TOP TEN WAYS TO USE PRINTABLE MATH TASK CARDS

Middle school math worksheets.

You already use them with your students, and these worksheets are great for providing your students a direct approach to practice math.

You also know that you can use middle school math worksheets as a kind of formative assessment tool. They help you identify where kids are in mastering the skills and concepts you are teaching.

But the tricky thing is how to use math worksheets to engage students. Math task cards are a lot like worksheets, but they are also a little different.

Using math task cards is a fun and different way to practice math in both elementary and middle school math. You might be wondering, WHAT are math task cards and HOW can you use math task cards in creative, different ways?

WHAT are math task cards?

Math task cards can be used as an alternative to math textbook problems and math worksheets. Each task card usually contains one problem or task. Printable math task cards are flexible and can be laminated for multiple uses! Or, you can use digital math task cards as an effective math activity for middle school and elementary school students with online learning.

WHY use SpringIn2Learning math task cards?

You probably already know all about printable task cards and their ease of use in the classroom. You may not know how to use task cards for distance (online) learning.

The fact is that digital math task cards are much easier to use than their paper counterparts (no cutting, no laminating, no need for the teacher to score), and they can be easily used in the classroom and during online learning.

• Easy to implement with any online/distance learning process (even within emails!)

• Multiple question types (open-ended, true/false, multiple choice)

• Auto-checks students' responses and provides students with immediate feedback

• Provides students with a different way to show what they know and can do

Math task cards are a valuable go-to for busy teachers like you!

TOP TEN ways to use printable and digital math task cards:

1. Lesson Ticket Out - Do you need a quick formative assessment? Give each student one task card to complete as their "ticket out" of the classroom. Get a quick glimpse where students are in mastering your topic for the day!

2. Bell Ringers - Transition times, we all hate them. Use printable math task cards as a task for students to complete during transition times. Keep students accountable and "on task."

3. Whole Group Challenges - Project a task card on the board for students to solve individually or as a group. Make it a game or contest by adding a timed feature to the task!

4. Small Group Work - Use math task cards with your small groups to support differentiated instruction.

5. Math Stations - You already know this, but add some "extra" by timing the stations or allowing the students to work through the task card stations in pairs.

6. Hide and Seek Task Cards - Try hiding the printable task cards around the classroom, then give students answer sheets and clipboards to find and answer the tasks.

7. Homework - I know, another obvious use for task cards. But you can have students APPLY their understanding of the concepts by giving each student one task card with the assignment of creating similar task cards (with answers) to share with their peers the next day.

8. Student-Created Match Cards - Assign your students to small groups. Give each group 4-5 task cards. Then ask them to create answer cards (one answer card per task card). Have students exchange their match card sets with another group to match the answers with the tasks.

9. Math Task Card Baseball - Divide the class into 2 groups. Pick a group to come "to bat" first. Students come to bat, one by one, while the teacher uses a task card to "pitch" a task. If the student at bat correctly answers the task, they move to first base and another student comes to bat. If the student at bat misses, it is a strike ... 3 strikes and the other team comes to bat. Points accumulate as the runners make it around the bases. The team with the most points wins!

10. One on One Support - Use math task cards while working one on one with your students. They are easy for paraprofessionals and other support staff to use too!

We hope you will check out our new SpringIn2Learning TpT store! You will find a FREE downloadable set to review and play with (both printable and digital sets are included).

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