Making Number Sense Make Sense: A Math Podcast for Early Elementary Teachers

In this episode, we'll talk about how to set up your math class for success starting from the first week!

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Decomposing Numbers Lessons

Setting Up A Thinking Classroom

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Parents and teachers! Are you looking for ideas to help with math at home?

Sometimes all it takes is 5 minutes daily to have a huge impact on your child’s learning and math skills!

These 5 games require no materials only your time with your child and your helping your kids with math in the process!

You can get these game ideas and more in this Math Game Activity Book!

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Math Games Activity Book

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The summer slide is real! If you are a parent, caregiver, or teacher looking for games to play or suggest to your families, this episode is for you! This episode contains 7+ game ideas to help your little ones with math over the summer! No worksheets are required!

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Activity Book

Dice

Playing Cards

Free Games and Practice Pages

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In today’s episode, we’re diving into simple, hands-on ways to help your child practice writing numbers — without the boredom or frustration! Whether you're a parent, teacher, or caregiver, these playful activities will keep young learners engaged while building fine motor skills and number sense.

First up, we talk about Water Painting, the perfect activity for hot summer days. Grab a paintbrush and a cup of water, and let your child “paint” numbers on the sidewalk or wall. It’s fun, mess-free, and dries away on its own!

Next, we explore Sand Writing, a tactile favo...

In this episode, we explore how simple materials—like beads—can transform your math centers. Beads aren’t just colorful and fun; they’re powerful tools for counting collections, building fine motor skills, and creating patterns. We’ll dive into hands-on activities like Spin and Thread, DIY number racks, and engaging rekenrek games that help students strengthen their number sense and counting strategies. Whether you’re looking for easy prep ideas or creative ways to switch up your manipulatives, this episode is packed with practical tips you can use tomorrow. Tune in and bring new life to your math lessons!

In this quick episode, we are diving into 3 unconventional ways to increase engagement in math class!

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Spin and Thread

Graphing Project

Addition and Subtraction Lessons

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Today's episode comes from a listener email about getting buy-in from other teachers to give BTC a try!

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K Task Bundle

1st Grade Task Bundle

2nd Grade Task Bundle

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Email me! lara@makingnumbersensemakesense.com

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Transforming your classroom into a Building Thinking Classroom is an exciting journey—but when it comes to consolidating learning and reflecting on problem-solving tasks, it can feel tricky with younger students. Between stamina struggles, time constraints, and building those metacognitive skills, what’s a teacher to do?

In this episode, we’re tackling those challenges with fun and effective strategies to wrap up your thinking tasks:

🌶️ Check Your Understanding Questions Use “mild,” “medium,” and “spicy” extension questions to give students a choice and push their thinking a little further.

🎲 Games for Consolidation Turn reflection time into play...

In this episode, we dive into how AI tools like ChatGPT can support teachers in crafting creative and engaging math tasks for Kindergarten, 1st-grade, and 2nd-grade students. While AI can’t replace the human magic you bring to your classroom, it can be a great brainstorming partner to help spark ideas, refine tasks, and create meaningful learning experiences.

🔑 Key Takeaways:

Looking for ways to make 2nd-grade math engaging and fun? In this episode, we’re sharing creative, story-based tasks that get your students excited about skip counting, place value, addition, subtraction, and more—all while building critical math skills!

Here’s what we’re covering:

🍊 Skip Counting at the Orange You Sweet Orange Factory—help your students count baskets of oranges in multiples of 5, 10, or 100.

👾 Place Value Party Planning with the Aliens of Countaria—can your students decode the alien languages and save the “Outta This World” Block Party?

🏴‍☠️ Treasure Hunt Adventures with Pirate Captain...

Today, we’re diving into something that every early elementary teacher has faced: coming up with the perfect math task—especially for those curious First Graders. Sometimes, it feels like the hardest part, right?

Well, no worries, because we’ve got some exciting, hands-on ideas to spark engagement and build math confidence in your students! We’ll talk about:

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📖 Story-Based Problems that bring math to life with fun narratives.

🔢 FREE 100 Chart Mysteries where your students will outsmart the 100 Chart Thief.

🍕 Pizza Fractions at the Dough-licious Pizzeria.

📏 Nonstandard M...

Sometimes coming up with a task for Kindergarten is the hardest part! In this episode, I share 7 tasks perfect for your kindergarten classroom in a building-thinking classrooms style! Dive into the world of playful, hands-on math tasks in this episode of Making Number Sense Make Sense! From counting and number writing with the mischievous dogs at Paw-some Pups Playhouse to solving addition problems with a broken cash register in "Cash Out," we’ll explore creative ways to engage young learners. Plus, hear how sorting toys, composing shapes, and comparing lengths bring math concepts to life through fun, story-driven activities. Wh...

