Math Learning Wheels

- to - Le a r n
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Turn-to-Learn: Math Learning Wheels Jacquelyn Johnson Howes, Scholastic Teaching Resources
MATH
LEARNING WHEELS
20 Ready-to-Reproduce Patterns
That Put a New Spin on Math Skill-Building!
PROFESSIONALBOOKS
N e w Yo r k To r o n t o L o n d o n A u c k l a n d S y d n e y
Acknowledgment Page
To my children Rick, Tony, Steve and Betsy. And to all of my students
xx
5
who have enjoyed learning math with math wheels.
Scholastic Inc. grants teachers permission to photocopy the patterns from this book for classroom use. No other
part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in
any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without permission of the
publisher. For information regarding permission, write to Scholastic Professional Books, 555 Broadway, New York,
NY 10012-3999.
Cover design by Vincent Ceci and Jaime Lucero
Cover and interior illustrations by Bob Alley
Interior design by Robert Dominguez and Jaime Lucero for Grafica
Copyright 1998 by Jacquelyn Johnson Howes. All rights reserved.
ISBN: 0-590-11757-2
Printed in the U.S.A
Table of Contents
Welcome to Math Wheels! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Putting Math Wheels Together . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Introducing Math Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
The Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Counting Bear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Numeration
Two-ie the Toucan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Skip Counting
Plus the Cat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Addition
Minus the Dog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Subtraction
Penny the Pig . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Money
Hickory Dickory Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Time
George the Giraffe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Patterns
Sam the Shape Clown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Geometric Shapes and Math Symbols
Times the Dinosaur . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Simple Multiplication
Piece-O-Pizza . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Simple Fractions
Blank Problem Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

3
Welcome to Math Wheels!

Math Wheels are a fun-filled interactive alternative to flash cards and
worksheets that present math facts in a game format that children love.
Because they invite children to take skill-building into their own hands,
Math Wheels are a powerful learning tool you and your students will
enjoy using again and again. Each engaging shape is designed to complement popular classroom themes. Whats more, because the wheels are
self-correcting (all students have to do is flip the moving answer-hider to
reveal the solution), they offer children instant feedback. And, if a child
does miss a problem, a turn of the wheel provides a fresh opportunity to
try again. Some of the wheels are interchangeable (Plus, Minus and
Times) so if, for example, you are doing a dinosaur unit, you can enhance
the unit by pairing the dinosaur shape with the problem wheel that
addresses the math skill of your choice.
Math Wheels are perfect for use with the whole class, in small group settings, and for individual one-on-one practice. They can be used as the focus
of a teacher-directed activity, or placed in a learning center for children to
use independently or in pairs. And best of all, Math Wheels are easy to
make and simple to store.
5:00
Putting Math Wheels Together

Whenever possible, involve children in making the wheels themselves.
1.
To make the wheels youll need:

paper
markers or crayons
brass fasteners
glue
scissors
oaktag
You can make the wheels in the following ways:

Simply photocopy the patterns, cut, and color;
Photocopy the patterns and paste them to oaktag (or manila folders) for
added durability, cut and color;
Photocopy the patterns onto colored paper, paste them to oaktag, and cut
them out;
Photocopy the patterns directly onto oaktag if your copier allows, and cut
them out.
2.
Next, cut open the windows. While older students may be able to do this
on their own, younger ones may need some help. In either case it helps to
use small pointed scissors.
3. Once youve created the character, use a brass fastener to attach the
checking to be sure that the problems and the
problem wheel through the
answers appear in the windows. Use a second brass fastener to attach the
moveable answer-hider through the circle .
CONSTRUCTION TIPS
1. Color contrasts: You can copy each problem wheel onto colored paper that
contrasts with the color of the character. This contrast makes it easier for
children to focus on the information that appears in the characters windows.
2. Laminated wheels: If you would like to make sturdier wheels, try laminating
them.
3. Textured wheels: You can give your Math Wheels added texture by covering them with colored felt or yarn, cotton balls, or glitter. You can also add
googlie eyes.
4. Oversized wheels: While students will love having their own Math Wheels,
you may want to make an enlarged version to display in a learning center
or to use while working with the whole class. To make these oversized versions, simply enlarge the patterns on your copy machine and follow the
assembly steps outlined above.
Introducing Math Wheels

