More Number Lines with a FREEBIE

I know I've written a few posts about number lines before. So I'm sorry to bore you again and I'll keep it short. But I think they are important and lots of fun. You can find my other posts about them HERE and HERE.

I'm teaching them this week and made a fun little game to go along with it.

You can grab a FREE copy HERE.

I also found a FREE fun little app for the iPad.

You can watch a video about it HERE.

I have an AirPlay by AirServer on my Mac so I can send my app on my iPad to my computer and then show it on my projector. Pretty cool huh! This explains it better than I can.

You can check it out HERE.

I hope that's short enough!
Have a great weekend!

Number Lines and Counting Lines Part 2

Yesterday I wrote about my 'aha' to the importance of number lines as an effective tool in math. You can read that post HERE.

So what.......... now?

My first question is what do I call it- a number line or counting line? I Goggled counting line and counting paths, I didn't get much, just tallies and things to count. It's like borrowing in subtraction. The correct term is regrouping. But if you call it that most parents don't know what you're talking about. I don't want to get too technical and confuse my little ones. So for now it's a  number line.

My next question is how can I use the number line as a more effective math tool?

I loved the quote in an article by Kathy Jones that said, "the more linear a child's mental number line becomes with time, the better he or she is at remembering numbers." Isn't that the main focus in first grade- remembering numbers aka NUMBER sense? 

I like to start off with a very concrete number line.

I have one of these and I love it. You can get it on Amazon.com HERE.

It's a vinyl, step-by-step, walk-on number line 1-20. It comes with suggested activities and your kiddos will love it. I have my kids count forwards and backwards on it. We also do addition and subtraction as well as greater and less than.

It's also fun to go outside with sidewalk chalk and draw your own number lines.

I found this great site with cool activities you can do with the number line. It's on eHow Mom. Click HERE.

Another great number line you can buy is this one from Lakeshore.

It's great for teaching addition and subtraction.

I also use rulers for addition and subtraction. It's very concrete. I have to be careful though that it doesn't become a crutch.

My kids need to become familiar with the number line by doing LOTS of practicing with it. So I put together a little packet with 6 activities. There are fun task cards where the kiddos have to find certain numbers on the number line or do different tasks. They can be a springboard for students to make up their own task cards too. They also put together a number line. You can use part or all of the number line and it goes to 120. You can check it out. Just go to my sidebar where my shop links are and click.

So what...... now?

I think it's time for a GIVEAWAY! I haven't done one in a while.

If you are one of the first 3 to comment on this post, I will give you my Number Line FUN packet. Don't forget to leave your email address.

Hey, I'd LOVE to hear how you teach and use the number line. I'm always looking for new ideas.

Thanks everyone for stopping by!

P.S. I'm now on Facebook. I'd LOVE you to follow me! HERE

Number Lines and Counting Lines Part 1

Number lines have been around forever. My teachers had a BIG one displayed at the front of the room and often a smaller one on everyone's desk. But I can't really remember ever being taught how to use it or if I even used it for that fact. Likewise, I've had them in my room and referred to them. I've shown the kids how to add and subtract on them. But to tell you the truth, it's just been another math tool the kids could use if they wanted to.

Not any more!

Some of you may be WAY ahead of me on this subject but I've been doing a little research on number lines and here's what I've found:

• Number lines are one of the most over looked tools in the classroom. When used properly it can help students improve number sense, operational proficiency, mental arithmetic, understand number relationships, and the position of numbers.
• In the Common Core, number lines are introduce in 2nd grade. (2.MD.6)
• The first way children encounter 'number lines' is as a line or row of numbers. This is NOT really a number line but is VERY useful and is called 'counting lines'. Some call it 'counting paths'.
• There are important differences between number lines and counting lines that PreK, K, and 1st grade teachers need to understand.
• Making a careful transition from counting lines to number lines is important. Number lines are not based on counting, but on measuring from a fixed point.
• The fixed point or origin is 0. The number that labels every point is the distance from the origin to that point. 
• A counting line does not have zero. So you can't show 5-5=0.
• Counting lines cannot show fractions or decimals or negative numbers.

My big 'AHA' was that in first grade, I'm not teaching number lines but I'm teaching COUNTING LINES and I'd better do it right so they can make the transition to number lines in 2nd grade!

This is an example of a counting line.

This is an example of a number line.

I found these great articles. You might want to take a look. (They are pretty short, not BIG research papers to muddle through.)

http://www.eduweb.vic.gov.au/edulibrary/public/teachlearn/student/mathscontinuum/readnumberlinewhole.pdf

http://bridges1.mathlearningcenter.org/files/media/rekenrek/numberline_overview.pdf

http://www.medindia.net/news/Research-How-Kids-Adapt-Their-Mental-Number-Line-Affects-Their-Memory-for-Numbers-73959-1.htm

http://riverdalemontessori.wordpress.com/2012/02/20/the-magic-of-the-number-line/

So what...? My daughter taught me that. She says, whenever she learns something new, she asks herself  "so what...should I do with this new piece of information? So what... should I change? So what... am I going to do differently? (Don't you LOVE it when your children become so wise and can teach YOU things!)

I don't want to make this post really LOOOOONG. So this is part one.
Come back tomorrow for my SO WHAT!!