Functional Math Worksheet Practice in the Classroom

I completed the Basic Skills Assessment (read my blog post about that resource) this past August with my students and after reviewing the results, I realized that my students were weak in executing basic money math and functional math skills. Many struggled with reading an analog clock, identifying or counting money, performing Dollar Up (consistently), or reaching for the calculator when performing a simple math problem. The Functional Math Review Worksheet is now available AND there is a Canadian Money Functional Math Review Worksheet and Australian Money Functional Math Review Worksheet now too!  (P.S. You can try a FREE Functional Math Skill Review Worksheet) 

These were skills that I personally address through formal lessons and practice on a weekly basis in the community, but they were still the skills that needed the most attention (and immediately). I needed a functional math worksheet practice (and yes, I eventually created a Functional Reading Comprehension Worksheet Workbook too).

 

Functional Math Worksheet

FREE Functional Math Skill Review Worksheet Preview

My goal for this resource was to address the biggest skill deficits, the skills that we practiced week after week in the community. I wanted to find a consistent way to practice these skills in the safe space of my classroom. I wanted to model the correct way multiple times and work collaboratively with students who needed that one-to-one direct instruction until their skill set was stronger. I wanted the money to look real. I had a lot of wants and my final product reflects that!

Knowing that these are key life skills AND often areas of need for most students, I looped this resource in with my consumer math lesson units too. Whether you teach high school or transition, consumer math skills and functional math skills are both equally important for functioning in the real world!

 

Skills included in the resource:

1. Dollar Over

2. Counting Dollars and Coins ($1, $5, $10, $10, penny, nickel, dime, quarter)

3. Adding two $ values

4. Deciding if a purchase is within budget

5. Telling time on an analog clock

6. Counting in increments of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 25, and 50 (common counting and money increments)

Yes, you could use this resource in the traditional worksheet sense, but it’s so much more versatile than that.  

Here are 5 ways I use or plan to use the Functional Math Worksheets in my classroom:

1. To get everyone back on the same timeline after cooking class. Since everyone cooks their own meal, then eats, then cleans up, there can be as big as a 20 minute swing between the first student done and last student done. I hand these out as each student finishes and we come back together to review the answers as one big group.

2. As part of a centers rotation. Cut the page across the middle to have two different center rotations or keep the page whole- either way, the paper/pencil practice is good. It’s a good starting point and a good way to keep that functional math skill game strong!

3. To gather IEP Present Level of Performance, baseline, or goal data. If you are curious about their functional math skill set, need to beef up that PLEP section, or need a way to gather consistent data towards a goal and you don’t see them in the community, then this resource is for you! Valuable and straight to the point!  And, if you need MORE applicable, meaningful, functional ideas for IEP goals for your students, this IEP Transition Skills Goal Bank is top notch, but I'm admittedly biased. 

4. As a bell ringer (if I was still in a junior/high school building). Maybe it’s a Monday thing or a Friday thing you do to start the period, either way, having a consistent way to get your students in the right math or life skill mindset from the minute they walk in your classroom is a skill of excellent teachers (feel free to remind your evaluator of that if they forget).  For DAILY life skill practice, the Life skills Daily Warm Up Activity Worksheets and Boom Cards, if you are looking for a digital option, would compliment this resource quite nicely.  

5. As a meaningful time filler for substitute teacher plans. No substitute teacher will ever be able to execute your school day exactly like you and there will almost always be time that will need to be filled. Throw a worksheet and answer key (included in the resource) into your sub folder as a way to fill those inevitable 10-20 minutes of downtime!

I’m not one to toot my own horn a lot, but the functional math worksheet resource is pretty solid. Here are the top 3 perks (in case you are still debating if it's right for your):

1. Answer keys are provided and easy to read because the correct answers are highlighted in yellow.

2. There are 36 versions, perfect for 1 full year of school if used once a week!

3. Mature graphics and font. Created for transition and high school level, designed for transition and high school level.

Now, go on and grab this awesome resource for yourself! (or try a page for FREE)

 

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