Does anyone use this series? This will be the first year in our schools and I know that every student gets their own manipulative kit. I need ideas for storage or how you organize them... Thanks!
This fall will be our 3rd year using Math Expressions. I don't know if they have changed things, but the kids don't get their own manipulative kits with the materials we have. The materials come in a large plastic bin, which I keep everything stored in. At our school, each student is required to have a pencil box at the beginning of the year, which I use as a "math box" to hold the manipulatives (I do communal supplies so they don't need the pencil box for art supplies). I keep all of the math boxes in a closet and take them out during math time. The tricky thing is that they only need some materials for some lessons. So, I put each of the different mainpulatives in ziploc bags. (I use the bags that have the little sliders and I cut a small triangle out of the side so that air doesn't get trapped inside.) At the beginning of the year I only put a bag of number tiles 1-10 in their math boxes. If I put everything that they will need for the year in their math box they would have too much to look through to find what they really need. Also, for some of the lessons they don't provide enough materials for all students to have their own, so they have to pair up and share (which doesn't make sense!). Maybe they have changed things, though, so you will get the individual kits, but I haven't heard of this before...
At our training, they showed us the kits that the manipulatives come in. They also told us we were not supposed to put them all together but to keep them individual. They are plastic velcro bags that you can see through. I am worried about giving them the kits thinking that it will take forever to only get out what we need at the beginning of the year!
My principal e-mailed me and said this is the math text we use. It's my first year, so I don't think I will get a training on it, just information from the other teachers. Anything you can tell me about it?
Wow, that's interesting. That's neat that they have enough materials for each child (hopefully). It's so frustrating doing the money and patterning with pattern blocks, because there aren't enough for everyone (and my district ordered FULL sets). I would be worried about giving them the full kits, too. Is everything mixed together, or is it all in separate bags within the velcro bags?
It is all mixed up into on bag! I thought about getting buckets and putting it under the tables (they grouped in groups of 6) We are supposed to have enough materials for everyone. What I am really hoping is that I have some of the materials already and we will use those since they are already out and seperated. They told us not to seperate them but I am tempted to do so anyways. Miss KinderK- I am not much help on how to explain it since I am still learning myself! Sorry!
