Music in Math

I love music.  I love it not only for my own pleasure, but in my classroom as well.  There was almost always music playing in the background during free time, during lunch time, and I often played jazz or classical during work time; during my circle time we used music every single class.

Some of my favorite background music comes from my time as a Gymboree Teacher.  For almost seven years I enjoyed the wonderful music Gymboree had to offer, and when they added music to the program it was even better.  The music they put together is all content and age appropriate.  They offer a bunch of CDs with each CD being a different genre of music.  I love playing the African CD during free playtime.

My all time favorite for ME is the Surfin Music.  Here is one that is for sale on Amazon: Gymboree Music: Surfin

Other music I use, to teach a specific skill, comes from many sources.  Wee Play offers an abundance (I bought most of mine at Costco) of finger plays and rhymes that I was able to make flannelboards to go with them.

Everyday Mathematics offers a music CD to go along with their curriculum.  Maybe yours does too?

A parent gave me a copy of the CD Movin 2 Math by Jack Hartmann.  I used track #3 Let's Get Fit (Counting to 100 by 1s) almost daily.  Even my three year olds, who could not count to 100, loved doing the exercises.

One song I used soooo much in the springtime is Five Little Butterflies.  I heard it on Barney once, and thought it was adorable.  I made these cute flannel boards to go with the song:

I added the flowers cause my butterflies needed to fly over something.  Anyway, here is the song:

Apparently this comes on a CD too.  Not a big Barney fan, but the kids love the song when I sing it.  So I just don't tell anyone I saw it on Barney. :)  Shhhhhh.....

What music do YOU like to use?

Kathy

Kindergarten workstations

Crazy busy at work today and again tomorrow.  We have two school-wide concerts each year; one in December and one in June, along with our Kindergarten graduation.  I'd love to post a couple pictures but since I do not have permission to post any of the kids' pictures online I don't think I should.  I try very carefully to make sure the students are not identifiable in the pictures I do pose.  Let me just they are freaking adorable all dressed up!!

So earlier this week the Kindergarteners finished up their review workstations.  Here is what we did:

After completing our "Think Math" brain warm-up, our choices were

Domino Parking Lot

The kids loved trying to find the "domino bus" that fit in each spot.  They were so excited when they pulled out one they needed and disappointed when it had to "go back" if they filled that slot or if it was "too many" (I have dominos up to 9 in the box.)

This free activity came from Mrs. Williamson at
Welcome to Room 36





Since we worked hard twice coming up with a number story for our last two Think Math sessions, I gave them blank writing paper and asked them to come up with a number story of their own.  They asked another student for the "answer" then they created the question.  This class LOVES to draw.  So any opportunity I have to let them get creative, I do.





We got a little calculator practice in as well.  The CCSS are for the Kindergarteners to be fluent in their facts up to 5, and even though my district has not been required to implement them fully yet I wanted these students to head into first grade knowing them anyway...just in case they will be expected to meet the first grade expectations next year. I do not know exactly when the public schools will start their new math, but I would expect it to have to be soon!

So what the students had waiting for them here was a tray of calculators, pencils, and a web with the numeral 5 in the center.  They had to think of a fact that they think adds (or subtracts, I added that to make it more interesting) to 5.  They had to check their work on the calculator and if they were correct, they wrote it anywhere on the web.  I had some real creative thinkers...some of the kids were using 2 digit numbers!  They used their counting by 5s knowledge to subtract bigger numbers.  I was so proud of them! Not the original intent of the activity, but they get points for creativity. This workstation was meant to be individual, but I noticed some worked together when they got stumped.


A "May Do" was practicing making patterns on the pocket chart with some cute pictures I printed out from
KidsSoup.
This is a pay for membership site but luckily me school has paid for one!  It has some great activities for the preschool/pre-K ages.  I use some of the support materials, like these adorable cats and dogs with my Kindergarten classes.

So that's it for today.  The other time with this class we played BINGO where they each got a prize and a little "good luck" present from me.  I'll still see them for 2 more hours before my last day but they will just play and have fun those days.

Now for that well-earned glass of wine after the craziness of concert day #1.  Cheers!