5 Activities to do with Rekenreks

Tiffany Brosig — Fri, 28 Apr 2017 04:23:21 +0000

Are you interested in using rekenreks with your students, but you’re not sure how? A few years ago, I was in the same boat. I had been to a math training that used rekereks and I couldn’t wait to use them in my classroom. I made a class set out of cardboard and proudly brought them to school. Except I had no idea what to do with them! I had learned a game or two, but needed guidance with how to teach my students about them. In this post, I’ll show you how I introduce rekenreks to my students and some of the first activities I do with them.

Introducing Rekenreks

Like any other manipulative I introduce, I always allow my students to hold and play with the rekenreks for a while before we use them for instruction. After a few minutes of exploration I ask: What do you notice? What do you wonder?

I then explain that a rekenrek is a tool that will help us work with and understand numbers. I show the students what the rekenrek looks like when it’s in “rest position.” This is when all of the beads are pushed over to the right.

Next, I model how to make a number by sliding beads over to the left. I invite students to make the same number on their rekenreks. Once your students are comfortable with the procedures for using the rekenreks, you are ready to use them for number talks, games, and problem solving!

5 Favorite Activities for Rekenreks

What’s my Number?- Create a number on your own rekenrek and show it to the students quickly (3-5 seconds). Ask the students to tell you what number they saw.
Show Me- Hold up a number card or call out a number. Have the students create the number on their own rekenreks and then hold them up to show you. Record different ways students made the number on chart paper.
Story Problems- Use rekenreks to model story problems. “5 ducks were swimming on a pond. 2 more ducks came to join them. How many ducks are swimming on the pond now?”
What’s My Way?- Invite the students to make a target number on their rekenreks. At the same time, you create the number on your own so the students can’t see. Have students share the way they made the number, in an attempt to guess “your way.” For example, say the target number is 6. You made 6 on your rekenrek with 4 on the top and 2 on the bottom. Sally shares out that she made 6 with 3 on the top and 3 on the bottom. You respond, “that’s a great way to make 6! 3 on the top and 3 on the bottom! But it’s not my way!” Continue calling on students until someone shares that they made 6 with 2 on the top and 2 on the bottom. “Congratulations! You guessed my way!”
How Many More?- Choose a target number. Push a portion of the number over on the top row. The students will push the remaining beads needed to make that number on the bottom row. For example, say the target number is 10. You push 6 beads over on the top row. Have students do the same. Then ask, “How many more do we need to make ten?” The students will then push 4 beads over on the bottom row.

I hope I gave you some ideas to help get you started with rekenreks in your classroom. They are a powerful learning tool!

The post 5 Activities to do with Rekenreks appeared first on KTeacherTiff.

DIY Rekenreks

Tiffany Brosig — Sat, 14 Jun 2014 11:00:00 +0000

I’m excited to be sharing an easy project with you today–one of my favorite math tools: rekenreks!

I don’t know about you, but I love to use rekenreks in my classroom. If you’ve never heard of rekenreks before, you will! These arithmetic racks consist of two strings, with a row of beads on each string. Each row is traditionally made up of five red beads and five white beads, but you can use any two colors you like. They are great for helping students to understand number concepts such as basic addition and subtraction, subitizing, and decomposing numbers. These have become an essential part of my math workshop, but they are an expensive purchase!

Two years ago, I created my own rekenreks for my classroom using cheap materials–an old cardboard box, string, and pony beads. They were great for a little while, but this year, they’ve been driving me nuts. The bending…the rattling… ahhh my blood pressure shoots up just thinking about it. During a recent committee meeting, my supervisors shared these awesome homemade rekenreks that are durable and inexpensive to make. I went straight to Lowe’s and got to work!

Here are my old rekenreks… You can make them from cardboard, but don’t.

What I’m about to show you is a much better method of making rekenreks that will last a lifetime!

How to Make Durable Rekenreks

You will need:

Lowe’s choice poplar wood size 1/4 x 4 x 4 (one board makes five Rekenreks)

Elastic cord

Pony beads

Here is what the boards look like at Lowe’s.

The nice folks who work there cut them for free, even though there is a sign saying that they charge for each cut after the first three. I know many other teachers in my town have had the same experience. If your Lowe’s is going to charge you, you can always have someone with a saw do it for you or do it yourself. I was being kind to the hubs by sparing him the task. I got five rekenreks out of each board.

Then, I marked off and drilled some holes. Ignore the toddler foot in the background.

Yeah, I know this was not the best setup. Don’t make fun. After drilling the holes, get some sandpaper and give the edges and the areas around the holes a quick sanding.

I ~~stole~~ found and used this elastic cord from the supply cupboard at my school. These two packs weren’t quite enough for all 20. You can find bigger packs in the children’s craft section at Wal-Mart.

I cut each string of elastic just slightly longer than the board itself. Different sizes and brands of elastic stretch differently, so you’ll need to experiment with one or two. Thread the cord through one side and let it hang back there. Then, string ten pony beads onto the string (five of one color and five of another). Now, thread the other side of elastic through the hole and stretch tightly on the back side. Tie the two ends in a knot and repeat about four times to make sure it holds.

Trim the excess string along the back. This is what the finished product will look like!

I made 20 rekenreks for less than thirty dollars, and it only took a day. I hope you decide to make some of these for your classroom!

The post DIY Rekenreks appeared first on KTeacherTiff.

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5 Activities to do with Rekenreks

DIY Rekenreks