Color-Code Technique: Help Students SEE and Understand Tricky Concepts

Color-Coding has been a major theme in my career as a Teacher right from the beginning.

When working with students that were struggling with difficult concepts in Tutoring, I was always trying to find a way to explain things,

or show them in and easier way.

COLOR-CODING!

was the best way I could find to show the subtle differences.

It worked.

And worked.

Today, I still use Color-Coding to teach tricky concepts.

Not just to struggling students, but to all of my students.

If Color-Coding could help struggling learners get a handle on tricky concepts...

maybe all students would benefit.

Right?

Right!

Here are a few ways to use Color-Coding to help explain some tricky concepts to your students.

Color-Coded Contractions

Use 2 colors for the 2 words.

Copy the Whole First Word.

Then add an apostrophe instead of the vowel (or letters).

So, they have = they've

Color-Coded 120 Chart

One More-One Less

Ten More-Ten Less

Start with the Black Box #. 

Then Follow the color codes

One More = RED BOX

One Less = BLUE BOX

Ten More = YELLOW BOX

Ten Less = GREEN BOX

Color-Coded NOUNS, VERBS & ADJECTIVES

Students can create their own or copy color-coded sentences.

They write in pencil and then use markers or crayons to trace over the 

NOUNS - RED

VERBS - GREEN

ADJECTIVES - BLUE

This technique, we practice each month with seasonal or holiday vocabulary. Students become so solid on parts of speech when they color-code their Nouns, Verbs & Adjectives! 

They even ask if they can color code parts of speech in their journals and other writing too!

Color-Coded Mental Math Fact Families

Use color-coding to demonstrate the Fact Families for each of the Mental Math Strategies!

We show each equation with Cube-a-Links to show for example that 1 RED + 9 BLUE = 10

So, the 1, 9, 10 Family House would go like this...

1+9=10

9+1=10

10-1=9

10-9=1

We actually say Red + Blue = Black

You can find more ideas for 

Color-Coding in the Custom Category section in my TpT Store: Silly Sam Productions.

Silly Sam Productions Category Color-Coding Technique

Here is a FREEBIE Sampler with some pages to try out the technique.

Color-Coding Technique FREEBIE Sampler

I am joining some of my friends with a 

WE LOVE SUPPLIES Giveaway.

• Visit each blog and enter each rafflecopter.
• A different winner will be chosen from each rafflecopter.
• Enter between May 1-5, 2017.
• Each of my friends will choose a winner.
• Winners will be emailed.
• Winners will also be announced on our FB pages. Make sure you follow our FB pages.

PLEASE NOTE: Winners will have 48 hours to respond to our email. If no response, we will choose a new winner.

To enter my giveaway: 

*Follow My Blog & Leave Your email in the Comment Section so that I can notify you if you win.

*It will also help to Follow my FaceBook Page to see the announcements.

My prize is 3 Sets (36) Flair Markers for great COLOR-CODING ahead!

You can win the following:

• Michelle @Teach123 - Dixon Ticonderoga pencils 
• Fern @FernSmith'sClassroomIdeas - Crayons 
• Susan @KeepemThinking - Dry Erase Markers
• Ashley @TheTeachersTreasureChest - Dry Erase Markers 
• Karen @Laugh and Learn with Silly Sam - Dry Erase Markers 

*Ways to Make Ten *Part-Part-Whole *Missing Parts Made Easy with VIDEO!

*Ways to Make Ten 

*Part-Part-Whole 

*Finding Missing Parts

 Made Easy with VIDEO!

Part-Part-Whole-VIDEO-LESSON-FREEBIE

These are such tricky concepts for our youngest Mathematicians. I have been teaching for about 30 years and have spent many of those years individually tutoring and leading small group Basic Skills lessons for those students that are really struggling with understanding these concepts.

Teaching Math is so different now, compared to when I entered the Teaching profession. The main focus used to be on solving equations and performing steps correctly. We were still teaching the "Why" and "How" part of mathematical concepts, however, they were not tested on this part and understanding these ideas was not essential in passing the assessments for the unit.

