Top 10 Tips for a New Math Program

With most states beginning to implement the Common Core State Standards for math, many teachers are struggling to make sense of new objectives while at the same time adjusting to teaching an entirely new math curriculum.  

How well I remember those long nights preparing for the next day's lesson. Forget about planning ahead; it felt as if I could barely keep my head above water. Many times I've found myself at a loss as to how to get through those trying times. 

For those of you in those same shoes, you are in good company. Forty-six other states are going through the same birth pangs of implementing the new standards.  

May I offer a bit of advice and a lot of heart felt encouragement to help you get through the first critical weeks of your new math program?   Here are my top 10 tips:  

• Give it time.  Mathematical proficiency doesn't happen overnight...for students or their teachers. There will be a learning curve with any new curriculum. Accept that right up front. It takes time to adjust to a new way of thinking.

• Follow the program.  Lots of research went in to creating, developing, organizing, and publishing it. Trust the work that they have done. There will be time later for you to tweak it to better fit your needs.

• Don't despair.  A little patience and a lot of diligence goes a long way. It will get easier as you go along.

• Use your professional judgment.  You know when something is working or whether you need to step back and redirect. Follow your instincts.

• Collaborate.  Don't go it alone. Ask for help, talk to others, seek advice. Share your grins and your groans.

• Reflect.  Take a critical look at each lesson when its done. What worked? What didn't? How can you improve the lesson the next time you teach it? 

• Don't be afraid to fail.  Sometimes we learn our best lessons from our biggest goofs. Learn from it, move on, and make tomorrow's lesson better.

• Prepare well.  Give it your best shot. Your students deserve nothing less. Now is not the time to wing it. It takes time and effort to build new routines.

• Read the teacher notes.  ALL of them...BEFORE the lesson. They will often get you out of a jam or prevent you from ever getting into one in the first place.

• Keep your eye on the objective.  It's really not about you. Accept that things may be a little rocky at first and that you are learning along with your students. Allow yourself the time to learn. You will look back and realize that you have come a long way and your students are better for it!  And remember...learning is as much about the process as it is about the product.

Hang in there...and keep on teaching the math! :)

Common Core Resources

There is an awful lot of hype these days over the implementation of the new Common Core Standards. Teachers have been scrambling to gather materials, lessons, assessments, etc. to get ready for the upcoming fall implementation.  In order to make this process a little less overwhelming and a little more teacher-friendly, a few of my blogger friends and I are collaborating on a set of blogs that are sure to become a great place for you to find common core resources.


Common Core Classrooms will assist teachers as they plan and prepare for the school year.  The posts are labeled according to the standards which they address.  Many bloggers, including myself, will be adding posts regularly that will provide teachers with the best of the best ideas, products, and freebies to help with common core implementation.


Common Core Kids is a blog by the same authors designed to assist parents with school age children. If you are a teacher, you will want to be sure to pass this blog along to the parents of your students. We hope to make this a parent friendly site where they can get great information to help them understand the common core expectations and to help their children succeed in school.


Be sure to follow the blogs and check them often for the latest and best information from some of the best blogger/teachers across the country. We can all use a little nudge in the right direction to get us fully on board with what the common core standards require! And by all means, let us know what you would like to see as a focus on the blog! We value your opinion!

Can you name that number?

Hi all!! I am Caitlin from Kindergarten Smiles! I am so thankful that Penny has allowed me to come share with you today! 

This summer I have spent a good amount of time going over the Common Core math standards. There are a couple things I am surprised about--patterns and time are no longer required in Kindergarten; however, for the most part I am very excited to fully implement these new standards in my classroom. 

I think Common Core is giving us the chance to slow down and REALLY teach children numbers and their meaning. Students will come out of Kindergarten with mastery skills that will allow them to succeed in math throughout their schooling. 

I wanted to share with you a math game that you can play with your students in a small group. This game will help your students recognize and count numbers 1-100. You can also use the number cards in various ways:

-Have students pick a card and start counting from that number  

  (K.CC.2)
-Put numbers in order 1-100 (K.CC.1)
-Use number cards 1-20. Have students draw a card and count out 

  that many unifix cubes (K.CC.4)
-Use number cards 1-20. Have students draw a card and write that 

  number 3 times (K.CC.3)

I can go on and on.....Click the picture below to grab your FREEBIE! 

Another BIG thank you to Penny for giving me the opportunity to guest blog today :) I hope you will come visit me over at Kindergarten Smiles!

Common Core App

I added a Common Core App to the blog as a useful tool when you need to reference the standards.  It is very user friendly.  You can find it along the far edge of your screen beyond the sidebar.  Give it a try. ----------->


In fact, you can even download the app to your smart phone.  For iPhone users, click here. Android users can click here.  It may not be your most frequently used app, but it does come in handy when you need a quick on-the-go reference.