Word Problem Prompts! {a freebie too!}

HEEEEEEY! When we start teaching addition and subtraction stories I start to get giddy about teaching math! It’s so exciting to see the kids taking skills we’ve learned all year and really applying them! First, we learned our numbers, how to count, vocabulary like {more/less/same}. Then, we take all of that …mix in a few new ingredients and BAM we have little addin’ and subtractin’ gurus!
Everyday we start our math block with all students sitting at the carpet in a circle and with their math partners. We have few ~~boring~~ meaningful routines that we do everyday! I feel they are so important to continue practicing …those are currently; transition clapping, counting by 10’s/5’s, and oral counting up and down. I then add in additional routines that go along with what we are currently working. The past month or so that has been addition!

Each day I would ask about 3-4 addition story problems..the students would turn to their partners to solve and then I called for their attention and we discussed the answer. I like the initial turn and talk so that all students have that opportunity to solve the problem without just hearing one student call it out. After calling for their attention…I call on one student to answer and PROVE how they got that answer. I then ask students to make some kind of gesture if they agree.

I would come up with my addition/subtraction problems on the fly {that’s okay right??} which was just fine, but I felt like I needed to be able to quickly state a new problem. You know in kindergarten…even a few seconds delay can start the case of the rolls…AKA students barrel rolling on the carpet while.

That’s when I whipped up these story problem prompt cards! With 120 prompts cards…I won’t be running out anytime soon! 😉 As you can see above…I have placed my cards in a little tub, but you could also choose to place them on a metal ring!

Along with stating the word problems orally…I’ve also had great success with writing one problem on the chart paper for students to be discussing as the rest of us make our way down to the math carpet. It’s exciting to hear them critically think it through and defend their answers.

If you’d like to try out the cards ..I have added a freebie set of 6 cards within the preview of the packet. Once clicking on the link below, click on “preview” and you’ll see the freebie cards!