Math Warm-Ups for Number Sense

I love number grids.  I find the kids get kind of bored with them for awhile when we’re using 2-digits.  You should see them perk up and refocus when they have to cross into the hundreds place.

After my students complete a page, we do a “swap & check”.  Yes, even if they didn’t complete the page in time.  The partner circles any mistakes found and shares them when they swap back.  This person found an error in the tally marks:

Second graders can always boost their money skills, right?  I love that this page forces students to use the fewest coins possible.  Even though the box on the right asks for one different way, I have my students draw a line (sometimes two lines) to show multiple different ways.  It really shows me who is struggling with coin combinations and values.  Oh, and once we get further into the school year, I’ll let my students use half dollars (HD) to save space.

Well, that should give you a good idea of what we do before I begin our formal math lesson each day.  If you want to see more about this pack, Jen does a fantastic job explaining how she uses it with her first grade students here.