Math Wheels are a wonderful tool for
practicing or reinforcing math facts.
Prior to using the Math Wheels in your
class, children may need many opportunities to come to an understanding of the
concepts that lie beneath the skills and
facts. Concrete activities using manipulatives, coupled with real-life math experiences (measuring, counting, sorting,
graphing, estimating, etc.), provide children with the rich background they will
need to get the most from Math Wheels.
It is best to introduce the wheels in a
small group setting. After demonstrating how to use each wheel, call attention to the operation or skill it features.
Show children how one part of each
character can be used to hide the
answer so they can check their work. Be
certain to allow each child a chance to
use the wheel with you.
Personifying Math Wheel Characters

Math Wheels come to life when they
are treated as class mascots who live
in your math corner. Begin by talking
to a Math Wheel character as you
would talk to a puppet. Here are some
simple scenarios to try:
Pretend that your Math Wheel character doesnt understand the very
skill he or she is displaying. Ask children to explain in their own words
how to do the math.
TIPS FOR SENSITIVE

EVALUATIONS WITH
MATH WHEELS
Children are often sensitive to

their own progress without
adult intervention or formal
yardsticks. Encourage children to play down their competitive spirit and to respond
positively to each others
progress as they use the
math wheels.
You might keep some manipulativesconnecting cubes or

counterson hand. Then, as
you work through problems
with the Math Wheels, invite
children to use the manipulatives to demonstrate how they
arrived at each answer.
Notice if any children are

repeatedly stumped by particular problems or skills. Its
possible that these children
need additional concrete
experiences in order to
understand the underlying
math concepts.
Have Math Wheel characters await your children at the classroom door.
Invite students to solve a Math Wheel problem as they enter the room or
leave for recess.
When you have a few moments to spare (lining up to go somewhere, waiting for dismissal, etc.) use your character to dialogue with children about
the math they learned that day.
Customizing Math Wheels

You and your students can create your own Math Wheel characters like the
baseball wheel shown here using the blank problem wheel templates on page
47. Once youve created the characters and are ready to attach the problem
wheel, check to be sure that the problems and answers show through the
windows properly.
2
+
2
4
More Math Wheel Ideas
String a length of clothesline or yarn across a bulletin board; hang the line
low enough so children can reach it. Place each character and one or more
of the problem wheels youve already introduced to the group into a self-closing plastic bag. Use a paint marker (available from art supply stores) to label
each bag. Use a clothespin to clip each bag to the line and invite children to
access them throughout the day.
Create a Math Wheel display to enliven the classroom and to help you
keep track of which wheels each student has used. Cover a bulletin board
with colorful paper. Tack the Math Wheels across the top of the display. Use
a marker to draw vertical lines between the wheels and then draw horizontal
lines across the board creating enough boxes under each Math Wheel for
your students. Write their names to the left of the chart. As students are
introduced to a particular Math Wheel, invite them to place an X or a sticker
in the box below the character that corresponds with their name.
This will help you and your students keep track of the work they are doing.
A
B
C
D
Students
5:00
Jaime
Ingrid
Robert
Liza
Tony
Carmen
You can use completed wheels to make a class book of math story problems. Have students pick their favorite characters to include. Review some of
the common language used in story problemshow many altogether? How
many left? Then, have each student write a story problem about the character of their choice using the math skill it addresses. Students should write
and illustrate their problem on one page and paste their math wheel to the
opposite page. Children will enjoy presenting their story problems and solving their classmates.
e 4
Plus at I
treats. m 7
i
gave h ow
H
more. id
many d
he eat her?
t
altoge
3
+
4
7+
4
Home School Connection
Math Wheels are a perfect addition to a take-home thematic

