XtraMath! Free Math Fact Fluency Practice!

My students and I love XtraMath and can't believe that it is actually free! I've been using XtraMath in my classroom since last school year! It's a web-based math fact practice program that builds your students' math fact fluency in addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division. 

One session lasts approximately 8-10 minutes. My students do one session every day. I just love the format of this program.

If a student does not answer the math fact within the allowed time, the answer will faintly appear as you see below allowing the student to answer the math correctly. This helps the student to learn the fact. The keypad to the right can be hidden for students that prefer to use the computer keyboard to answer.

If students key in an incorrect answer, the incorrect answer will show as wrong, as well as the correct answer for the student to enter.

Students can see the ones they've mastered in green and the ones they will be working on next in gray.

 In the Race the Teacher session, targeted facts are repeated over and over each time they are answered incorrectly, providing a great amount of repetition for your students. 

 Students receive feedback throughout their session!

 And yes, this free site also provides simple "to the point" class or individual reports. Navigation through the site, printing reports and changing students' program is super quick and easy!

On the individual student report I can see exactly which facts my student needs more practice on. I can see the ones correct, incorrect, and the facts they were timed out on. 

Students can also do XtraMath at home and parents can monitor the reports too!

I have Scholastic FASTT MATH available at my school and my students and I still prefer to use this free site! I love the repetition it provides, the teaching of each fact, the reports, the student feedback, the parent involvement, and the simple navigation!!! 

Check out XtraMath for your classroom here!

FREEBIE FRIDAY WITH THREE

Today has been a very somber day. I arrived at school this morning to hear that one of my teacher colleagues was killed last night in a car accident. His wife is also a teacher at my school and was not in the car with him. It has been a very sad day and will have some difficult times ahead of us in the following weeks.

The computer is always my escape because it always seems to take my mind off of things. I've been excited all week to link up and share 3 freebies with you this week. I tell ya, I'm becoming obsessed with this design stuff!! It's ADDICTING! I can't stop. I just want to keep designing one project after another! Now that I'm finally accumulating some clipart and fonts to work with, I must say that these are my best two creations yet! 

Freebie #1: Click {here}

Freebie #2: Click {here}

Freebie #3: Click {here}
This is a great activity for beginning writers. I have attempted to upload this as an editable version, so that you can type in the words of your choice (e.g. Today is Monday). I hope it opens for you as an editable document, as this is my first time attempting to do this. If not, let me know and I can try again....or you can always white out "type word here" and write your words in. Be sure to scramble the words you put in, so students have to unscramble them to form the sentence at the top. 

I hope you enjoy these freebies and can use at least one if not all three for your classroom! I would love for you to comment with any feedback! It would make my night!! :) 

Now for some fabulous giveaway (((shoutouts)))!!! 
Another fabulous find tonight for more freebies is "the school blog addict." I found this blog tonight through Freebie Friday.....and I love this blog!!!! Plus, she is the creator of Ashley Hughes Clipart, which is lovely by the way! 

She is also giving away this huge alphabet bundle right now!!!!

Another you definitely don't want to miss out on.........
the giveaway from "Learning with Mrs. Leeby." 

Speaking of GIVEAWAY'S........I'm coming up on 100 followers very quickly........and was wondering if any of you out there are interested in supporting me in a giveaway!!! 

Oh, and one more thing........I just started "The Bender Bunch" facebook page lastnight! I'm still working on adding a link to my blog, but would love it if you checked out my page and "liked" it   {here}.

FEATURED AND AN ADDITION FREEBIE

Hi! I'm so excited to be featured today on Amanda's BUDDING BLOGGER SHOWCASE SERIES over at "Teaching Maddeness!" 
Thanks Amanda! 
I love her blog.....she has alot of great things going on.
If you didn't find me through her post.....be sure to visit her and read my featured post!! 
If you did find me through her featured post....thanks for hopping over!

I hope you will be able to use this FREEbie that all of you inspired me to make lastnight. I am new to design, but if I must say so myself......
I'm getting better!!!

You can go {here}to get the Freebie!

FEBRUARY MONDAY MADE IT!

So excited to link up with Tara for Monday Made It again..........especially since it is only once a month now. I am getting so many fabulous ideas and goodies from all of you wonderful bloggers out there! It has truly been very inspiring! I have become obsessed with making things! 

Here are a few of the things I have been making.

First, I made these computer log on cards for my students. With all of our programs, the students log in with their name and their student #. The log on cards I had before were not working so well because the font was too small. They were also very flimsy and printed on regular paper. These are much larger and on laminated card stock. I spaced each number so that the students can follow each number easily when typing it in on the keypad.

1-10 Valentines Count & Match

These are heart die cuts from Carson Dellosa that I just happened to find when going through some of my junk last week. For the dots I used a hole puncher. I had a pic for you of the whole set, but accidentally deleted it........that's typical of me. Me & technology are not the best of friends!




I have one student that cannot seem to master her math facts no matter what I do! So I made these for her nightly homework practice......let's see if this works! Click {here} to grab these!

