Roll and Cover Addition Practice
Are you looking for a fun and engaging way to help your students practice addition? Roll and cover addition practice is a low-prep way to bring some seasonal fun to your classroom math routine! There are many reasons why these math activities are a classroom staple. Keep reading for my top five reasons to use roll, add, and cover in kindergarten!
5 Reasons to Use Math Roll and Cover Games
Roll and cover math activities are a simple yet fun way to practice any math operation. Students roll dice, complete the math operation using the numbers from the dice, and then cover the answer on a mat containing multiple numbers. When using roll and cover mats for addition, the students will total the number of dots from the dice that they rolled.
There are five main reasons why this activity is perfect for the kindergarten classroom:
1. Low Prep
Itโs no secret that I love low prep math activities, which is why I consider roll and cover mats a classroom staple and have created a set share with you! All you have to do is print the mats, then add some dice and manipulatives. I also suggest laminating the mats for durability or placing them in sheet protectors. This way you can prep your roll and cover addition practice once but use it all year (and beyond)!
2. Game Format
Kindergartners LOVE to play games, so one of the best features of roll and cover addition practice is the game-play element. Since the rules of this game are simple, students can easily participate in roll and cover activities during center time.
There are many ways that you can modify the โgameโ aspect of this activity based on the needs and interests of your class.
One method of play is that students can work together to try and cover all of the numbers on the mat before itโs time to switch activities. As an alternative, if your students prefer a little healthy competition, each student can use their own manipulative color as they try to cover more numbers than their partner.
The best part about a game format is that students love to play again and again, which means more counting and addition practice!
3. Flexibility
Another reason why roll and cover is a great kindergarten activity is that it can be modified to best meet the needs of your students. Would you like your students to have more number formation practice? You can have your students use a dry-erase marker to trace the numbers instead of covering them with manipulatives.
If your students could use more practice with coloring, you can present this roll and cover activity as a roll and color dice game. The black and white version of my roll and cover addition mats will help you save on printer ink, but you can also use this version as a roll and color game; students simply color each number on the worksheet as they roll the numbers instead of covering them with manipulatives. (If youโd like to save paper, these mats can easily be printed two to a page.)
Another modification that you can make is your choice of dice. If your students are ready to add without the built-in support of having dice dots to count, you can switch out the traditional dice for number cubes instead!
4. Seasonal Addition Practice
Thereโs something about seasonal activities that almost automatically increases student interest and engagement.ย This is even true with roll and cover games! However, it doesnโt take very much effort at all to switch out these hands-on math activities each season. Plus, since the activity and rules stay the same regardless of the theme, your students will know exactly what to do when itโs their turn to use the latest roll and cover activity.
I have created a set of 12 Addition Roll and Cover Mats that represent each season and a variety of holidays. You can even increase the seasonal fun by choosing coordinating manipulatives! I love to use mini erasers for roll and cover activities, but you could also use any other manipulative that you have on hand. (My students love when I pull out the gold coins for St. Patrickโs Day math activities!) If youโre interested in the other manipulatives that I use for kindergarten centers, check out this post!
5. Multi-Purpose
Once you have roll and cover addition mats printed and ready to go, you can use them in many different places throughout the classroom. The game-like format is perfect for partner work or small group time. With minimal pieces and simple rules, small groups and partnerships will need very little direction from the teacher!
Students can also complete roll and cover activities independently, which means these mats can be a great addition to morning work tubs! Since roll and cover activities provide multiple opportunities to practice counting and addition, they can also be used to bring some variety to intervention time.
FREE Roll and Cover Worksheets
Are you ready to try this in your classroom? Or do you already love roll and cover and youโre looking for a variety of mats? Either way, I have you covered! My Roll and Cover Addition Mats can be found in my shop as a free download. As I mentioned above, the set includes 12 seasonal roll and cover mats that come in full color as well as black and white. While there are some holiday-themed mats in this set, there are also non-holiday options that work for each season.
FREE Roll and Cover Addition Mats
More Hands-On Math Practice
Are you looking for even more low-prep, high-engagement math activities for your kindergarten classroom? Youโll definitely want to check out my money-saving Addition and Subtraction Practice Activities bundle! These activities will help you incorporate fine motor practice activities, low-prep printables, and even technology into your math curriculum. These activities are perfect for centers, homework, and even early finisher activities!
Addition and Subtraction Practice Activities BUNDLE
Save This Roll and Cover Freebie
Are you short on time to download right now? Save this post to your favorite classroom board on Pinterest so that you can come back later to print this free resource.