backpack program. Be certain to include a letter explaining the
importance of using Math Wheels with children, copies of blank
problem wheels (page 47) for families to customize, as well as
some tips for use at home. Dont forget to invite family feedback!
Weve included a sample letter you may adapt to fit your own
needs on page 10.
You might even ask parents to volunteer to make Math Wheels

at home. Working parents who find it almost impossible to volunteer during the school day may welcome this chance to help
outand children will beam with pride when characters created
in their homes are used in class.
Dear Families,
Its your childs turn to bring
home one of our Math Wheels!
In class we use these
Math Wheels to help
strengthen and reinforce
the math facts we have
3
+
learned. Your child can
4
show you how these
7
wheels work. Try holding
and turning the wheel as
your child answers the
problems featured there. Then, work with your
child to make up some new problems of your
own using the blank wheel included here. Let
your child lead the way and you should have a
great time practicing math facts together.
Thank you for your participation.
Sincerely,
__________________________
Your Childs Teacher
10
The
Wheels
11
12
Counting Bear
Heres a bear you can count on to strengthen counting skills

again and again!
EXTENDING THE LEARNING

Ask students to turn their wheels so that the lowest number appears in the
window. Invite children to add numbers (Add 2; add 3; add 1, etc. . . ) totaling
any number up to 10. Children should turn their wheels to keep a running
count. When the series of directions is complete, check to see if each child
has arrived at the same number.
13
COUNTING BEAR
Pattern
x
Cut
out
Cut
out
14
4
3
15
5
7
COUNTING BEAR
Problem Wheel
Two-ie the Toucan

You bet your beak this bird will double your skip counting fun!
You might want to give Two-ie a whole new look by pasting on
colorful feathers.
2
4
6

Use the blank problem wheel template on page 47 to make additional skipcounting wheels. Two-ie can help children count by threes, fives, tens, or by
odd and even numbers.
16
TWO-IE THE TOUCAN
Pattern
Cut
out
Cut
out
17
18
82
2
4
6
16
18
20
96
18
98 24
0
26 2
10
0
22
28
32
2
34 76 8 4
78 8
36
86
80
88
10
2
x
30
22
24
8
66
68
70
38
12
20
72
6
38
8 14 40
16
10
42
18
44
TWO-IE THE TOUCAN
Problem Wheel
Plus the Cat

This kitty cat provides the purrfect way to learn addition family
facts!
3
+
4

Invite students to create a collection of cat things. Ask how many students
have cats at home. Then brainstorm a list of things their cats love to do, play
with, or eat that Plus might like too. Once your list is complete, have students
create these items using paper, clay, yarn or whatever supplies you have
available. Then, encourage students to use these handmade manipulatives to
help them solve problems on Pluss addition wheels.
19
PLUS THE CAT
Pattern
Cut
out
Cut
out
20
2
+
5
21
4
+
2
6
+
4
7
+
3
4
+
1
2
+
3
5-10
2
+
2
1
+
3
10
8
10
2
+
6
5
+
4
3
+
1
6
+
3
1
+
2
0
+
2
3
+
2
2
+
8
2
+
3
0
+
5
3
+
4
5
+
3
10
x
1
+
4
2
+
1
0-5
2
+
4
Problem Wheels
1
+
1
PLUS THE CAT
8
+
7
15
11
22
16
7
+
9
6
+
8
9
+
8
12
3
+
8
4
+
6
6
+
7
10
11
13
up to 18
15
8
+
7
5
+
7
12
12
14
17
8
+
8
5
+
7
8
+
4
18
7
+
4
13
16
15
6
+
8
5
+
8
9
+
6
9
+
9
7
+
4
13
8
+
9
8
+
5
15
14
x
9
+
6
14
9
+
5
10-15
11
17
13
5
+
9
14
Problem Wheels
4
+
9
PLUS THE CAT
Minus the Dog

