SPELLING ACTIVITY - code

 Have fun practising specific spellings using this code.

NOUGHTS AND CROSSES SPELLING ACTIVITY

Play this Noughts and Crosses, replacing the O and X with two spellings that the student is learning. 

READING REVIEW DICE

VERBS

WRITING ACTIVITIES FOR RELUCTANT WRITERS

Many reluctant writers are not confident in their writing skills, finding writing both fiction and non- fiction daunting. I created the three resources below to develop writing skills with individual students.   As a tutor, I have found that each activity leads to an informative learning conversation with the student which naturally develops their skills and confidence.

NON-FICTION TEXT

The student researches and presents their information on a poster type format.  This strategy enables them to collect and organise their ideas and information.  For some students this activity can be an introduction to the use of paragraphs. 

DESCRIPTION WRITING FOLDABLE  

Encourage the student to create their own foldable and label it as below.  when it is complete the student can lift each flap to write words and ideas about their chosen subject, e.g. a pet.

 

Once the flaps have been completed, the student uses their ideas to write a descriptive paragraph in the centre of the foldable.

DIARAMAS

A diarama is a drawing of the setting of a story: a stage setting.  The student draws the setting of their story and creates cut out the characters to act our their story before or after writing.  This helps them to sequence their story, use a broader vocabulary and improve their writing.  

b and d Strategy - Mr Beady Eyes

Drawing Mr Beady Eyes can help students who confuse the letters b and d.

P.A.N.T.S PSCHE

SOLAR SYSTEM - MNEMONIC

MRS GREN - life processes

HANDWRITING DICE

To support students in developing their handwriting, I create handwriting dice, made from cardboard boxes which I dissemble and re-assemble inside out.  The students like the chunkiness of the dice and enjoy rolling the dice to see which pattern they are to practice.  It is more fun than traditional handwriting sheets.  You can also focus on a specific pattern e.g top joins, so that the activity is relevant to the individual student.

DIVIDING FRACTIONS - STICK - KISS - FLICK

FRACTIONS comparing and finding equivalent fractions

The  activity below is one that I frequently use to support individual students in understanding equivalent fractions and simplifying.  It also helps them link their knowledge of the multiplication tables to their understanding of fractions.  

FRACTION RAINBOWS

COMPARING FRACTIONS

This strategy is great if the student is asked to compare or order fractions. 

A game I like to play with my students is to make a fraction with playing cards and pencils.   The winner is the player with the largest fraction.  This game can also be used to practice improper fractions and mixed numbers.  

FIGURE ME OUT

FIGURE ME OUT

Using the template, inform others about you by creating sums.

 For example: My age 7x7 + 3²

^{Draw a picture of yourself in the centre box}

FIGURE ME OUT
My age	My shoe size	My house number
The day of the month I was born	This is me	The number of students in my class
The number of people in my family		The number of letters in my name
The number of pets I own	My height	My favourite number

3D SHAPE VOCABULARY

Making this 3-D visual aid has supported my students in learning and using 3-D vocabulary.  The Visual aid can be folded flat and stuck into books for future reference. 

ANGLES IN YOUR HAND

I have introduced students to the fact that they can estimate if an angle is 90, 60, 45 or 30 degrees by using their hands.  

Once they have become familiar with this, they can use the information to estimate larger angles.  Answering questions about data on a pie chart is an example when this knowledge could be applied by the student.  

TELLING TIME

TIME FLOWERS

I have used the time flowers with my individual students.  Use the template to include past and to, half past, quarter to and quarter past as well as 24 hour time telling.   Often the students have found completing the template themselves a useful learning activity.

PAPER PLATE CLOCKS

Making their own individual paper plate clocks is another way for students to practice their time telling.  The example below is one created by student G.  As you can see, G has added and adapted the clock to support her understanding.

Do you notice the hook ⤦ on the hour hand?  It was added to help G when to determined what the hour was.   For example, the clock was set to 3:50 and G was asked to say what the time was.  She used the hook to avoid confusing the hours between 3 and 4.  In the photo, G can clearly see that the hour is 11 rather than 12. 

Another way, to support students with identifying the hour is to make a hook with a pipe cleaner and add it to a wall clock. 

MULTIPLICATION SCRIBBLE

This is a fun activity to help students learn a specific multiplication table or facts. 
Draw a scribble that is 'large' spaces and write the multiplication facts in  a space. (Many of my students like to draw their own scribble and will often write multiplication facts that challenge them).   The student then fills that space with the answer. 

The completed scribbles can be used as part of a display or learning wall. 

HALVING HANDS - multiples of ten

One of my students came up with this creative and resourceful strategy for halving multiples of ten.  I have used it with other students who have found it useful too. 


When asked to half 30, H hold up three fingers.  She then counted in 5s and answered 15.  H  also uses this strategy when asked to halve 36, etc.

 To find the answer, halve of 70, H would hold up seven fingers and count to 5 and correctly answer 35.  

MULTIPLICATION HANDS- a useful strategy for recalling multiplication facts for 6x, 7x, 8x and 9x

When a student is finding it difficult to recall the multiplication facts quickly and with confidence try introducing this strategy to them.  With practice, they will be able to answer those  trickier 6x, 7x 8x and 9x questions with speed.

In the first example, the student is asked to answer 7 x 8.  

• The student puts both hands together, facing up.  The little fingers are 10, the ring finger is 9, middle fingers are 8, index fingers are 7 and the thumbs are 6.  
• On the left hand, fingers 6 and 7 are hold down; on the right hand fingers 8,7 and 6 are hold down. ( As 7 x 8 and 8 x 7 have the same answer the hands can be reversed).  I have used stickers instead of holding the fingers down as an alternative. 
• Next the student counts the fingers hold down by multiples of 10 - in this example 10, 20, 30, 40, 50.  The student records 50.
•  Then the student multiplies the number of fingers on the left hand that are not being hold down by the number of fingers on the right hand that are not being hold down.  In this case: 3 x 2 = 6.  The student records the number 6.
• Finally the student adds the two numbers together: 50 + 6 = 56

Here is another example:

I briefly mentioned that I have used stickers on fingers instead of holding them down, especially if the student finds that difficult.  I have also got the students to draw around their hands, cut them out and stick them onto card.  (Make sure that the fingers are not stuck down so that they can be folded).  In fact, I have found it useful to keep a pair of my "paper hands" close by when I am teaching.