This post gives an in-depth look into the Mindful Math Program available for Kindergarten, First Grade, and Second Grade. It will detail what it includes, how to use it, and answer questions. There are free resources to download and try today to support your math program.
What is the Mindful Math Program?
Mindful Math is a COMPLETE, comprehensive math curriculum for Kindergarten, first grade, and second grade. It includes 10 units with 10+ lessons each to teach the concepts and standards children need to learn. Every unit is jam-packed, mind-focused math curriculum that provides teachers with EVERYTHING they need to teach math without supplementing from other sources.
The Mindful Math curriculum incorporates focused math learning opportunities and many components within each unit. The activities are hands-on and minds-on, meaning students actively work on math and engage their minds.
Mindful Math includes a variety of thoughtful lessons and activities to help meet the needs of learners and their learning styles. Students will have many opportunities to learn and practice new strategies and develop math fluency through whole group warm-ups and lessons, mental math, journals, centers, games, and more.
Mindful Math gives teachers a comprehensive math curriculum that engages minds and leaves students knowledgeable and fluent in math concepts. The curriculum aligns with the U.S. Common Core standards, the Canadian math curriculums (specifically B.C. and Ontario), and many other math curriculums worldwide.
What is included in the Mindful Math Program?
Kindergarten units
The Mindful Math Kindergarten curriculum includes 10 units. These units represent the standards and skills children need to acquire in Kindergarten.
First Grade units
Mindful Math First Grade includes 10 units (plus an additional bonus unit of patterns & sorting for bundle owners). These units represent most of the standards and skills children need to acquire in first grade.
Second Grade units
The Mindful Math Second Grade curriculum includes 10 units. These units represent the standards and skills children need to acquire in second grade.
Mindful Math Program Lesson Plans
Jam-packed, comprehensive lesson plans provide the teacher with ALL the information needed to teach successful, mindful lessons that lead to growth and success in Math. Everything a teacher needs is listed on each lesson plan to help with organization. Simply print the lesson plans, gather the materials listed, and TEACH!
Mindful Math Program Lesson Materials & Posters
All the extra materials needed for teaching a lesson and student practice are provided. Math manipulatives and tools, such as words, ten frames, number lines, are included to support students and the lesson. Chart pieces and concept posters or ‘I Can’ posters are provided to support lesson instruction.
Kindergarten and Second Grade Mindful Math includes “I Can” posters with a clear goal for each lesson. First grade Mindful Math includes concept posters for each lesson.
Mindful Math Program Task Cards
Mindful Math task cards are short math warm-up activities that students can complete independently. There are a variety of tasks that build on skills previously taught in other lessons to build fluency. They encourage students to be mindful and focus on the task given.
There is one task card for each lesson, and I suggest using the task card before the whole group lesson to get students thinking about math.
Mindful Math Program Journal Prompts
Mindful Math Journal Prompts are perfect for a warm-up activity, extra practice, or homework. Each prompt reviews the skills and concepts taught in the previous lesson. They make a great review activity and help build math understanding.
Mindful Math Program Mental Math Flash Cards
Mindful Math mental math cards are perfect for building mental math skills and quick recall of essential math concepts. Mental math cards are provided and suggested for a whole group as a warm-up activity.
Each lesson plan includes suggestions on how to use and present the cards to students. Each set features a new skill to practice and build fluency with.
Mental math cards can be stored in pockets, bags, or on rings for easy access and use.
Mindful Math Program Practice Worksheets
Every lesson in Mindful Math includes practice printable pages for students to complete independently following a lesson. The pages help build math skills and review essential concepts. The pages range in difficulty to allow for differentiation.
Differentiated practice worksheets and printable booklets are provided to support lessons.
Math Program Hands-on Activities, Games, & Centers
Each lesson includes hands-on activities, such as centers and games. Activities are meaningful and fun. They help build skills and fluency and encourage focused math practice.
Math centers are provided for independent and small group practice. Math games are included and can be played solo or with a partner. All activities are kid-tested and approved!
Various math games and centers are provided for every lesson in the program, allowing kids at all levels to participate and see success.
Mindful Math Program Assessments
Mindful Math Quick Checks are assessments performed after math lessons and practice. Each Quick Check includes a short activity for an individual or small groups to complete and show to the teacher.
A student’s task completion will provide teachers with information regarding their understanding.
Second Grade Mindful Math also includes pre- and post-test assessments for each lesson, while first grade includes an additional post-test assessment for each lesson.
