As teachers who've been there, we know that building number fluency is about more than just drilling facts—it’s about creating engaging, confidence-boosting experiences that help students develop essential skills for problem-solving and critical thinking.

In this episode, we explore how to make fluency fun, effective, and stress-free for all learners. Alisha shares a personal classroom challenge—her highly competitive Year 2 students—and how a simple Speedy Numbers booklet transformed their motivation and engagement.

We also discuss alternative approaches to traditional timed tests, ways to foster autonomy in learning, and how to differentiate fluency activities for all levels.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

• How to harness competition in a positive way to build number fluency
• Why fluency is essential for higher-order thinking and problem-solving
• Creative alternatives to traditional timed tests
• How to differentiate fluency activities for struggling learners
• The importance of motivation, inclusion, and celebrating progress
  
  

We also explore strategies like personal timers, flexible question goals, peer mentoring, and the “peek and steal” method to help students build their skills while reducing math anxiety. Plus, we share real teacher success stories and practical ways to implement these ideas in your classroom.

If you are looking to implement Speedy Numbers into your classroom, the resources are linked below.

We’d love to know: How do you build math fluency in your classroom? Share your thoughts with us on Instagram @rainbowskycreations!

Rainbows ahead,

Alisha and Ashleigh

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Addition and Subtraction Speedy Number Booklets

Multiplication Speedy Number Booklets

Division Speedy Number Booklets

I need all of them!

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As teachers who've been there, we understand the importance of having reliable, ready-to-use resources at your fingertips. In this episode, we walk you through 12 months of free teaching resources that will make your classroom life easier and more engaging.

We're sharing our favourite freebies that we've created specifically for primary teachers, breaking them down month by month so you can plan ahead and feel prepared all year round. All 14 freebies are linked below in the resources section.

We dive into practical ways to use these resources, share real stories from teachers who've implemented them, and discuss how these freebies can save you precious planning time while keeping your students engaged and learning.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

• How we create our resources for maximum impact in the classroom
• A month-by-month breakdown of free teaching resources you can start using right away
• Creative ways to implement these resources across different year levels
• Real teacher success stories and implementation strategies

We explore essential classroom resources including place value mats for maths, ANZAC Day activities, growth mindset cards, and festive end-of-year materials. Plus, we share our favourite ways to use these resources.

We'd love to know: Which of these free resources will you try first? (They are all linked below).

Rainbows ahead, Ashleigh and Alisha

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• January: Class Names Find-a-Word
• February: Place Value Mats
• March: Friends to Ten Spinner Game & Flip-it Multiplication Game
• April: ANZAC Day Word Search
• May: Number of the Day
• June: Growth Mindset in Action Cards
• July: Making $1 Hands-on Activity
• August: How to be a Bucket Filler
• September: Roald Dahl Day Activities
• October: Spooky Number of the Day and The History of Halloween Reading task
• November: Kind Flyers for World Kindness Day
• December: Kindness Kris Kringle & Creative Thinking Christmas Prompts for Grade K-2 or Grade 3-6.

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In this inspiring episode, we dive deep into the transformative power of play-based learning with Amy from Planning Playtime. Whether you're new to play-based learning or looking to enhance your current approach, this episode is packed with practical insights and actionable strategies.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Amy's inspiring journey into education and the story behind Planning Playtime
• The science-backed benefits of play-based learning in early education
• Common misconceptions about play-based learning and how to overcome them
• Practical tips for implementing play-based activities in your classroom

Join Amy as she unveils the magic connection between play and effective learning in early education. You'll discover practical, time-saving ways to weave play-based activities into your daily lessons, backed by evidence-based strategies that really work. From managing time constraints to balancing curriculum requirements, Amy shares simple solutions you can implement in your classroom straight away. Get ready to transform your teaching with play-based learning that truly makes a difference! 🌈

Resources mentioned in today’s episode

Discover more about Amy’s Programs on her website: https://PlanningPlaytime.com

Connect with Amy on Instagram: https://instagram.com/planningplaytime

Connect with Amy on /facebook:https://facebook.com/planningplaytime

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