Now, students actually solving problems and simply providing the correct number as the answer is only one third of the assessment question. Students need to show, draw, identify and often express in writing the steps that they used to solve a problem. 

UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEPTS IS VITAL!

This technique has helped so many students to visualize the steps and see the concept come to life with clarity and understanding. We use Color-Coding with Verbal and Visual cues to map out the steps to understanding *Part *Part *Whole, *Missing Parts and *Ways to Make 10. 

Ways to Make 10. 

Part Part Whole & Ways to Make a Number MATH KIDS

Start with these templates and fill in the left side of the chart starting with 0 and counting up to 10 going down the chart. 

Next, fill in the right side of the chart starting with 10 and counting down to 0 going down the chart.

What forms on each row will be the "Partners to 10".

0---10

1----9

2----8

3----7

4----6

5----5

6----4

7----3

8----2

9----1

10---0

Color-Coding the Left Side Yellow for "Lemon Left" and the Right Side Red for "Raspberry Right" helps students to clearly see the difference.

It also helps with the doubles fact, 5 and 5. 5 Yellow Chips + 5 Red Chips = 10 Chips all together.


Here is your *Part *Part *Whole Model

As long as you know 2 parts of the equation, you will always be able to find the missing part.

In this example the Sum or Top # is provided.

That means that the...

This little trick will really help Young Mathematicians with this skill.

We can see that there are 4 chips on the "Lemon-Left" side of the mat.

Count and write the number of chips that we can see on the blank that says


__________________
Part I Know



That would be 4 in this example.


Now we are going to count all the way to 10, The STOP #.

Start with the yellow chips and count 1, 2, 3, 4,

Then add red chips to the "Raspberry Right" side until you get to the number 10.

Next, count just the RED CHIPS.

That is your ANSWER.

You have found the MISSING PART!


I hope that this method is successful for you and your Mathematicians as well!

One more little story before you go...

I had a student that was trying hard, listening carefully and then practicing carefully...


Then he shouted out with excitement...


"THE TRICK WORKS!!!"

"EVERY TIME!!!"

"I GET IT NOW!!!"



I love my job.


Here are some resources to help you teach this concept from Silly Sam Productions.

Part Part Whole & Ways to Make a Number MATH KIDS

Part-Part-Whole-VIDEO-LESSON-FREEBIE

Part-Part-Whole and Ways-to-Make-10 VIDEO-LESSON-Printables

#KINDNESSNATION & #WEHOLDTHESETRUTHS

#KINDNESSNATION & #WEHOLDTHESETRUTHS

Why #KINDNESSNATION & #WEHOLDTHESETRUTHS?

This is why these concepts make so much sense to me to focus on at this time, and always.

We have just been through a particularly unique and volatile election process in our United States of America. January 20,2017 starts the next chapter in our country with new leadership.

So, after all that has occurred and all that we have been through as a nation and with the whole world watching, the question is...

"NOW WHAT DO WE DO ?"

We come together as EDUCATORS like we always do, and we dig in to some unifying projects to work towards our common goals for our students in this country and all over the world.

That's what we do.

So, what unifying projects should we choose to focus on right now in our classrooms with our students?

#KINDNESSNATION 

& 

#WEHOLDTHESETRUTHS.

Focusing on kindness in the classroom, acceptance of others and consideration for others is always a wonderful place to start. 

"We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." 

Thomas Jefferson

Words right from the Declaration of Independence, could not be a better place to focus on as our nation comes together to start this next chapter in our history.

So, whether you have younger students or young adults gathered in your classroom, looking to you for guidance as to How to move forward and What to focus on, these are some wonderful suggestions that are timeless and forever precious.

Many TpT Teacher-Authors have compiled a large selection of FREEBIES to help educators choose activities, lessons, projects or posters to help guide their students through these next first days and beyond.

Check the #s to find so many wonderful resources!

#KINDNESSNATION 

& 

#WEHOLDTHESETRUTHS



You can find my FOREVER FREEBIE 
KINDNESS COUPONS PACK 
AT SILLY SAM PRODUCTIONS

KINDNESS COUPONS PACK



Kindness Coupons for Students to fill out for their friends that have been kind.

Students can tell about the kind act on this version of Kindness Coupons.

