Tiff's Learning Lab

09/26/2026

🥔 WAIT! Did you know it’s National Potato Month?

Add some potatoes to your grocery list or upcoming meal plans and throw in some math with the kids while you're at it. Who doesn't love potatoes?!?!

🚀 Fun potato facts:
• A potato is about 20% solids and 80% water.
• The average American eats about 124 pounds of potatoes per year.
• The potato was the first vegetable to be grown in space.

POTATO MATH GAMES
🥔 Math’d Potatoes board game from SimplyFun - Roll the dice and race to solve equations with addition and subtraction! https://simplyfun.com/products/mathd-potatoes?_pos=1&_sid=321620c01&_ss=r&ref=tiffanyzellmer
(Affiliate link - no extra cost to you)
🥔 Online Game - Run Potato Run division game https://www.fun4thebrain.com/g/division/runpotatorun/
🥔 Online Game - Mr. Potato Head addition and subtraction game (click on settings to change difficulty of problems) https://www.cokogames.com/mr-potato-head-math-game/
🥔 Hot Potato Skip Counting - Pass a potato while counting by 1s, 2s, 5s, 10s, or whatever number you’re practicing. When the timer stops, solve a math problem with the number you’re holding!
🥔 Hot Potato Addition/Multiplication - Shout out an addition or multiplication problem as you toss the potato. Other player must answer and then ask their own problem as they toss it to the next player. How many times you can toss around the potato without missing a fact?

POTATO BOOKS
🥔 Math Potatoes by Greg Tang - math riddles + problem solving.
🥔 One Potato, Two Potato by Cynthia DeFelice - doubling
🥔 Potatoes for Pirate Pearl by Jennifer Concepcion - recipes (more science than math but still awesome)

AND THEN THERE’S JUST… MATH WITH ACTUAL POTATOES!

Grab a bag of potatoes and try:
🥔 Predict, Measure, Compare
• Weight
• Length
• Diameter
• Circumference

🥔 Shopping Math
Calculate the total cost when potatoes are priced by the pound or calculate the cost per potato when buying by the bag.

🥔 Recipe Math
Follow a recipe with potatoes and practice measuring, fractions, doubling or halving a recipe, elapsed time, and more!

And that’s how potatoes ended up becoming part of math time around here.

09/22/2026

🎉 Behind every growth story is a student who kept showing up and putting in the work.

This incredible student started tutoring with me in June and was determined from the very beginning to make progress. We spent the summer months building math skills, tackling tricky concepts, and finding ways to make math click.

Then came the September i-Ready Math results… WOW!

09/15/2026

Love a fun little language lesson that can be used during math time! 🕵️‍♀️ Thanks, Merriam-Webster!

09/14/2026

🟠 If International Dot Day is new to you, let me introduce you!

September 15 is a day all about creativity, courage, kindness, and encouraging kids to make their mark. Inspired by Peter H. Reynolds’ The Dot, what began as a simple children’s book has grown into a worldwide celebration. I love the message behind it: sometimes a little encouragement is all it takes to help a child believe in themselves and see what they can do.

🔵 What is Dot Day? Powerpoint created by Author Peter H Reynolds : https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1O9diDM9eF0YsWEHaFzzHjzWSSVgxwjF6_NuETtosgS0/edit

🟡 YouTube The Dot read aloud - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sg-aGFsOk1I

🔴 YouTube StoryMakers with Peter H. Reynolds A DOT DAY Celebration! - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTCyeJ4G9Yw

🟢 International Dot Day - https://www.internationaldotday.org/

🟣 Classroom guide -https://d3kr0g7umcubly.cloudfront.net/candlewick-press-us/pdfs/activity-kit/9780763619619-kit-1.pdf

🟠 Dot Day Challenge - https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/International-Dot-Day-Activities-Math-National-4th-5th-6th-7th-8th-Grade-17619919

