Sorting Mats are my favorite math resource!
So reality is creeping in…I go back to school July 25th. The past 2 days have been all about stocking up – Target, Staples, J. Crew 😉
Today has been full of printing, printing, reloading cardstock (my printer likes to be fed one precious page at a time!) and then printing some more.
Not only have I been spending my morning sorting out my stockpiles of school supplies, I’ve also been sorting my must-haves for my math centers and small groups.
Do you remember these number cards?
If you missed picking up numbers 0-35, click here to download yours!
Today I made a simple sorting mat to practice ordering numbers:
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It’s a little blurry – the math mat has 3 boxes to sort the numbers by least, greatest, and between. The boxes are the perfect size for the number cards, but most any cards would work, too!
I use sorting math mats for EVERYTHING! Since I’m primarily “intervening” by assessing, reteaching, differentiating…I like to “diagnose” what’s going on to learn as much as possible about my students’ thinking. Using sorting mats “fits the bill” because the activity becomes student-directed and I can observe and ask questions to both assess and guide learning.
My co-teacher (a.k.a.: math-guru) keeps 25+ sheet protectors on hand that are prefilled with various sorting math mats (double-sided) that she uses throughout the quarter/semester/year. For example, she’ll have a tens/ones mat, part-part-whole, etc. She passes out manipulatives to use on the mats or the students use a dry erase marker on the sheet protector surface. GENIUS!
I created a binder of these sheet protectors, so I can keep all my sorting mats in one place (more on this in a future post!).
This weekend I’ll be busy sprucing up my math mats & updating the binder. For now, pick up your copy of the Least-Between-Greatest mat here!
Have a super weekend!
I really have no idea how to use these mats. Could you give a little more details? Color me confused!
Definitely! The mat has 3 empty boxes with the labels "least," "between," and "greatest." I use this mat with my number cards – a student chooses 3 cards and then places them on the mat in the (hopefully) correct spaces. A Tens & Ones mat can be used with base ten blocks to build numbers (i.e.: "show me 26"). In our math block we usually start with teacher-directed activities using interactive flipcharts & move towards more student-directed where they will apply what they've learned using manipulatives and/or the sorting mats. Hope this helps!
I just recently found your blog – and I couldn't be happier! Thanks for sharing these great teaching resources! I am your newest follower.
Kelie
http://dugginsdoodlebugs.blogspot.com
This is a great idea!
I gave you a little shout out on my blog. Hope ya don't mind!
Margaret
Kinder Journey
http://ourkinderjourney.blogspot.com/2012/07/positively-learning-sorting-it-all-out.html
I am a new follower!
Renee
The Reading Corner