Rocket Math Adds Beginning Numerals & Counting Program

Posted on June 13, 2019April 14, 2021 by Dr. Don

Beginning Numerals and Counting

Dr. Don has created another math program and put it into the Universal level virtual filing cabinet at Rocket Math. This is a beginning program for kindergarten students and is to help them learn counting and numerals. That means they can’t learn on their own, the teacher must provide instruction. Teachers can use the counting objects kindergarten worksheets to effectively teach students to count objects aloud and then match the word with the numeral. You can see the top half of Worksheet A above.

If you’re already a Rocket Math Universal Level subscriber, you can find the worksheet in your virtual filing cabinet. Not a subscriber yet? Get the counting worksheets.

I Do: Demonstration of Counting

Each worksheet begins with a demonstration of counting objects and circling the numeral that matches. On Worksheet A, there are only the numerals two and three to learn. The teacher demonstrates (best with a document camera so all students can see) how she counts the objects and then points out that the answer is circled. Suggested teaching language is something like this,

“I can do these. Watch me count the frogs. One, two, three.. There are three frogs in this box. So they circled the three. Everybody, touch here where the three is circled. Good.

How many frogs were in this box, everybody? Yes, three.

Now watch me do the next box.”

We Do: Counting Together

In the “We Do” portion of the worksheet, the teacher counts the stars first as a demo and then with the students. Worksheet A you all just count three stars. Suggested teaching language is something like this:

“Our ‘We Do’ says to touch and count. Start at zero and count each star.

We are going to touch and count the stars. Put your counting finger on zero,

everybody. We are going to start at zero and count each star. Let’s count.

One, two, three. We counted three stars. That was great!

Let’s do it again! Fingers on zero, everybody. Let’s count. One…”

By Worksheet S the teacher and the students are counting 12 stars together.

The program has a page of teacher directions with suggested language for teaching the worksheets.

You Do: Independent Counting

In the “You do” portion of the worksheet (after learning the numerals with the teacher), the students are asked to count the items in each box and circle the correct number. They are not asked to form the numerals–that’s numeral writing skill. They just identify the numeral and circle it. Besides cute items, there are also dice to count, fingers to count, and hash marks to count–so students can learn multiple ways of keeping track of numbers.

Passing a level requires 100% accuracy. Students who make any errors should be worked with until they can complete the worksheet independently and get all the items correct.

Rocket Math’s Counting objects worksheets for Kindergarten

This Beginning numerals program will build strong beginning math skills for kindergarten students learning the meaning of numerals. Combined with Rocket Writing for Numerals it will set students up for success in elementary math.

If you’re already a Rocket Math Universal Level subscriber, you can find the worksheet in your virtual filing cabinet [use your link]. Not a subscriber yet? Get the counting worksheets.

Students work with together to learn how to write their numbers.

Fact Families (+ & -) for 1st and 2nd grade

Posted on August 3, 2018 by Dr. Don

Learn Fact Families to fluency with Rocket Math!

Fact Families Part Two 11 to 18 (add & subtract). A fact family includes both addition and subtraction facts. This program is Part 2 of Fact Families, coming after Fact Families 1 to 10. You can see to the left the 18 examples of fact families taught in this program starting with Set A; 11-2, 11-9, 9+2, & 2+9. The sheet shows the sequence of learning facts in the new Rocket Math program Fact Families Part Two 11 to 18 (+, -). Each set that students learn from A to R adds just one fact family to be learned, so it isn’t too hard to remember. (That’s the Rocket Math secret ingredient!)

Learning math facts in families, is gaining in popularity these days. Logic suggests that this would be an easier way to learn. However, the research is not definitive that this is easier or a faster way to learn facts than separating the operations and learning all addition facts first and then learning all subtraction facts. But learning in fact families is a viable option, and I wanted to have it available for Rocket Math customers.

Part Two is a Best fit for second grade. These facts come after the facts in 1 to 10, typically learned in first grade, so these are best for second grade. The 25 fact families in 1s through 10s facts are just enough for one Rocket Math program. It is a good and sufficient accomplishment for first grade. With the 11 to 18 in Par Two for second grade there will be a lot of review. In fact sets S through Z are all review. I have heard that some first grades prefer to keep the numbers small but to learn both addition and subtraction–so this program accomplishes that.

I added Fact Families Part Two 11 to 18 (+, -) to the Universal subscription in August of 2018 bringing the total number of programs in the Universal subscription to 19 (the basic four operations and 15 more!). As always, new programs are added to the Universal subscription without additional cost as soon as they are available.

I most sincerely want students to be successful and to enjoy (as much as possible) the necessary chore of learning math facts to automaticity. Please give me feedback when you use this new program, Fact Families 11 to 18 (+, -), as to how it goes for the students.

Looking for free math worksheets?

Posted on October 26, 2017May 8, 2019 by Dr. Don

Do you want your students to learn OR are you just keeping them busy?

It’s OK if you need busywork.

It’s critical to keep some of your students occupied in order for you to have the peace and quiet you need to teach other students. Those free math worksheets of random facts are fine for busywork, provided students already know the facts.

Get a 60 day trial for only $13

BUT

(and this is a big but) if you want students to actually learn facts, you need math worksheets that are more systematic than the usual fact practice worksheets. A random mix of problems (on those free math worksheets) is fine for practicing what you already know, but it is USELESS for learning new facts.

Students who don’t know their facts are left painfully counting on their fingers to do their “work.” This just wastes their time and makes them come to HATE math.

I know, because I made my students do it for years. 🙁

I discovered that with systematic practice students can actually learn math facts!

In order to learn new facts students must concentrate on a few they don’t know and practice those particular facts until they know them “by memory” without having to figure them out. After students have learned those they can then tackle a few more. That’s the only way to learn a bunch of facts. That’s what Rocket Math does. Watch this video to see it in action.

Rocket Math worksheets are not free, but they will actually teach.

Each sheet (A-Z) adds two new facts and their reverses, making the process of learning them painless. By the time students have worked their way through the A-Z worksheets of an operation they know the facts “by heart” or as the Common Core calls it “by memory.”

If LEARNING is your goal, you’ll need something more effective than the free math worksheets.

Rocket Math has a MONEY-BACK guarantee.

If you spend the $13 to get a trial subscription and you decide Rocket Math doesn’t work or you don’t want to use the program, we’ll gladly refund your money.

Plus

Students have more fun and learn better when they are practicing orally, with a partner so they can get corrections and extra teaching on any facts they don’t know well. That is part of how Rocket Math works. So it won’t just be busywork. Your students will actually learn the facts and be proud of it.

worksheets