Take this subtraction pooch for a walk and your students math
skills will really add up!
3
1

Invite students to write stories describing how minus the take-away dog
got his name.
23
MINUS THE DOG
Pattern
Cut
out
Cut
out
24
10
6
2
2
5-10
2
1
x
2
3
3
25
1
5
1
10
10
5
8
10
x
4
5
1-5
5
3
Problem Wheels
MINUS THE DOG
26
15
16
8
7
14
0
15 1
6
8
up to 18
13
14
6
5
11
16
17
12
4
3
12 1
13
15
11
11
15
9
15
17
18
9
14
13
x
7
14
9
10-15
Problem Wheels
MINUS THE DOG
Penny the Pig

Penny is a priceless addition to any money unit.

After children have arrived at the correct sum for each answer, offer them an
array of coins and challenge them to arrive at the same sum using as many
different coin combinations as they can.
27
Cut
out
x
Cut
out
PENNY THE PIG
Pattern
28
29
7
28
11
x
30
20
40
20
25
30
50
10
Problem Wheels
25
20
50
30
25
35
10
PENNY THE PIG
Hickory Dickory Clock

Theres no such thing as a bad time to learn how to tell time with
Hickory Dickory Clock.
5:00

Ask students to think about how they spend their time. Turn the wheel to
reveal a time of your choice. Invite children to share what they do at that time
whether it be a.m. or p.m. You might even take the activity one step further by
recording students responses and graphing the results.
30
HICKORY DICKORY CLOCK
Pattern
Cut
out
Cut out
31
12 1
11
10 11 12
2
10
9
9
2
5
6
8
7
5:0
0
10 11 12
11
10
8
7
6
7:30
12 1
11
10
9
5
4
6
5
10 11 12
2
3
0
1:3
0
8:0
x
6
0
3
:
3
1
12
1
12
12 1
11
10
11
32
8
9
2:00
10 11 12
10
9
1
12
0
6:0
12
:30
6
11
10
11
10
10
9
8
2
4:00
1
12
10
:
3
0
11
11
:
0
0
9:30
Hour and Half Hour Wheel
12 1
2
10
9
2
12 1
11
10 11 12
1
9
9
8
7
6:2
0
10 11 12
11
10
7
6
9:05
12 1
3
11
10
9
6
5
10 11 12
:35
1
1
2
5
4
2
3
0
7:1
1
12
x
4
10
9
1
12
3
11
10
12 1
5
4
:
4
11
8
1
1:25
10 11 12
33
1
12
5
3:5
8:1
5
11
10
5:50
2:40
11
10
8
2
11
12
:
1
5
1
12
10
9
10
:
4
5
5 Minute Inter vals Wheel
12 1
2
George the Giraffe

Patterning skills wont be such a stretch when George the Giraffe

comes to play.
A
B
C
D
E

Invite students to create their own patterns for George using one of the blank
wheels on page 47. Once their patterns are complete, have students exchange
their wheels with a friend to see if they can identify each others patterns.
34
GEORGE THE GIRAFFE
Pattern
Cut
out
Cut
out
35
36
O
3
X
X
O
O
X
X
A
E
I
O
U
A
X
Y
Z
X
Y
Z
X
X
O
X
O
X
A
B
C
D
E
1
2
3
1
2
GEORGE THE GIRAFFE
Pattern & Problem Wheel
Sam the Shape Clown
xx
5
Identifying geometric shapes and operation symbols is simple

when Sam shows you how.
Note: Some students may find it easier to locate and count the shapes and symbols presented
here if they are color-coded. While some students may choose to create their own codes, you
can suggest they color the images in the following way: squareorange; trianglegreen; hexagonyellow; trapezoidred; rhombusblue; parallelogramtan; circlepink; rectanglegray;
plusbrown; minusblack; timespurple; equalslight blue.

