Hands-On Learning with Simple Equations

When it comes to math started with concrete and going to abstract allows your learners to best understand the skill.  Providing guided math lessons and centers that create hands-on learning experiences for your students will allow them to model the concrete skills your are teaching, as well as, joining the concrete with the abstract when it is time to do so.

I begin teaching addition and subtraction with NO equations.  This allows my learners to focus solely on the concrete skill of adding and subtracting.  Just like writing, you teach your learners the sounds of the alphabet before you expect them to create a word on paper.  The same goes for math skills, allow your learners to acquire the skill hands-on before you expect them to create or write an equation.

When my students are able to model addition and subtraction through word problems or real life situations, then the equations or abstract come in.  This game is my go-to concrete to abstract activity for addition and subtraction...paper plate, maniupulatives and dice!  

I prepared the activity by getting materials for the season, which was fall.  I picked up this plate and dice from Target and the leaves from Michaels.  For the activity, we simply roll the dice and count out the correct number of manipulatives.  Now, we are able to put the abstract in action by writing the equation they just created.  I begin by modeling this and then they are able to do the same. 

One of the best things about this activity is that it can be used for both addition and subtraction.  Just flip the plate upside down and reverse the equation by rolling one dice and subtracting.  This is a great way to introduce fact families and how addition and subtraction work together.  

Learning About Insects! Fun For All!

Happy Spring everyone! Now that winter is over, we are looking forward to warmer weather, longer days, blooming flowers, and of course...insects! Teaching the children about insects is one of our favorite themes because it is a very high interest theme for them! We love to see them excited about learning and they are always highly engaged during each of the activities.

We like to start our unit by discussing what makes an insect an insect:

*insects have 6 legs

*insects have 3 body parts: head, thorax, abdomen

*insects have 2 antennae

*some insects have wings

*insects have a hard exoskeleton on the outside of their body

*insects hatch from eggs

To reinforce the understanding of an insects body parts, we like to make a yummy bug snack:

We used 3 marshmallows (head, thorax, abdomen), 6 pretzel sticks (legs), chocolate chips (compound eyes), and Doritos (wings). We did not put antennae on our insects, but you could easily use two more pretzel sticks or twizzlers! The children had so much making and eating this insect!

Time to eat! Yum!

We also purchased these awesome insects that are encased in acrylic so the children can get a good look at the insects and their body parts. They think these are so cool!

You can grab these fun models from Lakeshore Learning here.

We then discuss some of the different types of insects around the world and if these insects are helpful or harmful. Of course we only hit on a few of the over 900,000 different types of insects. Some of the insect pictures were quite funny to the children, they especially like the peanut head bug. It is interesting to hear a child's perspective of whether an insect is helpful or harmful. When asked if a bee is helpful or harmful, they immediately say harmful. All they think is "I've been stung by a bee and I didn't like it! Therefore, the bee is harmful." They are surprised to hear they are actually very helpful to us! Now, they look at bees in a whole new way! We made a fun bee hat that they wear happily!

During our unit, we like to take several days to concentrate on certain insects that children are very familiar with and already have some good background knowledge about. One of these insects is the butterfly! We start by learning about the life cycle of the butterfly:

Children also learn the body parts of a butterfly and completed a labeling activity:

These activities are a part of "A Butterfly Bundle" that can be found in our store. The pack also includes a variety of activities for reading, writing, and math skills.

Every year we order caterpillars from Insect Lore. After learning about the life cycle of a butterfly, the children are so intrigued to watch the changes happening to the caterpillars every day. 

You can check out these awesome kits here for your classroom or children at home. If you already have a butterfly garden, you can simply order a cup of caterpillars or maybe even order something different....perhaps ladybugs, praying mantises, or ants!

We love to make fun butterfly hats too! They turned out so cute and the children wore them around school the whole day making everyone smile! Some even wore them to recess and pretended to fly around the playground as the wings on the hat flapped in the air, ha!

You can find the pattern for this hat in our store for free! Click on the picture below:

We also had a blast pretending we were butterflies by drinking "nectar" (apple juice) from a flower using our "proboscis" (a straw).

No unit on butterflies is complete without reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar! After reading the book, children made an adorable caterpillar they used to retell the story with a friend.

Also inspired by The Very Hungry Caterpillar, we made necklaces!

There are so many fun and engaging things you can do during this theme! We feel like we could go on and on forever about all the fun we have! Come over and follow us at Kelly and Kim's Kindergarten Kreations to see more of the fun to come soon!

Thanks for hanging out with us this month! We will be back in May!

Seeing Science: Through A Child's Eyes

Happy Spring from Laura at Differentiation Station Creations! The last few days have been magnificent in Maryland. The birds, worms, and flowers are out in full force and the weather is blissfully warm. Things are finally starting to awaken and come alive!

Spring is one of my favorite times of year to explore nature and science. Plants and animals are almost bursting into the world. The life cycle of animals like tadpoles, chicks and butterflies are happening quickly right before our eyes. Exploring these life cycles can be magical to children and adults alike. I find that I want and need to remember the magic when teaching science to children. The best part of science is that there is an abundance of magic!

Last summer I was on a car trip with my children. We needed a quick break at a rest stop and came upon this moth. When we first glimpsed this moth it's wings were closed and it was pretty, but not spectacular.

 My daughter was the first to squeal with delight, as the moth opened it's wings. She kept yelling, "Mommy it has eyes on it's back just like you!!" (Awhile ago, I told my kids that I have eyes in the back of my head and they hold onto the literal version).

 Both kids chattered on about the moth with fake eyes for the hours we spent riding in the car. That moth was magic to them. I was able to capitalize on that magic to bring in discussions on the purpose of markings on animals, camophlage, and survival of the fittest. This moth brought science to life.

Kids learn best through experiences. Think about your most memorable learning experiences. Most people will recall something that involved a hands-on, real-life component.

Learning in the classroom can not be all hands-on learning and there needs to be other types of learning. However, giving children the opportunity to learn through experience is critical. It not only sparks children's interest in learning, but often helps them really integrate that knowledge into future learning experiences. Let your kids manipulate science through hands-on experiences.



When we learned about the life cycle of a frog, we caught tadpoles and watched them grow in an aquarium.

We read books about the frogs and tadpoles.

And we created our own froggy sensory tub. We used a plastic Tupperware, dollar store beads, and rocks from outside.

 We added water and plastic figures of frogs in various stages of the life cycle.

 The kids were able to explore the life cycle of a frog with their hands.

 I found that the kids used science terminology correctly and frequently when they were able to "experience" the science.

Even if you can't find tadpoles or butterflies to bring into your classroom, you can get creative to find a way to bring science to life.

Here are some of my favorite posts on creative ways to bring science to life:

•  "3 Insanely Cool Science Experiments With An Egg"  Do three different science experiments with one egg. Awesome! -Playdoh to Plato
• "Plant Water Filtration Experiment"  This experiment filter water through plastic milk jugs full of dirt, leaves, and finally planted grass. Shows how plants help filter our water. -Garden and Farms
• "How to Make Lightning" A simple experiment demonstrating static electricity. -Learn Play Imagine
• "Pollination" Use Cheetohs to explore pollination. Genius!! -E is for Explore



There are so many more creative ideas out there on how to bring learning to life! Check out my Pinterest board on Creative Science Ideas for Kids and find a whole world of hands on science ideas!

I hope that spring is awakening in you!