Magic Money Pictures Center Folders

I love these! What a fun idea from Karla @ "The Connected Teacher." As students count the money in each rectangle, they color in that amount on the mystery sheet to reveal a picture when they're done!
Karla uses them in sheet protectors, but as you can see, I made them into center folders. I used green folders from Office Max and laminated them. Students will color in the mystery picture with a dry erase marker. I have been using these for a couple of weeks and it has really motivated my students to learn money.

Winter Fun Count & Match

This is too cute! And came from Amy @ 3am Creations. She has some wonderful creations! I was able to get it free from Freebie Friday, but it is available at her TpT store for only $2.00. Go {here} to get it. Even though you're getting away from winter themes now, you can get it for next year! Students count the buttons & match to the correct number. Although I did not design these......there was some assembly required. Cut, fold, glue, & laminate to end up with your cute little matching cards. I then put them in coin envelopes like below for my centers. I prefer these over baggies and use them for everything that will fit and they come in many sizes!

A cute Valentine poem to give your students for a "No Homework Day!"

Last, I put together four more math centers!
If you haven't visited www.K-5mathteachingresources.com, you need to! This site is loaded with free hands-on math centers! I just print them on cardstock, laminate them, and place them in a folder with the required manipulatives in a baggie that I staple inside the folder.

Oh, I almost forgot to show you one other thing I made! My "BLOOMIN' BLOGGER SUNDAYS" button.




This is a weekly blog post where every Sunday I post a tip or how-to for new bloggers. Stop by and check it out! 

Well that concludes my Monday Made It. Can't wait to see what everyone else has been making!! 

BLOOMIN' BLOGGER SUNDAYS & FREEBIE

Welcome to "BLOOMIN' BLOGGER SUNDAYS" where every Sunday you can stop by and pick up a new blogging tip or two! 

I started this weekly featured post because I too, am new to blogging and wanted to be able to share the things I am learning each week with other new bloggers. Learning the tips & tricks to blogging can be very time consuming & exhausting......so now you can save some of that exhaustion by stopping by my blog every Sunday! 

It will also hold me accountable for one of my blogging New Years Resolutions, which was to make at least one post every week! 

Now on to the tip of the week.........

 Bloomin' Tip #2:
Today I will share with you how to take the graphic design we made last week (or another), resize it, and so you can use it as your "Blog Button." 

You will need:
A photo editing program- I use Gimp 2. You can download it for free {here}. 
Your graphic design

Step 1: Open the graphic design you made in PowerPoint and save it as a png file to your computer. 

Step 2: Open Gimp 2 that you downloaded above.

Step 3:  In the Gimp toolbar, click on 
>file, then
>open
>locate the graphic design that you saved as png to your computer  (this will be found wherever you saved your image)
>double-click your image. It will now be displayed in GIMP.

Step 4: In the GIMP picture toolbar, click
>image
>scale image

The "scale image" screen will open. 

Step 5: Change the height and width to a size between 125 & 175. Height and width should be the same so that your button is a perfect square, and click
>scale

Tip: According to the research I found when I made my button......the size of your button should be 125x125, however,

I found this to be too small when I inserted my button on my blog. So my blog button is 175x175. You may have to play around with this to get the appropriate size.

Step 6: Click
>File
>Save as, 
>Change the name. Do not save it as the same name of your original image you started with in case you need to revert back to the original. 
>Click save. 
A "save as png" window will appear. 
>Click save.

Step 7: Now you will need to go to a Photo Hosting Website of your preference to get an html code for your new button. I use www.photobucket.com. You will need to create an account, but it's FREE! 

Step 8: Photobucket Steps
>Click upload
>Browse files
>Locate the graphic design you resized and saved, and double click.
It will appear in your library at the bottom of the screen.
>Click your image
>To the right, under "image links," click HTML Code

Step 9: Now to insert it into your blog.
>Go to your blogger dashboard, click 
>Layout
>Add a gadget
>Scroll down & click on "html/javascript"

The html/javascript screen will be displayed

>Give a title (e.g. my button, grab my button, etc.)
>In "Content" right click and paste your the html code you got from photobucket.
>Click save
>Drag & slide your button where you want it positioned on your blog.
>Click save arrangement. 

That is it! You now have a lovely blog button, so that others can easily identify you and share your blog with others. 

I hope these steps worked and walked you through with ease! If you have any difficulty feel free to leave me a message and I will do my best to assist you! 

STAY TUNED NEXT SUNDAY FOR HOW TO ADD PINTEREST BUTTONS TO YOUR BLOG! 

If you made it through this & still have your wits......you definitely deserve a FREEBIE...............

Here I have for you "Addition Fact Homework Practice" 1-10. I have a student that cannot seem to master her math facts, so I came up with this for her nightly homework. I send the same fact sheet home everynight until the student has mastered those facts. It only took her two weeks to master the 2's. 

Click {here} to download this FREEbie! Thanks for stopping by and I hope you will spread the word about my weekly "BLOOMIN' BLOGGER SUNDAYS!"