November BUILD Math Tubs

We got started on our November BUILD tubs today and I loved watching my kids transition so seamlessly this time around. Last year, since I started BUILD in December, it really took a few months for my kids to get their groove. This year, since I started in August, I feel like they really got the hang of it this time around. I pointed out how some of the games were the same and we talked about how the different numbers represented a different activity (B-Buddy Game, always tubs 1 &6, U-Using Manipulatives, always tubs 2&7..etc). If you want to read more about the logistics of how I set up BUILD tubs, you can refer back to this post. 

Starting with November Buddy Games, they played “Turkey” and “Turkey Bingo”.

The game “Turkey” is just like the other games throughout all of my other months. The name of the game and the skill changes from month to month but the concept of the game (keep 10 cards without drawing the picture card and you win) stays the same throughout each month. I don’t have to explain the game to them every time. I just tell them the skill and what the name of the game is. This month, the skill is subitizing.

Bingo is a game that most kids know how to play. I typically try and keep the second game of the units one that kids have played before…like memory or bingo. For this game, they had to practice reading their number words and then marking them on their game board. The numbers were all represented differently (numbers, ten frames, tally marks, dice, dominoes…etc).

The Using Manipulative Tubs were Pattern Blocks (like they are every month) and “Festive Frames”. The pattern blocks were the shapes of a scarecrow and a turkey. If they have time, then they fill out the Pattern Block page where they have to count the shapes. Some kids are quick enough that they are ready for it, and others aren’t as fast…which is fine.

We’ve been working a lot on ten frames. I think it’s still too early because I haven’t found any fun counters or erasers for this month yet. I looked at Party City and Target…let me know if you’ve seen some! For now, we are just using the acorn counters that I included in the unit. They build the number with the acorn counters and then record the number and ten frame on their page. Of course, you don’t have to put the recording page in. You can just have them build the numbers.

For Independent Reading, I always have them complete an emergent reader and put a book-let together.

For the emergent reader, they completed “Turkey Teens”. Each page, there is a ten frame and then counters on the feathers. They count up from ten and then plug it in to an addition problem.

We are starting to learn about addition facts and putting together two groups. “Food Facts” is a little book-let they complete and then put the sums in order from least to greatest. Something about making their own tiny book-let is really exciting for them. I think it’s mostly the idea of getting to use the stapler 🙂

For Learning About Numbers, they completed “Delicious Numbers” and “Countin’ and Cookin”. For the first activity, they have to match up the number, ten frame, dice, tally mark and number word. I snapped this picture right when they started so I didn’t get a finished picture. This station probably took the longest. Again, if you don’t want them to have the recording page, you can just have them match up the numbers because it does take a little longer than the other ones. 

You can do this next tub a few different ways. My kids are really loving expo markers at the moment so I laminated the cards and gave them expo markers and let them circle the number to match the set. You can also use the clothespin method where they clip the number. Another option is to put them around the room and let them hunt for them and circle the number with an expo marker and record it on the page.

I picked “Acorn Addition” and “Scared to Compare” for Doing Math since these are concepts that are fresh.

For this activity, they color the greater number.

For “Acorn Addition”, you need to give them a paperclip for the spinner at the top of the page. They add the number of acorns they spin to the first number. Then, they fill out the ten frame to match the sum.

These have been some of my favorite math stations so far! I’m so glad I remembered to pull out my camera and snap some pictures to share. You can find all of these stations plus more in my November Math BUILD stations unit.