This hands-on activity let my tactile and visual learners see fact families a different way. You can have student roll a die twice and count out the number of beads they’ll need for each number ina different color. After writing all three numbers of the fact families in the corners of a triangle, students will write all four number sentences. Moving the beads around the string makes it more concrete! You could also do this on dry erase boards with just about any manipulative that has two colors – counting bears, unifix cubes, checkers, etc.
Cara’s blog, The First Grade Parade, is definitely one of my favorites!! The fact family turkeys are from her adorable classroom blog! This was such a fun craft that we did that also served as an informal assessment for me. First, have the students make a circle and cut it in half. You could also have them fold it in half and glue it together. Then, cut a triangle for the turkey’s head. Next, students will write roll a die two times and write those two numbers down on the triangle. Then they will add them together to get the third fact family number. Finally, have the students write the four number sentences, one on each feather. My students loved making these!
What are some of your favorite ways to squeeze in fact families throughout the year? I’d love to hear how everyone does it!
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One Response
My kids made these too, they were so cute! I do love Cara!