Mickey Mouse Math

Mickey Mouse Math!

Every kid knows his face! Mickey can help you teach addition!

When I begin addition with equations I always start with Mickey Mouse Math. I give students small cubes. (They look like cheese, right? I tell the kids not to eat it.) I ask them to put 3 in one of Mickey's ears and 2 in the other ear. Then we swoop them down into his head and count how many all together. Once I have done this a few times, we get out the dry erase markers and start writing the numbes (as seen above). If you would like to try Mickey Mouse Math you can grab it here.

 

 

 

 

Here is a  couple of shots of my math focus board. We are using dice to add numbers together as a whole group. I want my students to see the dice patterns and match them to the numeral.

We are also using straw and base ten rods and units to count the days of the year. (We are almost at 100!!) We put up one unit a day and change them out for rods when we get ten. I want them to see the exchange between units and rods. We use the straws in the same way. I am introducing place value with my students now so that they can see the relationship between groups of 10s and 1s. If you want the base ten printables you can click here.