The hardest part about Building Thinking Classrooms is finding the tasks when you want to spice it up a bit! In this episode, I'm walking you through how I approach coming up with ideas for tasks! Want the task I talked about? You can get the 2nd Grade Cash Out Task here! K and 1st Grade versions are below.

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BTC Free Task

BTC Starter...

Since you seemed to enjoy Math Games for Morning Meeting, this is a companion episode, not a math specific episode but helpful to create a respectful community so that all our academic work and be more successful! I'm going over packing up routines, closing circle routines, and how kids leave the classroom during dismissal.

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Truth. Kids don't need addition and subtraction symbols to do addition and subtraction symbols. But when they do, give them a little…spice.

Today we’re talking about how to give those squiggles meaning!

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Addition and Subtraction Lessons

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Subtraction games can be tricker than addition because we don’t want students working with negative numbers in Kindergarten or First grade! This episode shares 5 print-and-play math games you can use in your classroom tomorrow!

Your students will practice math facts, writing equations, working independently and with partners, freeing you to circulate or work with small groups!

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Timestamps

1:06 - Spin and Subtract

2:15 - Spin, Roll, and Color

3:14 - Build, Roll, and Break

I love a good game to have kids learning and practicing math! The applause my students give when in math center time is music to my ears!

These addition games are pretty simple and don't include a lot of varied directions, perfect to free you up to circulate the room if you need to or pull students one one-on-one or in a small group because they're engaged in these fast-paced games that are accessible to them and easy to differentiate.

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...

Sometimes you have the perfect lesson and crickets. Or… most of your students get it, but there are a handful who don’t. What do you do for them?

In this episode, I’m sharing tips to help your struggling mathematicians!

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As teachers, it's our job to be the ones doing the “teaching” but there is a lot we can learn from our students too! Far beyond the most recent slang or trending dance on social media!

Today I shared 4 things my students remind me of all the time!

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We know that differentiation is good for kids…but who has the time? These differentiation methods are quick and easy to implement in the classroom! You can see all of these ideas and differentiated centers on the blog!

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Dice Game Sampler Freebie

Pick Build and Cover 10 Frames

Number Rack, Rekenrek Differentiated Centers

Spin and Build

Pattern Block Roll, Count, and Co...

In this episode, I share some hands-on array math centers and a Building Thinking Classrooms Math Task involving arrays and unknown factors!

Big kids love centers too!

Get a free repeated addition task! Escaping Ants!

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YouTube Video

Array Bundle!

Roll an Array

Pick and Build Arrays

Spin, Multipliy and Find the Array

Empty The Board Multiplication

...

Do your 10 Frame centers need a refresh? In this episode, I share 10 plus warm-ups, math stations, and print-and-go activities involving 10 frames! If you want to know more about the benefits of 10 frames you can check out episode 30, All About 10 Frames!

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All the Activities

This week we are talking all about 10 frames! Ten frames are a math tool that can help students develop anchors to 5 and 10 which are important pre-place value skills! I levels of the concept of 10, and 5 frame, 10 frame, and 20 or double ten frame activities you can use in your classroom today!

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Get All the Activities

Quick Images 5, 10, 20 Frames

Pick, Build, Cover

Spin and Build

Roll...

Morning meeting is a great way to connect with your students and build a classroom community. There are times when you just play to play, but if you want to sneak in some math in the morning meeting, I have versatile 5 games for you to do just that!

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Time Stamps

1:00 In-and-Out Dance-A-Thon

2:33 What Number Am I Writing

3:52 Team Building

5:52 Catch My Pattern

6:47 What’s My Number

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Do you find your students are making the same mistakes over and over again? Using a worked-out example is a great way to have your students discuss different problem-solving strategies and techniques and helps them apply what they have learned to new problems! Learn about different worked examples and the impact they can have!

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Time Stamps

1:50 Fading Examples

2:44 Prompting Self Explanation

5:05 Comparing Examples

7:22 Which Type Do I Use

8:30 Conclusions

Are you looking for some math ideas for the 100th day of school? In this episode, I break down my favorite STEAM activities for the 100th day that your students will love! Every year, I get multiple student requests to keep the “centers” for math workshop because they enjoyed it so much!

Whether you take one idea or the whole bundle, these ideas are sure to be a hit with your students!

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Do you have a 100’s chart collecting dust up on your wall? I did too but it was a mistake! The 100s chart is a great tool for developing number sense! In this episode, I get into games you can play with the 100s chart, problem-solving tasks, hands-on math center, no prep math centers, and more all with the 100 and 120 charts!

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Timestamps

My history with the 100’s Chart

2:40 100’s Chart Morning Meeting and Group Games

5:43 Problem Solvin...

