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Beach Ball Math Fun in Middle SChool

12/13/2017

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Beach ball math fun!
Beach Ball Math Practice
I know lots of teachers use beach balls in the classroom, but I haven't used them in such a long time that I thought I'd share my excitement about finally getting some new ones!

​I often used beach balls for basic math fact practice when I taught 4th and 5th grades in the elementary school.

​I have a little bit of a beach theme in my middle school (6th grade) classroom this year, so that motivated me to get some beach balls again. I ordered a pack of 12 and am writing different math practice problems on them - so far I have practice for:
  • multiplication facts
  • exponents 
  • fraction/decimal conversions
  • common measurement conversions. ​
I have 12 beach balls to fill with math, so I need to decide on more topics. I think I'll also include:
  • square roots
  • division facts 
  • math vocabulary
...I need to keep thinking:-)

beach ball with exponent problems on it
Time for Extra Math Practice
Our math classes aren't that long, but I figure I can squeeze in 5 minutes of extra math review at the end of class once or twice a week. We can toss the beach balls around for some quick math practice:-)
​
When we used the beach balls for math practice in the past, I'd designate a particular finger for the problem to solve, like, "answer the math problem that your right thumb lands on."

Or, if the beach ball had just numbers on it, I'd give them two fingers and an operation: "multiply the number under your left thumb and your right pinkie."

With so many different beach balls, I could differentiate for math math students and have 3 groups tossing at a time, depending on their needs. So  many possibilities!


Do you use beach balls in math class (or any other class)? If so, how?

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How Does Coloring Help Improve Math Skills?

12/11/2017

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This post is from my old blog, and was written in April, 2015, but I thought it was worth transferring here and sharing:-)
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How does coloring help improve math skills? Blog post with free color by number.
Today, as my students were working on a color by number in math class (which I thought was a fun, different way to practice math), one of them asked "How does coloring help with math?" The question was asked with a "there's no reason I should have to do this" attitude. I explained that it helped with motor skills and helped one to use the brain in a different way, and that exercising the brain in different ways could help in all things that require thinking (not just math). I don't think he really appreciated my answer:)

So, I decided to do a little research, to see what I could find. Most of what I found (not a super-long time of searching, because I didn't have that much time!) was related to the benefits of coloring for young children (and did relate to math skills) and for adults. Here are a few things that I found, as coloring relates to adults:

According to the Huffington Post (10/13/14), coloring benefits adults (and I would assume children as well) because it "generates wellness, quietness and also stimulates brain areas related to motor skills, the senses and creativity." In addition, psychologist Gloria Martinez Ayala states that when we color, we activate different areas of our two cerebral hemispheres. "The action involves both logic, by which we color forms, and creativity, when mixing and matching colors. This incorporates the areas of the cerebral cortex involved in vision and fine motor skills [coordination necessary to make small, precise movements]. The relaxation that it provides lowers the activity of the amygdala, a basic part of our brain involved in controlling emotion that is affected by stress."
Free integer operations color by number.Click to download from TPT.
According to PenCentral, coloring benefits adults in helping them to maintain fine motor skills -this requires extra work by your brain to coordinate your actions and muscle control in your hands and arms. Coloring can help delay the loss of fine motor skills as people age. Coloring may also help fight cognitive loss, especially
​if challenging pieces are completed every so often.


I didn't necessarily find research to answer my student's exact question, but what I found was quite interesting! If anyone knows of other articles or published research to support the role of coloring in improving math skills, please let me know!


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​If you'd like to receive a free color by number each month, check out the Color by Number Club!

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5 Problems Facing Middle School Students Today

12/9/2017

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Problems facing middle school students today.
There’s no denying that middle school is a difficult time in kids’ lives. I remember my middle school years (actually junior high years - we didn't have middle school in our district back then:-) and while they say the teen years are the worst, my tween years felt like the worst instead.
I see students struggling through so many transitions. It’s up to us as teachers and as parents to better understand the problems facing middle school kids today, so we can help.
​

1. Bullying
Most bullying happens, or at least starts, in middle school. In fact, at least 25% of students in the U.S. say they’ve been a victim of bullying. I remember bullying growing up, but it’s become a much worse issue today. When students are having to constantly deal with bullying in school and online, it makes it difficult for them to concentrate or even care about coming to school. Sadly, the solution isn’t clear, but we just have to be there to help build students’ confidence and prevent bullying whenever we can.


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    Hey there! I'm Ellie - here to share math fun, best practices, and engaging, challenging, easy-prep activities ideas!
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