🔵 Dot Day Puzzle - https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/NO-PREP-Math-Fact-Fluency-Puzzles-Use-for-Dot-Day-Globe-or-Pie-Math-Review-2980534

🟡 Day Tessellation - https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/FREE-Collaborative-International-Dot-Day-Tessellation-Project-Math-Activities-12148895

🔴 Dot Day coloring pages - https://aqua.adobe.com/coloring-pages/categories/dot-day

🟢 Dot Estimation - https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Dot-estimation-17618710

🟣 Dot Day Graph - https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1G5KkzeMAS/

🟠 Dot Day activities - https://littlebinsforlittlehands.com/dot-activities/

🔵 Paint Dot activities - https://amylemons.com/5-paint-dot-marker-activities-math/

🟡 30 circles challenge - https://carlyandadam.com/thecarlyandadam/free-dot-day-activity

🔴 Dot Day Crafts - https://jdaniel4smom.com/2021/09/dot-day-activities-and-crafts-for-kids.html

🟢 Novel Effect Dot Day Printable Art Frames -https://noveleffect.com//srv/htdocs/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/TheDotFrames_printable.pdf

08/27/2026

👟🚲🚗🚌 How would your child roll into math tutoring?

Maybe they’d walk, pedal, ride, or get a lift!

My students arrive in all four ways, and honestly, I love it! There’s something pretty special about seeing all the different ways my students make their way to math each week.

Skateboard? Horse? Parachute? I’m ready for whatever comes next! 🛹🐴🪂

08/24/2026

Bring a little sign language to math!

This is such a great video for learning signs for common math symbols.

Math + movement + a new way to communicate? I’m in!

Explore the world of math through American Sign Language in this tu...

08/20/2026

And just like that, it’s back-to-school time.

Wishing all students a GREAT start to the school year. Let the learning, laughter, and adventures begin!

A big thank you to all the teachers! We appreciate everything you do.

Parents... hang in there! We’ve got this. 😉💛

08/17/2026

👀 School is starting back up… does your child know their multiplication facts?

Knowing those facts is important, but practicing them doesn't have to feel boring! I put together a BIG list of board games, card games, picture books, workbooks, artsy activities, online games, apps, AND plenty of FREE ideas, too!

It’s never too early to introduce multiplication and never too late to practice those facts.

👉 Head to the link to find some new favorites!
https://tiffslearninglab.com/mission-multiplication-facts

08/12/2026

🦫😂 Apparently, Ohio has a lot to say about beavers right now.

So naturally, I went looking for beaver-related math resources… and I found more than I expected!

📚 Books
• Twelve Snails to One Lizard: A Tale of Mischief and Measurement by Susan Hightower Ages 4-8
• Busy Beavers: Counting By 5s by Megan Atwood Ages 5-8
• Five Busy Beavers by Stella Partheniou Grasso Ages 3-8

🎲 Board Games & Card Games
• Timber Town Ages 10+
• Beaver Creek Ages 8+
• 13 Beavers Ages 7+
• Mattel Beaver Building Fun Ages 6+
• Run Beaver Run Ages 5+
• SimplyFun Hazel's Helpers Ages 4+
• PlanToys Timber Tumble Ages 3+

🔍 Learn more about beavers
• Interactive Beaver Exhibit https://www.highdesertmuseum.org/beaver-interactive/
• Smithsonian Exhibit:American Trail Beaver https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/beaver
• Dams 101 for Kids https://damsafety.org/kids

📝 Lesson Plans
• NPS Beaver Lodge Family https://www.nps.gov/teachers/classrooms/beaver-lodge-family.htm
• NPS Animal Track Detective https://www.nps.gov/teachers/classrooms/animal-track-detective.htm

08/10/2026

🚨 IMPORTANT SCHOOL SUPPLY QUESTION 🚨

📁 WHAT COLOR FOLDER SHOULD BE USED FOR MATH?

While you're getting those school supplies ready to go, ask your child what they think!

Then ask, “WHY?” 🤔

Warning: Strong opinions may follow.