Mad Minute

Some of you may have heard of the mad minute before... 

I LOVE it!  The kids LOVE it!  It's a hit in my room.

About ten years ago I was introduced to it when I was a second grade teacher.  Like most wonderful ideas, I learned it from a veteran teacher.  She had created a set of mad minutes and showed me how to organize them.  I am forever grateful!

Flash forward ten years and I made my own typed set (different problems).  I kept the storage/organization the same but tweaked the procedure.  Basically it's a small bin with file folders cut in half to file the minutes behind it.  They are labeled +1s, -1s, +2s, -2s, etc.  (I will have to upload a picture soon.)

What is a mad minute?  Well, it is a crazy minute where the kids try to solve twenty addition or subtraction problems.

From the Scholastic bonus catalog, I ordered two sets of Dry Erase pockets (6"x9") to save paper.  It also helps with record keeping because I leave the level that the child is working on in the pocket.  Only the kids that compete the mad minute turn it in for me to check.  If they pass, they earn a star and I change out their sheet so that they are on their new level.

The math sheet goes in the front of the pocket and a sheet with the child's name goes on the back.  That way I can pass them out face down.  I stick their star stickers on the side with their name when they pass a level.  The children love counting their stars.

This activity helps the children learn their math facts.  It is a fun way to motivate children to study and learn their facts.  It is a competition against themselves.

You can purchase a mad minute set in my Teachers Pay Teachers store or you can make your own.  I highly recommend this activity.  You can always try using sheet protectors and vis-a-vis markers instead of the dry erase pockets.  I will say though that the dry erase pockets really helped me keep track of each individuals performance.