Blog - Sum Math Fun

Need an Early Finisher “Stash”? No Problem!

Here’s an idea for engaging early finishers! It’s quick, easy, fun, and very versatile. It’s wonderful for having students apply math vocabulary, computation, and place value as well as other skills. If you need more ideas for your early finishers, check out this post. Introduce the free early finisher tasks below. Do a few “practice rounds”. Then, let your kids build your Early Finisher Stash while you’re free to work with small groups, monitor your stations, or those students who are still working independently! HOW TO BUILD YOUR EARLY FINISHER STASH: Use a die-cut to cut out different shapes from… Read More

Meeting the Needs of Young Mathematicians

My young mathematicians were obvious. They finished everything not only quickly but also correctly. I was a beginning teacher and had no idea what to do with them. So they waited. Luckily they were all very well behaved – and bored. There were sooo many different levels of math students in my classroom. I knew I had to give my strugglers extra time. What should I do with these young mathematicians? The ones who learned and understood immediately. The ones who were possibly gifted mathematicians? The ones who finished all of their work before I could finish passing out assignments? They… Read More

Early Finishers Solved! No More, “I’m Done!”

It happens with every assignment, in every class. Early finishers, fast finishers, the speedsters, whatever you call them, they show up. They can add so much to a classroom, but what do you do with them when they’re, “Done!”? I don’t want early finishers wasting their time just sitting. I don’t want to give them busy work. I don’t want to give them just more of the same. I don’t want them to take out their library book and read, or to finish their social studies homework now. Nope! It’s math class time and I want early finishers engaged in meaningful… Read More