Make Math Magic: Interactive Foldable Flip 0-20

Welcome to my blog post!

Fold And Flip

Comparing Numbers 0-20

Interactive Foldables

I love any interactive foldable flips! I recently updated this set of foldables that I had used my classroom. They are adaptable to use throughout the year, depending upon the goal I have in mind. Since time is a valuable commodity for teachers, we need to think of multiple ways to use a product.

For instance, merely using it in a journal and then in an acetate sleeve provide the same skill but are presented in two ways. In this posting, I am going to share three different ideas my students and I have loved using them.

Three uses of the foldable flips

The skill of comparing numbers along with the necessary vocabulary and symbols is tricky for some students. They may be able to know the number sequence when isolated or when reciting, but get confused when terms such as more, less, equal, fewer are introduced with the numbers. We often expect our students to easily use the abstract symbol to coordinate between all those things.

Some children struggle with math terms if they are not familiar with the words or are not in an environment where the use of the vocabulary is consistent.

When initially assessing the skill, my most pertinent questions are—Is this student: (1)understanding the meaning of these vocabulary words; (2)familiar with the terms: greater than, more, less, fewer, equal (3)recognizing the abstract symbols; (4)comprehending the relationship between the abstract symbol and its meaning? The feedback I get from the questions allows me to know the developmental stage of that student. Then I can better proceed with my lesson planning.

1 page of the interactive foldables. There are more at the ending of this posting.

As their understanding develops through the year, you can utilize these interactive foldable strips in several ways. Before you introduce them, please be sure you have given your students plenty of opportunities to ‘play with’ the numbers 0-20, repeatedly use the necessary vocabulary not only in math class but in every situation and context you possibly are able. Do not introduce the abstract symbols < ≥ too early to your students who are not ready for that part.

**There are more fold and flips to download at the end of this posting.

Materials you will need along with the foldable flips: journals or sheets of paper, scissors, pencils, acetate sleeve holders, dry erase markers & erasers (if wanted). A number line or number chart 0-20, is often helpful for some students as an extra tool to visualize the order of the numbers.

Displaying or projecting < ≥ the visual chart allows students to talk about what they see—fewer or less than cupcakes on one side and a higher number on the other side.

Visual Display Chart

If your students do not notice or ask about the dots, discuss how the strategy of placing one dot on the tip of the arrow that has the fewest objects or numbers can be useful. Placing a dot on each end of the arrow is a visual aid to show which side of the arrow has more dots and which side has fewer dots.

Frequently in the introduction of the lesson, I ask students to place dots on the tip of each symbol, so they see a visual of the dots showing the more or fewer numbers. Since the = sign is seen more frequently, it becomes easier to recognize and understand as they also see it in number equations.

I like to use the interactive ‘fold and flip’ in a variety of ways. so it continues to sustain high interest with my students during the year. When I taught first grade, it was helpful to use these as an assessment tool at the beginning of the year. This simple activity allowed me to immediately determine which students needed extra support and which students were ready for the next step. After my assessment I may want to use only numbers 0-10 for a period of time, then add the numbers 11-20 to the set.

Direction sheet to display

Try these easy ways to use the foldable flips 0-20:

1. Use Acetate Sleeve Protector Sheets or Laminated Whole Sheets

•Place each whole sheet of strips in an acetate
protector sleeve as a teacher lesson or as a partner activity. Have dry erase markers and erasers readily available.

•If you are using this as a teacher-led activity, print enough copies of the product and provide an acetate sleeve protector for each student.
• Provide dry erase markers and erasers in the area for each group. I often use felt squares or cut squares from old socks. That way I can either wash and reuse or replace with new ones.

*If no acetate sleeves are available, laminate each sheet for the number of students needed. This way they can be reused multiple times.

2. Journal Usage

• After printing either pre-cut the strips for your students or have each student cut out the pieces as they glue and enter them in their journal. Perhaps a partner or student from a higher grade might be willing to help with this task.

•Using the activity as a journal entry enables the student to interact in a hands-on manner. It can be used as a follow-up lesson, practice time or as a review of the skill- comparing numbers with the symbols, < ≥ =.

• Print each set on a different colored paper. Colored paper is useful, so students will not get their work mixed up with a neighbor’s work. It can occur if all sets of work use the same color of paper. A bonus of using different colors is that it elevates the interest level of your students.

3. Math Center and Independent Work

• Print the sets of interactive foldable strips in multiple colors for easier use by the students. As mentioned above, I have had children frustrated because they get their foldable flips mixed up with another child because the strips are the same color. It takes too much valuable learning time to sort out their work.

• If you are using the activity in your center, be sure to laminate each sheet after you have printed them. After the time spent cutting out the strips, you want to be able to use them repeatedly throughout each year.

• If small groups of students, such as 2-4, are using the activity, provide a small container for each group of students. In that way, partners or individuals have their bowl with the strips, making it easier to organize and sort.
• Using the answer keys, students can check each other’s results. There are two types of answer keys. One key is a duplicate of the sheet with the answers in red. Another key has smaller strips with 6 per page. You may prefer one type or use them interchangeably, depending on the age of your students.

• If a result does not match the answer key, have the student place a dot on each tip of the symbol to prove their thinking.

**You will find all the interactive foldable strips, answer keys in this product in my TPT store, Make Math Magic.