After teaching a math meeting for years as a classroom teacher, I am a firm believer that a majority of the skills primary children need to learn can be done by teaching math in 15 minutes a day. That’s right – taking just 15 minutes a day can help your preschool, Kindergarten, or 1st grade students master the majority of the skills you want them to learn.
Where did this idea come from?
My oldest was in preschool when the pandemic hit. Those first two weeks I wasn’t all that worried about his schooling. But when I realized he wasn’t going back that school year, I didn’t want him to get behind. I knew we read enough books at home. But what could I do for math?
That’s when the idea hit me! If I could do a morning math meeting as a classroom teacher, I could be teaching math in 15 minutes a day to my son at home. And it worked!
How do I prepare this?
As a teacher, I set up an entire bulletin board space to teach my students. I wanted everyone to be able to see our calendar area and all that we were working on. But as a mom, I didn’t have the space to do that in my home (and honestly didn’t want to), so I created something he could use on my phone or any device that has Google access.
This file has been downloaded hundreds of times by homeschool parents, teachers, and even grandparents who want their littles to have the best go at math. You can teach math in about 15 minutes a day when you utilize this download.
Topics include: Calendar, Seasons, Weather, Patterns, Number of the Day, Comparing Numbers, 2D and 3D shapes, money, Time, Days of the Week, Months of the Year, plus counting by 1s, 5s, and 10s (more details below!)
I learned pretty quickly that my five-year-old didn’t do well using this on my phone because his little fingers didn’t have the control necessary to manipulate the move-able pieces. BUT it did work well on his tablet. So we were able to sit side-by-side and work through this file each day.
I’ve also included PDF options because I know sometimes we do better with paper. And no one wants their kid staring at and using a device all day!
What do I get?
With this download you get these pieces to help you when teaching math in 15 minutes a day –
- 40+ calendar pages in Google Slides® (choose the ones you want to use)
- Four printable PDF condensed sheets to let students each have their own copy for in-person learning
- 30+ printable PDF pages with individual skills on each page
This digital download is in Google Slides®. Please note that you are NOT expected to use every slide. Rather you should choose the slides that make the most sense for the child/ren in front of you. Some days may look different than others, and that’s ok!
The printable sheets are great to print out for individual students. Laminate them and each child has their own math “book” to use for calendar time or morning meeting each day! These are especially good for teachers looking for a Math Meeting they can project while the call each works from their individual books.
This download is NOT ideal for use on phones or small devices. Students need to drag and drop the various clipart pieces and type. This is hard to do on a small device. My five-year-old did best using my touchpad computer, although we also used his tablet some. I’ve also learned that he needs a LOT more practice with using a keypad, so this resource may not be ideal for students with fine motor deficits.
Do NOT put the slides in “Share” mode – just leave it as is. 🙂 The activity will NOT work if you or the student use it in “Present” mode.
What exactly is included?
Students all progress at their own rate, which is what I LOVE about teaching the littles. Generally this download works well for preschool, Kindergarten, and 1st grade. You can look at the options below to see if they make sense for your child or classroom.
Here are the Calendar Time options in Google Slides® –
- Two Full-Month Calendar Options (one starting with Sunday and another with Monday) – Students drag the days, month, and year
- There are also 1 and 2 week calendar options that are NOT shown in the preview. But these will allow small hands to manipulate the pieces a bit more easily.
- Type Today’s Date
- Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow (students drag the days of the week)
- # Day of School (great for those who want to count how many days school has been in session)
- Circle the Correct Season
- What’s the Weather? (type or drag the clipart)
- 7 pattern options and 1 blank for you to create your own (great to bring in clipart or images from your child/ren’s favorite cartoon characters!)
- Number of the Day – type out the number, move the correct number of counters, even/odd, type different ways to make this number, groups of tens and ones, drags the hundreds/tens/ones, drag the tally marks,
- Comparing Numbers (various clipart options to drag after you type the numbers)
- 2D Shapes
- 3D Shapes
- Songs for Penny, Nickel, Dime, Quarter, and Dollar (wording only, no audio!)
- Today’s Number in Money Form (written and drag the clipart)
- What Time Is It? (Choose from hour or half hour – digital & analog)
- Days of the Week Song wording (no audio!)
- Months of the Year Song wording (no audio!)
- Count by 1s, 5s, and 10s
With purchase you get a six minute video walking through how to copy over the specific slides you want for your child/ren. As a teacher, you could send specific slides home with each child to differentiate, or a family member could purchase this and pick the most relevant slides to use.
How can I use this download?
This download can be used for –
- whole class instruction – particularly when you print the PDF sheets and let each child follow along and participate on their own!
- individual students in their homes with families, summer school supplementing, or for homeschool
- groups of students to follow along while activities are completed on a board in front of the room
- small groups (RtI, math coaching, etc)
- Special Education rooms
Please note that this file does not reset each time it is used, so the teacher/parent/guardian will need to move the pieces back to the side, delete any spaces that were filled in, change the patterns, etc.
Click here or on the image below to get your download today!
Teaching math in 15 minutes a day is possible. This download can help!
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