Black-line Versions

This is a fold-fold THANK YOU CARD version for students to color and make for a classmate or staff member. 

KINDNESS THANK YOU CARD in color for students to give to someone who was kind.

KINDNESSNATION POSTER BLACK-LINE FOR STUDENTS TO COLOR!

KINDNESSNATION COLOR POSTER!

Kindness Counts

Please check out all of the wonderful free resources with the hashtags...

#kindnessnation
&
#weholdthesetruths

Here are only a few of the wonderful Freebies available...

American Dream Posters Fighting for our Liberty Freedom and Rights
By Two Boys & a Dad Productions

Kindness Journal
By Rainbow City Learning

 

Character Education Kindness Poster Activity
By Pamela Kranz-Desktop Learning

Kindness Writing Draw and Write

By Renee Goularte Share2Learn

Affirmation Posters for the Classroom Community FREE

By Kirsten's KBOODLE

Experiential Exercise Walking Tour on Checking Source Internet Reliability

By Michele Luck's Social Studies

Collaboration Poster Art Project for Martin Luther King Jr

By Glitter Meets Glue

My New Classmates Scoot FREEBIE for the 1st Day

MY-NEW-CLASSMATES-SCOOT

This is a great fun activity for the first day 

or the first week of school!

Students play Scoot with Classmates' Names and go home with a list of all of their new friends.

There is also an interview activity for students to get to know a few friends even better.

Great for an introduction to speaking and listening skills.

FRIDAY FUNDAY FREEBIES! Manatee Bulletin Board!

FRIDAY FUNDAY FREEBIE!

MANATEE PROJECT FREEBIE!

Grab a Freebie every Friday Funday from Silly Sam Productions right here at LAUGHANDLEARNWITHSILLYSAM@BLOGSPOT.COM

SILLY SAM

FRIDAY FUNDAY FREEBIE from Silly Sam Productions: Color Coded Fact Families!

It's FRIDAY FUNDAY!

Grab a Friday Funday Freebie at Silly Sam Productions!

Here's this week's FREEBIE...

Fact Families Mental Math FREEBIE Sample

This is one of my most popular freebies. This is a great time of year to review Mental Math Strategies and try out my Color-Coded Fact Families!

These are great for:

CENTERS

RTI

LESSONS

HOMEWORK

SUMMER PRACTICE

My color-coding technique was designed to help a struggling student see the patterns. It worked wonders for him, but I knew all learners could benefit from this strategy too. So, you will find many COLOR-CODED lessons at Silly Sam Productions.

Try a FRIDAY FUNDAY FREEBIE TODAY!

KINDNESS COUNTS IN THE CLASSROOM!

http://blog.teacherspayteachers.com/it-begins-with-kindness/

Check out this great article about Kindness & Respect in the classroom!

Grab this FREEBIE from Silly Sam Productions at TpT!

KINDNESS-COUNTS-Caring-Classroom-Program


When you see an ACT OF KINDNESS in your classroom, have that student put a pom-pom in the jar. 

When you fill the jar, plan a KINDNESS CELEBRATION!

My New Classmates Scoot FREEBIE

My-New-Classmates-Scoot-Great-1st-Day-Activity

Grab this FREEBIE!

Years ago a parent told me that her son was so happy to have some new friends in first grade, but...

he couldn't remember their names.

Ever since then, I have always incorporated a name activity on the first day of school. 

Now, it is available as a FREEBIE and has been downloaded over 21,000 times.

MY NEW CLASSMATES SCOOT Game has printables for many different kinds of classroom settings. Students "SCOOT" around the room to each desk or table and either copy the friend's name themselves for older students, or write their own name at each spot for younger students. 

This way they go home with a class list of names to talk about with their families. 

The second activity is an Interview with 4 friends.

Brainstorm together some great questions to ask a new friend. A guideline or anchor chart is provided.

Students have some time to walk around and talk to classmates. They have a sheet to write or invite a new friend to write their name and something they like.

This is such a wonderful 1st Day or 1st Week activity!

Please grab the freebie and come on back to tell us how you used it! Let us know what modifications you may have made and how it worked for your new class!