Have children look around the classroom to locate the shapes that appear in
Sams shape window. Ask them to think of other places they see these
shapeson the street, in the store, or in their homes.
37
Pattern
SAM THE SHAPE CLOWN
Cut
out
Cut
out
38
39
x
9
8
8
10
SAM THE SHAPE CLOWN
Pattern & Problem Wheel
Times the Dinosaur

Fun wont become extinct when you use this friendly dino to
teach the times tables!
6
x
4
24

While youre at recess, invite children to gather natural materials (stones,
sticks, pieces of grass) to demonstrate a problem Times poses to them.
40
41
Cut
out
Cut
out
TIMES THE DINOSAUR
Pattern
42
16
4
x
4
3
x
4
3
15
6
x
5
x
24
2
x
3
12
6
2
2
x
2
4
x
2
x
15
3
x
5
x
6
x
3
x
2
x
1
x
2
25
6
x
1
x
3
2
x
5
6
x
4
x
3
x
4
x
5
x
4
18
1
x
5
1
x
6
12
12
20
x
5
x
2
3s & 4s
10
Problem Wheels
20
2s & 5s
10
30
TIMES THE DINOSAUR
Piece-O-Pizza
You and your students can help yourselves to a tasty slice of

fractions!

Have a real pizza party. Order some pizzas to be delivered unsliced (or bake
some of your own from scratch). Then, have children take turns cutting the
pizza into halves, fourths, eighths, and sixteenths. Consider duplicating many
copies of the Piece-0-Pizza Math Wheel for each student so that they can
compile individual fraction books in which each page features a different fractional amount of pizza.
43
Cut
out
Cut
out
PIECE-0-PIZZA
Pattern
44
8
8
2
45
3
1
PIECE-0-PIZZA
Problem Wheel
Fraction Remaining
8
8
2
46
5
1
PIECE-0-PIZZA
Problem Wheel
Fraction Missing
BLANK WHEELS
47
NOTES
48

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- to - Le a r n

who have enjoyed learning math with math wheels.

Two-ie the Toucan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Plus the Cat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Minus the Dog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Penny the Pig . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Hickory Dickory Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

George the Giraffe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Sam the Shape Clown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Times the Dinosaur . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Blank Problem Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Welcome to Math Wheels!

Putting Math Wheels Together

To make the wheels youll need:

You can make the wheels in the following ways:

Introducing Math Wheels

Personifying Math Wheel Characters

TIPS FOR SENSITIVE

Children are often sensitive to

You might keep some manipulativesconnecting cubes or

Notice if any children are

Customizing Math Wheels

More Math Wheel Ideas

Home School Connection

Math Wheels are a perfect addition to a take-home thematic

You might even ask parents to volunteer to make Math Wheels

Your Childs Teacher

Heres a bear you can count on to strengthen counting skills

EXTENDING THE LEARNING

Two-ie the Toucan

EXTENDING THE LEARNING

TWO-IE THE TOUCAN

TWO-IE THE TOUCAN

Plus the Cat

EXTENDING THE LEARNING

PLUS THE CAT

PLUS THE CAT

PLUS THE CAT

Minus the Dog

EXTENDING THE LEARNING

MINUS THE DOG

MINUS THE DOG

MINUS THE DOG

Penny the Pig

Penny is a priceless addition to any money unit.

EXTENDING THE LEARNING

PENNY THE PIG

PENNY THE PIG

Hickory Dickory Clock

EXTENDING THE LEARNING

HICKORY DICKORY CLOCK

HICKORY DICKORY CLOCK

Hour and Half Hour Wheel

HICKORY DICKORY CLOCK

5 Minute Inter vals Wheel

George the Giraffe

Patterning skills wont be such a stretch when George the Giraffe

EXTENDING THE LEARNING

GEORGE THE GIRAFFE

GEORGE THE GIRAFFE

Pattern & Problem Wheel

Sam the Shape Clown

Identifying geometric shapes and operation symbols is simple

EXTENDING THE LEARNING