To help students with number writing, have them begin at the top of the numbers, usually going from left to right. (8 & 9 start at the top, but pencil movement is to the left first like writing the letter C or S).
Using these rhymes and consistenly teaching the correct motion will form good habits and reduce the number of reversals. The students have been using pencils and paper long enough now that they should be working on refining and controlling their movements.  Their goal this year is to write neatly in an organized manner.

Here are the rhymes that I use to help them:

A line is one.                                                        1

Around and back on the railroad track is two.        2

Around a tree and around a tree is three.              3

Down and over and down some more is four.        4

Down and around with a flag on top is five.            5

Tie up a bundle of sticks is six.                               6

Across the sky and down from heaven is seven.      7

Make an S and do not wait, climb back up to make an eight.   8

A loop and a line is nine.                                        9

Start all over again is ten.                                    10





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Handwriting

Students should start refining their letter formation.
They need to differentiate before captial and lowercase letters and learn the appropriate use of capital letters for names and at the beginning of sentences, but not using captials in the middle of words.


We use paper with three lines to help students learn the proper size and location of the different letters. I use the analogy of a house:
Upstairs
Downstairs
Basement

I refer to the location of capital letters as one that live both "upstairs and downstairs".

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

Most lowercase letters "live downstairs": aceimnorsuvwxz

Extender letters "live upstairs and downstairs": bdfhklt

Descender letters "live downstairs and in the basement".

b & d reversals are very common. Learning to begin the letters correctly and consistently in the correct place with help reduce the problem. Students need to learn the feel of making the motion of the letters and with time and practice it will become easier, faster, and more automatic.


A pnuemonic to help students know which way to write a b is to say: "1st the bat, then the ball".  b

For a d say:  "1st the dish, then the knife".  d

Round letters: c, a, o, d, g, should all begin just to the right of the top and go around from right to left like making a "c".  DO NOT LET THEM START AT THE BOTTOM AND CIRCLE FROM LEFT TO RIGHT.  Forming good habits as they are learning is critical now.

MATH TERMINOLOGY

Operations:

Division:   Dividend / divisor = quotient 

Multiplication:  multiplicand * multiplier = product   or   factor x factor = product

Addition:    addend + addend = sum

Subtraction:   subtrahend - minuend  = difference

Fractions:

numerator      3     parts

denominator   4     number of parts that make a whole 

Improper fraction =  The numerator is larger than the denominator

Mixed number  =  a whole number and a fraction.

Graphing: 

Mean- The average of the set of numbers   2+3+4+3+6= 20     20 /5 = 4     The average or mean is 4.

Mode-  The most popular, most often occurring

Range-  The different between the highest and the lowest of the scores         

      [The slowest runner's time was 10 minutes, the fastest runner's time was 4 minutes.  The range  was 10-4= 6  There was a range of 6 minutes.]

Number words :  three thousand, four hundred fifty-six 

Standard Numerals:    3,456

Expanded notation: 3000+400+50+6

Comparing Numbers         372 > 237    three hundred seventy-two "is greater than" two hundred thirty-seven

                                                          237 < 372          "is less than"