Mindful Math Program Supplemental Materials
Answer keys are provided to help teachers assess and check the practice printable pages. Duplicate pages are provided for Canadian users with Canadian spelling and math content (if applicable).
A suggested book list is provided with children’s literature to help teach math concepts. You should check your local and school library before starting a unit. Each book is linked to Amazon, which can be bought at a reasonable price. Read more about how I suggest using children’s literature to teach math HERE.
How to Use the Mindful Math Program?
Timeline
I suggest teaching one unit of Mindful Math each month. This way, you have a different unit to teach for each month of the school year.
Depending on the length of your math block, I suggest teaching a new lesson every other day. With the amount of content, activities, and practice included, there is enough to work on in one lesson for two days. Spending 2 days on a lesson will allow for repeated practice and fluency to build.
In terms of time, I estimate the warm-up, mental math, and whole-group lesson to take approximately 45 minutes, depending on the lesson and how your students grasp the concept.
You also want to give them ample time to practice in hands-on ways. Then the other components (independent practice, centers, games, etc.) would be in addition to that time. You could easily stretch one lesson to fit your math block over two days.
My suggested plan for breaking down the materials in a lesson is as follows…
- Day 1 (45-60 minutes): Warm-up activities (task card & math journal), mental math, and whole group lesson.
- Day 2 (45-60 minutes): Mental math, independent practice, hands-on activities (centers and games), and quick checks.
Remember you don’t need to teach EVERYTHING included for every lesson. Use the different materials to need your students’ needs and differentiate for diverse learners.
Learn more about how I schedule and plan my math block in this post about guided math schedules.
Organization
Each unit details how to use and prep each component of the Mindful Math program.
Printing:
Print off each component of the Mindful Math program ahead of time. Print, laminate, and cut materials, so they are prepped and ready for your lessons. Many items will be printed in black and white on paper. Printing the activities, posters, task cards, and quick checks on white or colored cardstock are encouraged for durability and longevity.
Binders:
Create a binder for each unit of Mindful Math. Use the binder covers and spines (provided for free below) to create a cohesive look and organization for your binders. Binders could be kept together on a shelf or in bins with other materials needed for a unit.
In each binder, place the lesson plans, black line masters of practice printables and journal prompts, and lesson materials in zipper pouches or plastic holders with holes (whichever you prefer).
Use mini folders with sections to organize small items like task cards, mental math cards, and quick checks.
Student Workbooks & Journals:
Create a student workbook for each unit that includes the practice printables you want each student to complete. Use the student workbook covers to create a booklet for each student (free below). Then, use Math journals or math notebooks for completing the journal prompts and the practice printables (shrink and print pages).
Manipulatives:
Use math manipulatives (small objects) to teach math, and lessons are far more concrete. Students benefit from using real things they can manipulate, count, move around, etc. This helps them build skills in a hands-on way. Provide lesson materials if math manipulatives are not available. Print and use those instead.
Books:
Each lesson includes a recommendation of a math picture book. The books help teachers teach concepts in different ways. However, it is not mandatory to collect and read the suggested books. Essentially, it is an extra resource for teachers if you would like to incorporate literature into math lessons.
Bins:
Use bins or tubs to organize materials together in one place. For instance, it is a great way to prepare for a unit. Include the math manipulatives, binder, student workbooks, and math picture books inside a bin for each unit.
Mindful Math Curriculum Resources
Mindful Math Kindergarten Bundle
This Mindful MATH Kindergarten Bundle includes:
- 10 math units covering all topics taught in Kindergarten
- 2750+ pages FULL of lesson plans, materials, activities, and more!
- 100+ comprehensive, jam-packed lessons
See the Kindergarten Mindful Math Program in Action
Mindful Math Program First Grade Bundle
This Mindful MATH 1st Grade Bundle includes:
- 10 math units covering all topics taught in first grade
- 3000+ pages FULL of lesson plans, materials, activities, and more!
- 100+ comprehensive, jam-packed lessons
- FREE Patterns & Sorting BONUS UNIT included for Mindful MATH bundle owners ONLY!
See the First Grade Mindful Math Program in Action
Mindful Math Second Grade Bundle
This 2nd Grade Mindful MATH Bundle includes:
- 10 math units covering all topics taught in second grade
- 4000+ pages FULL of lesson plans, materials, activities, and more!
- 100+ comprehensive, jam-packed lessons
See the Second Grade Mindful Math Program in Action
Why Should Teachers Choose the Mindful Math Program?
Mindful MATH has what teachers LOVE!
- Easy to implement, effective lessons and activities that kids enjoy!
