6th Grade Math Warm-Ups To Start Your Class Off Right
Let’s face it. The start of class has the potential to be sure pure. If you’ve ever stepped foot into a middle school classroom with no routine in place, you know this to be true. For this very reason it’s so important to use 6th grade math warm-ups to start your class off right!
But, math warm-ups for 6th grade don’t have to be boring! Too often I see students working on a 6th grade math warm-ups pdf that’s columns of endless problems. The students get a new one weekly with no attempt to engage or interest students in the practice. What a great way to start off class… Get the students bored out of their minds before any new content is even considered.
If you’re anything like me, this is not an acceptable way to kick off what I attempt to make the most engaging class of the day. You’ve likely worked on other aspects of your daily activities, now let’s tackle how you approach your sixth grade math warm ups.
6th Grade Math Warm-Ups - Done for You
All of the ideas listed throughout this post can be implemented completely on your own; however, if you are seeking 6th grade math warm up questions that are engaging and ready to use with as little as five minutes of prep time a week, I have you covered. Check out my 6th grade math warm-ups for the entire school year. Or test them out for yourself first by grabbing this 6th grade math warm ups free sample.
If you’re into DIY, buckle up and enjoy the ride! Here’s Eight 6th grade math warm-ups your students will love!
Fun Math Warm-Ups 6th Grade
To better engage students and provide the consistency they need with the variety they want, I recommend using daily themes for your warm-ups. In doing so, students know what to expect, but the variety keeps them engaged and interested instead of them reluctantly filling out another worksheet. Below you will find a list of ideas for themed days of the week for your 6th grade math daily warm ups.
Mixed-Up Monday
For Mixed-Up Monday, it is exactly what it sounds like. The numbers are all mixed up and students have to rearrange them to make the equation true. This particular example works well with topics such as exponents, fraction operations, decimal operations and almost anything number related. You provide the students with the set-up, operation symbol and all the numbers. However, be sure to mix up the digits prior to posting the problem for the students. Thank you to Miss V in 3 for this awesome idea. You can check out her blog of easy warm up ideas here!
Multiple Choice Monday
Although this topic is not as engaging as the others, with the importance of state testing, consider dedicating some of your Monday reviews to multiple choice questions. This provides students practice with problems similar to those they may see when it comes to standardized testing.
Take Out the Trash Tuesday
On Tuesday, I like to give my students a prompt with six different possible answer choices. All to none of the solutions fulfill the requirement of the prompt and students have to decide which answer choices must be eliminated. To do so, they simply leave behind all the choices that meet the requirement and “trash” those that do not.
Would You Rather Wednesday
Every Wednesday, we do one of two awesome activities. The first of these activities is Would You Rather. I usually include word problems or open ended prompts such as “Would you rather divide fractions or divide decimals?” I attempt to choose prompts that students can argue either option. The main goal of Would You Rather Wednesday is to encourage students to think about math on a deeper level.
For awesome ideas for Would You Rather math prompts, check out this website! Another activity to get students thinking on a deeper level is through which one doesn’t belong activities.
Which One Doesn't Belong Wednesday
The idea behind which one doesn’t belong is to provide students with four options in which they choose why one of the four does not belong with the others. The fun part about this activity is students can come up with a reason to justify any of the four examples. For more on this concept, check out free examples to use in your class tomorrow on this website. The website and my examples are inspired by the “Which One Doesn’t Belong – A Shapes Book” by Christopher Danielson. I personally keep a copy in my desk drawer at school. I highly recommend grabbing a copy of the book here.
Throwback Thursday
On Thursday, I like to mix things up and give students three different completely non-related problems to solve. There is no gimmick, no frill, just practice. In doing so, I hope to provide my students with the repetition they need. It is extremely important to provide students the opportunity to think about math in a deeper way, but repetition is also a necessity.
The football team takes reps daily at their practice. The basketball team attempts free-throws just about every time they meet. These drills are necessary to improve skills needed to improve in other areas of the sport. Similarly, students need repetition to help solidify their understanding of topics in mathematics.
Friend Check Friday
On Friday, I like to have the students collaborate. Each student pairs up with a friend and solves a set of three problems. At the start of the activity, they each choose a set of three problems to solve. Each student solves independently and checks with their partner. However, there’s a catch. Each student solves a different problem that has the same answer. If the students get different answers, they work collaboratively to determine who made the error and what the error was. They then work together to aid in each other’s understanding.
Ask Buch Anything
On days when I am assessing students, I like to start off with a completely different warm-up. I do “Ask Buch Anything.” The main idea of this activity is to allow students time to reflect on what they are unsure of prior to taking the assessment. Additionally, I use this time as a way for students to make connections with me on a personal level.
Often students ask me questions related to some of the topics throughout the week. For example, students often ask me would you rather questions to learn a little more about me, my thoughts, and my values. Overall, this activity often allows students to decrease the amount of stress going into the assessment and helps them relax.
Speaking of relaxing, no assessment gets students more relaxed than standards driven projects. Check out my fifteen project ideas for 6th grade math here!
Math Warm-Ups for 6th Grade - Conclusion
So, next time you reach for that worksheet, remember it is your job to provide students the consistency they need with the variety they want. The warm-up doesn’t have to be the least engaging part of your day. Furthermore, the warm-up should not rely strictly on fact based questions. Remember to mix things up with open ended questions and activities. I highly recommend checking out the websites throughout this post for amazing activities to use in your class tomorrow. However, if you are looking for a full year of done for you 6th grade math daily warm ups, I have you covered. You can get your copy here.
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