Archive for August, 2025
New Game On Math Series
🎲 Game On! Boosting Math Skills Through Play
Math practice doesn’t have to be dry drills or endless worksheets—what if it could feel like game time instead of grind time? That’s exactly what the Game On!: Math Boost Games series is all about.
Packed with hands-on activities and easy-to-use games, these resources help kids build fluency in essential math skills while having fun. Whether you’re working with a small group, running a math intervention, or supporting learners at home, Game On! makes math practice engaging and effective.
Why Teachers & Schools Love Game On!
✨ Targeted skill-building – Fluency with basic facts, multi-digit addition and subtraction, place value, measurement, and data.
✨ Easy prep, big payoff – Clear directions and minimal prep mean you spend more time teaching and less time scrambling.
✨ Adaptable for all learners – Strategies and activities can be tweaked for different levels, making them great for neurodiverse and multilingual learners.
✨ Classroom-tested fun – Students see math as a challenge they want to play, not a chore to get through.
Perfect for Every Setting
- 🏫 Classroom: Small group rotations, guided math, or whole-class energizers.
- 🏠 Home/Parent Support: Keep math practice lively and stress-free.
- 🎯 Tutoring/Intervention: Provide students with high-impact, engaging practice that builds confidence.
Ready to Get Started?
Turn math time into game time and watch skills soar. Game On!: Math Boost Games are available for Grades k–5, with each book designed to meet kids right where they are.
👉 Get your copy today on GiggleNook (PDF download)!
📧 For PD and training support: [email protected]
📞 Call for PD: (347) 688-4927
Because when kids are engaged, math fluency follows. So—
GAME ON!
Rocking Math Class
Rocking Math in Kindergarten: How Pebbles Bring Numbers to Life
When we think of math manipulatives, we often picture cubes, counters, or ten frames neatly stacked in bins. But sometimes the most powerful math tools are free, natural, and right under our feet—ROCKS! 🪨
Kinder classrooms can use rocks to explore numbers, and the learning will be pure magic. Here’s how a simple bucket of pebbles can into a full-blown math workshop.
Why Rocks Work in Math
Rocks are:
- Concrete & tactile: Kids love holding and moving them.
- Accessible: Easy to collect, cost-free, and come in endless shapes.
- Open-ended: Perfect for counting, comparing, patterning, and storytelling.
Plus, they add a sense of wonder—students get excited because it feels like play, not “math time.”
5 Ways to Use Rocks in Kinder Math
1. Counting Collections
Each child gets a handful of rocks to count. Then we practice lining them up, moving them as we count, and double-checking totals.
2. Building Numbers
We created “number sculptures”—arranging rocks to look like 3, 5, or even 10. Kids loved shaping digits with the stones.
3. Comparing Sets
Two piles of rocks → Which has more? Which has less? Students love making “rock battles” to compare quantities.
4. Patterns & Arrangements
Circle, line, circle, line… patterns come to life when kids arrange rocks in different ways. This naturally leads into skip counting.
5. Number Stories
“Three rocks were on the playground. Two more rolled in. How many now?” Suddenly, word problems are grounded in something tangible.
Tips for Teachers
- Collect with kids: Let students gather rocks during recess or nature walks. Instant buy-in!
- Mix sizes and shapes: Different textures spark creativity and vocabulary (big/small, heavy/light).
- Integrate literacy: Students can draw or write about their “rock numbers” in math journals.
- Keep it playful: Math sticks best when it feels like discovery.
Final Thought
Math doesn’t always come from a worksheet or a set of manipulatives in a box. Sometimes the best lessons start with a handful of rocks and a whole lot of imagination. Pebbles can help kinders see numbers, feel math, and most importantly, fall in love with learning.
So next time you’re outside, grab a bucket. You might just find your next great math lesson waiting on the ground. 🌟
Just Right Problem Solving
Why K–2 Problem Solving Is a Bigger Deal Than You Think (and Why Your Students Need This Series Yesterday)
Let’s be real: in the K–2 math classroom, “problem solving” can sometimes feel like code for watching small humans get very creative with wrong answers. You hand them a word problem about apples, and somehow by the end, they’ve calculated the number of unicorns at a birthday party.
But here’s the thing — problem solving is not just a box to check on a lesson plan. It’s where kids start connecting the dots between the math facts they’re learning and the real world they actually live in. When students work through problems in context, they’re learning so much more than “the answer.” They’re building persistence, reasoning, and the ability to choose strategies that make sense — skills that carry over to every subject (and to life in general).
The Early Years Matter… A LOT
Research tells us that mathematical thinking in the early grades lays the foundation for future success. Translation? Those tiny thinkers in your room aren’t just “doing K–2 math” — they’re wiring their brains for algebra, geometry, and all the big stuff that’s coming later. And the earlier they learn how to attack a problem (instead of staring at it like it’s a strange alien artifact), the better.
Enter: Just Right Problem Solving
This isn’t your average, “let’s hope they guess correctly” worksheet pack. The Just Right Problem Solving series is:
- Engaging & Standards-Based (so you’re not wondering if it “counts” toward your goals)
- Built on Word Problem Types (because not all problems are created equal)
- Focused on Models (hello, visual learners!)
- Data Tracking Included (so you can actually see growth without drowning in sticky notes)
- Scaffolded for Success (so no one’s melting down halfway through)
It’s available for Kindergarten, 1st Grade, and 2nd Grade — each designed to meet students right where they are, then stretch them just enough to level up.
Why Models Are the Secret Sauce
K–2 kids need to see the math. That’s why this series leans on visual models: bar models, number bonds, ten frames, you name it. When students use models, they can map their thinking, explain it to others, and actually understand what’s going on — instead of crossing their fingers and hoping the math fairy shows up.
The Teacher Bonus
Let’s be honest — this series isn’t just for the kids. You get ready-to-use materials, built-in differentiation, and data you can show at team meetings without breaking into a cold sweat. Plus, your lesson planning just got a whole lot easier.
📣 Your Move: Stop surviving problem-solving lessons and start rocking them. Grab your Just Right Problem Solving set on Amazon or in the GiggleNook store today — and watch your students’ confidence soar faster than a kindergartener who just learned how to skip count by 10s.
Because in the K–2 world, problem solving isn’t optional — it’s the main event. And with the right tools, it can even be the fun part.
Counting with Cats
BREAKING: Kindergarteners agree—math is better with cats. 🐱 Tap the cats. 🐱 Count the cats. 🐱 Tell cat addition and subtraction stories! 🐱 Send cat flashcards home. Warning: May cause uncontrollable meowing during math. Get Free Set here: bit.ly/4lcdp4O see more at mathfactfluencyplayground.com
Dr. Nicki's Guided Math Blog 
