Line Up AND Learn Some Math!

“SHE CUT ME!”

I heard that a number of times when students were lining up in my classroom. One of the worst possible crimes in elementary school is when a student cuts in line! Oh my! Other crimes while lining up were pushing, crowding, elbowing, complaining, name calling, etc.

It is tough to get 25 young children to line up quickly and peacefully. Soooo I developed the Stand-On Footprints to help students line up.

The footprints give a specific spot to put feet. While standing, there are many math skills available for incidental learning. The top left corner has the numeral and the number word in English. The top right corner has the numeral and the number word in Spanish. Between the feet are the ordinal number and ordinal number word in English. Below the ordinal number word is the number in Roman Numerals. At the bottom of the page is the number represented in dots. The Stand-On Footprints also have a color pattern: blue, green, blue, green….  Whew, this one piece of paper is full of math concepts!

I taught ordinal numbers using the stand-on prints. “Bob, stand in 4^th place. Sue, stand in 8^th place, etc.” While waiting in line, my students kept busy looking at the numerals below, number words, and counting dots. It simplified lining up AND my students learned additional math skills in the process.

If you have a class that needs high structure, give each student an assigned number. Students will not have to jostle around to find a spot. You can spend less time directing and correcting students and spend more time reinforcing positive behavior and teaching math concepts.

Simply print out Stand-On Footprints on a color printer, laminate, and tape to the floor. There are many different types of decorative duct tape available at your local home store. I find sticking the tape to your clothing before sticking to the floor lets you remove the tape without leaving residue. Decorate your floor, improve your students’ math skills and reduce conflicts in line with Stand-On Footprints!