All About Math Booklets

As a math teacher you have to think about so. many. things. including how to teach fractions, decimals, PEMDAS, coordinate grids, and more. With large classes, little help, and few resources, figuring out how to navigate the curriculum can be super tricky.

I remember how it felt when I first started teaching fifth grade. I was coming from a third grade position, and the math concepts in fifth grade were…different. While I remembered learning all of the same standards when I was in fifth grade and came across them while in my Elementary Education Masters program, teaching my first few math lessons was nerve wracking. I wanted to do a good job and foster a love of math for my students. But…I had a lot of work to do so that I could feel confident delivering this content. Just as we teach our kids in the classroom, perseverance will take you far and so that is what I did – I persevered. I prepped and practiced, taught, re-taught, and looked for resources constantly. After my first few years of teaching fifth grade math skills – I fell in love, and by my ninth year of teaching I couldn’t get enough. 

I often think back to those first few years and think about how much easier it would have been if I had found something that really laid out all of the steps for each math skill. 

Yes – the math textbooks were a great resource, but they were dry. I wanted something that really spoke to my students and walked them through each skill in a clear and concise way. I know that if I had had something like that, my confidence in teaching these skills would have blossomed much faster. And, even years later when I knew the standards like the back of my hand, I would have used these to help students while they were completing independent practice so that I could pull my small groups knowing that the rest of the class had a support that they could refer to. 

I created my “All About Math” booklets for just this reason – to provide a support for teachers, parents, and students who need to know the step-by-step for each skill. For those times when you need students to work independently and have a reference, for small group instruction or sub plans, for students who need to be pulled out during your math lesson, for test prep, and more! 

What are “All About Math Booklets? 

All About Math Booklets are exactly what they sound like. A step-by-step guide that teaches the student “all about” a specific math topic. For example, the all about adding and subtracting fractions with like denominators booklet walks students through the steps that they need to take to complete equations involving this skill. Then, they can practice the skill using the multiple practice pages included with the booklet. 

Why do I need these in my classroom? 

Teaching is hard. In large part, that is due to students varied needs and abilities. You must teach all students the curriculum, but your students are at all different levels. That is where small group instruction comes in. While you work with your small group on targeted skills, the rest of class is engaged, practicing, and completing tasks, right? The truth is…sometimes. Sometimes students can complete independent practice problems alone, but sometimes they can’t. The students who can’t need a support and if you do not have multiple “helpers” in your classroom then this booklet is a great “assistant.” Students can refer to the steps in the booklet as they work through equations and word problems. 

What are the features? 

The booklet comes in both full-size and mini-booklet sizes for both the step-by-step skill instruction and the worksheets. Additionally, the step-by-step booklets display a “student” who is talking about the steps and showing examples. An answer key is included to ensure that your math prep is minimal.

Are you teaching multiplying decimals this year? Check out this All About Booklet FREEBIE!