- Detailed, easy-to-teach lesson plans that take the guesswork out of what to teach!
- ALL lesson materials are provided, so you don’t have to waste time gathering supplies!
- “I CAN” or concept posters to introduce topics, so your students understand concepts more easily!
- A variety of activities for every lesson (math games and centers) to keep engagement high!
- Build math skills and develop fluency with math journals, task cards, mental math, and TONS of differentiated practice printables!
- 2 types of assessments – Quick Check review cards (for K-2) + Pre & Post Tests for every lesson so you can check that your students understand what they need to know!
What People are saying about Mindful Math!
Kristina says “This product is AMAZING! I have a very old math curriculum at my school, so instead of supplementing pretty much everything, I use these units. It has EVERYTHING you need, the lesson plans, center activities, task cards, hands-on activities, and tons of worksheets to choose from. Math is definitely not an area of teaching strength, however, I think I am improving the different ways I teach math, through using this curriculum. I can already tell a difference in my students progress in math from last year to this group’s. When I take my maternity leave later this year, it will be one less thing I have to worry about! Thank you, THANK YOU!”
Jacqueline says “This is by far the best math resource I have purchased! It is very thorough and the depth of activities is great!”
Desiree says “I have purchased quite a few math resources and this is by far my favorite! It is well laid out and has a variety of activities to use. My 1st graders are loving it as much as I do!”
Maxine says “My current math program had me so frustrated! I’m so glad I found this to try out to add richer math experiences in my first grade classroom! Thank you!”
“EXCELLENT RESOURCE! Comprehensive, easy to use and differentiate. I feel confident that I am teaching to what my students need. Students are highly engaged and look forward to all parts of the lessons. Thank you.” – Skye D.
“Extremely thorough and useful resource – I love that everything you need for a lesson is there even if you don’t use every piece! I also like the “I can” posters that help the children understand exactly what they are focusing on in that lesson.” – Larissa
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this program cover all of the Common Core standards?
Yes! Mindful Math covers all Common Core standards for First Grade and Kindergarten within their 10-unit bundle. There are lessons and activities to teach and practice each standard.
Although it covers each standard, it may not provide enough practice for the particular needs of your class or students. You may choose to supplement as needed.
Does Mindful Math cover the Canadian curriculum?
In the creation of Mindful Math, the new BIG Ideas curriculum in British Columbia and the Ontario Mathematics Curriculum were researched. Mindful Math provides lessons and materials to meet these curriculum expectations.
Ontario Grade 2 teachers: Mindful Math does not include coding but aligns well with the rest of the updated math curriculum (2020).
Do I have to purchase the entire bundle to use Mindful Math?
Nope! Each unit stands alone and can be used to teach different math topics in First Grade. You can view and purchase each unit HERE (Second Grade) and HERE (First Grade), and HERE (kindergarten).
Do I have to use everything included? Can I teach certain lessons and not others?
No, you do not have to use everything included to have great results with Mindful Math. Use the components and lessons that work for you and your needs. Many choices and options are available if you have limited time or are only looking for a few things.
How do you differentiate with Mindful Math?
Mindful Math includes many opportunities and options for differentiation. Lessons encourage students to show their understanding differently and practice math concepts with or without support.
The curriculum includes many practice pages with different levels of difficulty. Students can complete all or a few of the pages.
Also, it includes activities, games, and centers for small groups to provide more support independently for our more advanced learners or partners.
Not every part of every lesson needs to be completed by each student. Certain activities are “extra” challenges for certain students, or at-home, extra practice for others.
I am starting Mindful Math mid-way through the year. Where do I begin? Is it too late to start?
Begin with the first unit that you need. If you have already taught certain math topics to your class, skip those units and teach others.
It is NEVER too late to start teaching Mindful Math! The unit organization and presentation make beginning at any point in the school year a breeze.
If you have more questions, comment below, and I will add an answer in this post.
Free Mindful Math Lessons to Try
Want to try a lesson yourself from Mindful Math? You can try a Mindful Math lesson and all the materials to support it for Kindergarten, first grade, and second grade for FREE today!
Kindergarten Mindful Math Sample Lesson
This is a sample lesson from the Kindergarten Mindful Math unit on Numbers to 10.
First Grade Mindful Math Sample Lesson
This First Grade lesson is included in the complete Addition to 10 unit.
Second Grade Mindful Math Sample Lesson
This is a sample lesson from the Second Grade Mindful Math unit on Number Sense (to 1000).
