Musical Math

Apparently, I’m all about math this weekend.

Let me tell you a secret.

I struggle when I teach math.

I do.

It doesn’t come easy to me.  It’s just not natural for me.  I don’t have a math brain.  I don’t think in numbers, ever.  Make a ten?  Nope.  Why?  I’ll just add it the long way.  Think addition to subtract?  Nah.  Why?  I’ll just use my fingers.

I’m not kidding.  I’m keeping it real here, people.

So let’s all take a moment and praise the good Lord I teach first grade math and nothing higher.

That’s not to say I’m incompetent.  I’m not.  I’m perfectly capable and I do teach math and my kids do learn.

But it’s not my favorite.

There.  I said it.

It’s not.  Although, oddly enough, the majority of my kids say it’s their favorite time of the day so standing on my head and having paper snowball fights with numbers must be really working.

 

SO!

One thing that saves me is . . . MUSIC!  I’ve told you multiple times how much I love using music in my room.  I have an iPod (actually, it’s an old iPhone) just for my classroom.  I have over 100 playlists on it and I use it every.single.day without fail.  Music makes me happy, it makes my kids happy, it makes my classroom happy.

And music is powerful when it comes to learning!

SO . . . I had to get Musical Math Volume 2 from HeidiSongs as soon as it was released!

And let me tell you —- my non-math brain is all over it!  There are 26 songs and they are catchy and fun and just perfect.

From adding to shapes to solids . . . it’s all there.  The songs I’ll be playing a lot this week are The Pattern of the Hundreds Chart and What is Place Value? and Get on the Tens’ Bus.

Coming up will be fractions, telling time, and measurement.  Yep.  There are songs for each of those concepts, too!

It helps me, it helps the kids . . . it’s a fun way to warm up our brains, as well as transition to the carpet, walk in line, etc.

Thank goodness for this second volume of Musical Math.

Because it makes me look good.

And it makes me like math.

A little bit.

😉

Do you like teaching math?  Got any other tips for getting me excited about it???