If you are looking for some recommendations of places to look to increase your knowledge of math pedagogy, center ideas, and more this episode is for you! I share with you how I first got my hands on a professional development book that I actually used and some others if you are looking to take your math knowledge to the next level.

Math can be a subject a lot of people don't feel comfortable teaching or learning and these books can give you the background and confidence to continue your journey as an amazing math teacher!

We all have off days, but sometimes your students are just not participating the way you would like in math and problem-solving. In this episode, I am sharing some tips you can try to help boost participation in your classroom!

Time Stamps

0:56 Non-Curricular Tasks

2:25 When in doubt, theme it out!

2:55 Ask questions

3:50 Give them a Job

6:00 Mistakes Help Our Brains Grow

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4 Non-Curricular Tasks Starter Pack

Gingerbread Man Task

Halloween Task

Blog Post

YouTube...

This episode comes from this YouTube video so you can see the games in action! Though some prefer to listen than watch!

Your students may know their numbers to 20 in the figurative counter stage, but can they use them? In this video, you will learn 4 games you can play with your students to help them develop more sophisticated counting strategies.

These games are perfect for students who are past the tricky teens and are starting to work on addition. Since the numbers are small, they can feel confident in their ability to answer, begin to...

If your students aren't available for learning, it doesn't matter how perfect your lesson is. In today's episode, I’m talking about Trauma Informed Practice and implementing mindfulness in the classroom. I’m giving you practical tips, examples, and a peek into the importance of a trauma-informed classroom.

Thank you to all of you who attended my Making Math Moment Talk I had a blast!

This will be the last episode of 2023, fill out the Google Form if you have episodes you’d like to hear from me! I’ll catch you in 2024!

Time Sta...

Get my complete counting stages presentation slides!

In this episode, I am giving you a sneak peek into the sessions I have my eye on in the Making Math Moments Virtual Summit. I’m looking at sessions on

✅Closing a Building Thinking Classrooms Math Lesson

✅Culturally Responsive Math Education

✅Math Play

✅ Children's books for math problems

✅Coding!

There are so many amazing sessions, register to get in on this amazing opportunity!

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Register for the FREE Making Math Moments Virtual Summit 2023!

Get my complete counting stages presentation slides!

In this week's episode, we’ll look into the last counting stage Facile Number Sequence. In this stage, of counting, we will really see students who are flexible in the way they solve problems!They can use a variety of non-count by ones strategies and we’ll go into what they are!

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Let...

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Get my complete counting stages presentation slides!

In this week's episode, we’ll look into the next counting stage Intermediate Number Sequence. In this stage, of counting, we will really start to see all of our hard work come together as students become more confident and successful problem solvers, specifically with subtraction!

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We...

Register for the FREE Making Math Moments Virtual Summit 2023!

Get my complete counting stages presentation slides!

In this week's episode, we’ll look into the next counting stage Initial Number Sequence. In this stage, of counting, we will really start to see all of our hard work come together as students become more confident and successful problem solvers.

We’ll Talk About…

✅Addtion strategies to look for

✅Other indicators of this stage

✅Centers to Support getting students to the next stage

✅The Making Math Moments Virtual Summit...

Register for the FREE Making Math Moments Virtual Summit 2023!

Get my complete counting stages presentation slides!

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In this week's episode, we are continuing our deep dive into learning trajectories for counting and how to teach counting and develop counting skills for young students. Counting is an area where students need a lot of practice to really develop their number sense and ability to count accurately.

Today's focus is Figurative Counters. I’ll go over what a fi...

Register for the FREE Making Math Moments Virtual Summit 2023!

Get my complete counting stages presentation slides!

In this week's episode, we are continuing our deep dive into learning trajectories for counting and how to teach counting and develop counting skills for young students. Counting is an area where students need a lot of practice to really develop their number sense and ability to count accurately.Today's focus is Perceptual counters. I’ll go over what a perceptual counter is, what to look for, and give you some ideas of math centers and activities you can do...

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Get my complete counting stages presentation slides!

Do you have students who are having trouble counting? This series will explore the stages of counting, how to identify the stages of your students, and what to do to support them through this stage and into the next one!

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Emergent Counters Blog Post

One to One Correspondence Blog Post

Emergent Counters Bundle

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While getting a refresher on Culturally Responsive Education, I realized how much the strategies in Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain match up with Building Thinking Classrooms, but Culturally Responsive Teaching was written at least 5 years before BTC.

Math is often a subject that is not known to be “Culturally Responsive.” Then why does BTC seem to work so well? In this episode, I outline the similarities and encourage you to try it in your classrooms through the lens of Culturally Responsive Education.

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Rounding out our number sense routine series is Choral Counting. This routine is great for focusing on specific number sequences that may be tricky for your students!I talk about what a choral count is, how to do a choral count, different ways to record your counts, and some ideas for varying your counts to support different areas of our number system.

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