Multiplication Monsters

I have been a bit late in getting this going, but I finally have had enough time to set it up so I present MULTIPLICATION MONSTERS!

Having basic multiplication (0-12) committed to memory is HUGE in third grade.  It isn’t uncommon for teachers to make some sort of visual incentive to motivate their students.  I am a heavy user of Class Dojo (which I may write about at another time) and on this behavior management system the avatars used to represent my students are “monsters” which I find amusingly and affectionately appropriate.  So when I saw these Trend Enterprises Furry Friends Mini Accents in a pack of 36 (yes having 36 is a big deal…I am often quite irritated at packs of 20 or some nonsense when class size is always on the rise..I presently have 32 students and have been told I could have 33 at most…but this is a rant for another post) I knew they were perfect.

So I picked them up along with some lil stars and made a simple table in Word for each lil monster to hold.  Each one of my students has their very own Multiplication Monster for them to track their progress on. (click photos to enlarge)

I have never been one for flashy bulletin boards.  I rather prefer the clean and non-time consuming approach.  So I was rather pleased with the way it turned out and I know my students will be thrilled to see their new monsters and will be excited about their multiplication quizzes.  The “party” I use most is what I call a reward lunch where top point earners in Class Dojo are invited to lunch with me in the classroom where they can watch a movie (as much as a 40 minute lunch will allow).  They LOVE this and it has been a huge hit.  So I will be having a special lunch for those students who successfully reach their twelves.

Thanks for reading!