Read More About Teaching Math
How to Teach Math Effectively – Free Training
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Your mindful math bundle looks amazing! Unfortunately I teach grade 2. Will you be expanding into more than just grade 1?
Hi Stephanie! This curriculum is now available for kinder through 2nd grade!
If I teach Grade 2 in BC (Canada), which unit should I purchase?
Hi Tanis. You should purchase the 2nd grade set. The previews show you which lessons to teach and which you can choose to leave out.
Elyse
Please expand to grade 2. This is a fabulous tool and I would love to buy the whole grade 2 bundle if there was one!!!!
I purchased the grade 1 bundle, AMAZING!!! I will have grade 1/2 next year and have been thinking of curriculum options… Can we have a heads up if a grade 2 bundle could be on the horizon for next school year? If so it would be first thing on my purchase list!!
Thank you for your consideration of it. I know this is a huge amount of work and very time consuming. I love your work and my kids love it too! One of my favourite parts is the connection to the BC standards and Canadian content. 🙂
Hi Steph! Thank you for your feedback. I am hoping to continue the mindful math curriculum into 2nd grade next year but at this point, I cannot say if it will happen for sure yet. I need to see what my work schedule and time commitments look like, since as you know this is a big time commitment. I hope to make a decision before summer. Stay tuned!
That makes total sense! Fingers crossed on my end! 😉 🙂 Have a great day and thank you again for considering it!
I would LOVE to buy a preschool version!!
Are there assessments for each Unit?
There are quick check assessments for the Kindergarten and First Grade sets. First grade has post tests too. Second grade also includes pre and post tests.
I teach kindergarten, and I can’t wait to start using the program. I have looked over everything, but cannot find any suggestions for the block of time needed to complete the program. I am planning on taking two days to cover each lesson.
Can you make some time suggestions?
I suggest teaching one unit of Mindful Math each month. This way you have a different unit to teach for each month of the school year.
Depending on the length of your math block, I suggest teaching a new lesson every other day. With the amount of content, activities, and practice included, there is enough to work on in one lesson for two days. Spending 2 days on a lesson will allow for repeated practice and fluency to build.
In terms of time, I estimate the warm-up, mental math, and whole group lesson taking approximately 45 minutes depending on the lesson and how your students are grasping the concept.
You also want to give them ample time to practice in hands-on ways. Then the other components (independent practice, centers, games, etc.) would be in addition to that time. You could easily stretch one lesson to fit your math block, over two days.Â
My suggested plan for breaking down the materials in a lesson are as follows…
Day 1 (45-60 minutes): Warm-up activities (task card & math journal), mental math, and whole group lesson.
Day 2 (45-60 minutes): Mental math, independent practice, hands-on activities (centers and games), and quick checks.
Remember you don’t need to teach EVERYTHING included for every lesson. Use the different materials to need your students’ needs and differentiate for different learners.
Hi!
What size binders do you use to store each unit in? I’m looking at white 1” or 1.5” binders. Which do you use? Did you buy in bulk?
Thanks!
I wold love to see a video of you teaching one of these Units or at least one of the lesson plans. I bought the entire bundle and I’m really excited about it, but I’m still trying to wrap my mind around all the resources. Apparently I’m a very visual learner. Haha! 🙂
Hi Jennifer! I do know that these units include a lot. My advice would be to not rush through them, and take a couple of days to complete the lessons. Consider how you like to structure your match block and fit the pieces into that, without trying to include everything.
I am not in the classroom anymore, as I now create resources full time, so teaching a lesson to a class on video is just not possible. I am available for any questions you may have though so feel free to reach out anytime! All the best!
Do you know when the Grade 3 Mindful Math will become available?
Hi Saleena. I have put creating the 3rd grade bundle on hold at the moment. It may still come to fruition in the future, but I don’t have an estimated date at this time.
Elyse
Hi there. I started mindful math when teaching grade 1 then continued it when I moved to kindergarten. I love the setup, ease and completeness of this program! Now I’m switching to grade 3 and thought I’d check in to see if you are currently working on a grade 3 version? I’d love to continue using this program rather than learn a new one!!
I will be teaching a K/1 class next year. Do you recommend purchasing both packages, or would using 1 of them with a bit of adjusting work?
Hi Karen. I do recommend both bundles as they teach different concepts at the level appropriate for K & 1st. I do realize that it is an investment, so if you wish to purchase just one, I would go with the 1st grade set and then differentiate/supplement for your kinders as needed. Hope that helps!
Elyse
Hi! Will you put out a grade 3 ?
Wondering if I should wait to purchase or look else where! I love your stuff.