Marshmallow Multiplication

After we completed our Pirate's Plunder STEM activity, I had tons of marshmallows left over. So I started brainstorming on how I could use them...of course as teachers, nothing goes to waste!

I pull one small group every day. I have them grouped by ability and I usually pull my lower group to the back table first every week. We do this at the beginning of every lesson while the other kiddos are working on dailies and early finisher activities. I usually spend 20 minutes of my lesson with the small group while the others are doing math stations/early finishers.

We began multiplication this week, so I took some cupcake liners and combined them with the mini-marshmallows and instantly I had kiddos ready to make equal groups of 2. This turned out to be a perfect small group activity and took less than 20 minutes!

I demonstrated the first couple to get the kiddos started. We put one marshmallow in each of the cupcake liners. Then, they drew a dot to represent the marshmallow inside the circle for the model on their recording sheet. They reasoned that the total marshmallows were 2 -- which is the product of 2 x 1. We completed a few more together and then they took off! They eagerly completed the activity with ease. The kiddos loved using the marshmallows and even some of my struggling students were able to pick up on the pattern of counting by 2's.

If you want the Marshmallow Multiplication Sheet to use for your small group time, grab it for free here:

Marshmallow Multiplication

New Year, New Goals for the Kiddos!

As I reflected over student achievement during the holidays...I realized I needed to do something different because they were just not taking enough ownership for their work...more importantly...the quality of their work.

Many teachers are proficient at allowing students to track data, set goals, etc....and sadly, I just haven't taken the time to do so. This struggle is REAL.

I resolved to make sure my kiddos were invested in their learning this semester. Even if that meant giving up a little teaching time.

I devised a booklet that requires students to draw and color a "selfie" of themselves. Then, I sat down with students one by one to have them write goals for each subject along with completing a checklist for achieving the goals. I put students to work on a project to provide time for me to conference with each kiddo. I spent about 5-7 minutes with each student discussing their grades, areas needed to improve and how they can achieve their goals.

I decided to display them in class by hanging a string across my windows. I have 3 classes and luckily...3 windows...Clearly, it was meant to be! Hanging them in class is a reminder to them and also makes them accessible for graphing our tests.

Surprisingly, they were not only receptive, but excited. Yes! They have been improving the quality of their work, taking more time for assignments, and paying attention. If you have considered doing this, but was afraid of the time constraints...trust me...it is proving to be worth it!

This booklet is available for you to download for FREE from my TPT store. I hope that it helps your kiddos take more ownership in their education and improve their performance.

Grab the booklet HERE!

Happy New Year!