Beginning of the Year Math Review for 1st Grade

Beginning of the Year Math Review for 1st Grade

Hey, y'all! Are you ready for a little back to school review for your first graders? I've got just the thing to refresh their memories from last spring. This first grade back to school unit covers counting to 120, making teen numbers, and making ten.

I used to get so frustrated with our math block because the curriculum expected everyone to be able to learn everything in whole group. That just didn't work for some of my students. They would sit there and wait for everyone else to give them the answer and they were developing learned helplessness. I hated it. So, changes were made. 

On Monday of each week, we have a whole class lesson to build schema and prepare for the week. This is the "I do/We do" part. Tuesday through Thursday, students visit a series of stations practicing these skills on their own or with their group (I usually have six groups.) During these station rotations, I am working with students in small groups to make sure they are understanding what it is they're doing. I like to group students in mixed ability groups for this so there is always someone that can help answer questions if I'm not right there. 

On Fridays, we come back together for a whole class summative lesson. We share out Ah-ha moments and do a cumulative project that helps me assess students' understandings. Of course, I'm with them in small groups so I already kinda know, but this is their assessment piece. 

The first week of this unit, students review counting to 120, comparing numbers, and putting numbers in order--all things they should have learned in kindergarten. The second week, students review teen numbers by playing games, putting together puzzles, and using task cards. This may be new for some, but most should have gotten this in kinder. 

The third week, we work on fluency within 10. We make a rainbow to work on commutative property and find "friends of ten."  Then, in stations, students practice these facts with games, task cards, and by timing themselves. When students master this, the rest of their math in first grade becomes so much easier! 

These units can be done in any order, so do what works best for your students. They can also be done as a whole class lesson if needed, rather than in stations. There is plenty of variety in these units, too! Some activities are roll-the-dice games. There are also task cards that can be used in write the rooms, put in sensory bins, or simply placed in a center. There are coloring and play dough options (these are optional and I include ways to supplement). 

Plus, students can choose to work on most things on their own or with a partner. The quality of math talk I hear during our stations is way more elevated than when we tried to teach all these concepts whole group. Students are more engaged and focused when working on our stations.

There are math units to cover each standard in first and second grade. Each unit includes lesson plans, student direction cards, task cards or game boards, and recording sheets. Just add dice and play dough (optional)!

For more information about this unit, you can check it out in my TpT store here. It's part of a larger bundle designed to last the whole school year. You can check it out here. While you're there, be sure to follow me on TPT for all the latest. I'm always adding new resources and making updates and you won't want to miss a thing! 

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful week. I'll talk to you soon. 

Stay cozy,