I purchased a set of Differentiated Instruction Cubes last year and am  “IN LOVE” with them. In fact, I purchased a second set so that I have the potential to have one cube per group for maths activities.

Differentiated Instruction Cubes have 6 clear pockets that you can slip images and flashcards into. My 5 Frame Dice Template slips perfectly inside the pockets. Bring on the fun!

Here is an image of my 5 Frame Dice Template:

I also use them for literacy and Gaeilge but that’s another blog post of another day 😉 I am not sure that I can think of any other teaching resource that can be used in so many diverse ways. Perhaps my pocket charts?

I have programmed them with letters and we rolled CVC’s. As shown below. I have also programmed them with sight vocabulary.

Differentiated Instruction Cubes are €16.26 at Book Depository. Click here for a link.

I am currently teaching Junior Infants and we are exploring the numbers 0-5. As part of our Mental Mats and Number Analysis Programme we use 5 Frames. We are always working on “subtising” and visualising numbers. I have create lots of Subitising PowerPoint Presentations and some fun games. Those of you who follow me on Facebook have  already seem some of them. We are so amazing at subitising 0-5 that we don’t even need to “touch count” the dots on the 5 Frames. We can already recognise them instantly. Love it!!!

It took a bit of messing around to get the sizing right but my persistence paid off. Voila, my 5 Frame Inserts for Differentiated Instruction Cubes:

Click here to download my 5 Frame Dice Template

I can hardly wait to start using them with Game boards. Now that we have covered Number 5 a whole new world of maths centre games opens out before us. We will be playing our very first game on Friday as part of our World Book Day Themed Activities. I just know that my class will go nuts for it! We will roll the 5 Frame Dice and colour. The first person to fill their board will be the winner. Make sure that you visit my Facebook Page of Friday for some photos.

If you don’t have Differentiated Instruction Cubes you can still use my 5 Frame Dice Templates. I used some Foam Shapes that I purchased in Mr. Price to create a  Subitising Number Flash Game/ Concentration Game. I also have number words and dice images in the game.

For those of you who scratched your head at the mention of “Subitising” here are some screen shots of a fantastic article by the Winnepeg School Division 2005-2006. Click here to read more. Subitising is a hugely important maths skill and should be made a regular, by this I mean daily, maths activity. It’s so much fun and easy to do!

Have fun,

Miss Mernagh 🙂