages.

If you are interested just click on any of the pages and it will take you to my TPT store. 

In the mean time I am just please to have taken the leap of faith, believed in my work, believed that I do have a different enough take on the flip books that people will be interested and best of all believed in myself.

I think the lesson in here is that I should believe in myself a bit more.

In the mean time I am going to go and take advantage of the rest of this holiday and create a bit more, after all my list is a mile long of ideas after spending time in the classroom, and I have a few more flip books up my sleeve that I want to re do and revamp and finish off ready to post.

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