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The end of the school year is a chaotic blend of trying to finish your math curriculum, review skills from the year, and have fun with your students before school is out for the summer. It can seem impossible to get it all done. However, I’ve found a way to wrap up the school year with meaningful skill practice that also doubles as a special keepsake for your students… an end of the year memory book for math!
I started doing this with my own students a few years ago, and it quickly became a tradition I look forward to each year. It’s also a great summer math review tool students can take home after the year is over.
Read on as I share practical ways to use an end of the year math memory book in your classroom, plus how it can simplify your end of the year planning while keeping the learning meaningful.
A math memory book is a structured, student-friendly way to review key math concepts learned throughout the year. This particular resource is designed as an A–Z review of 2nd grade math skills and vocabulary, with two activity pages per letter.
(Don’t worry, I have 1st grade and 3rd grade versions, too!).
From addition and bar graphs to expanded form and telling time, students will revisit important math skills while reflecting on their learning and completing fun, hands-on activities.
This is more than just a math review… it’s a celebration of just how much they’ve learned and grown throughout the year!
Planning lessons at the end of the year can feel totally disorganized, especially when there are so many extra events and disruptions to your normal day happening. Testing is done, routines are shifting, and attention spans are basically out the window and blowing down the street. But you can’t just throw everything to the wind and watch movies until the last day of school.
That’s why you need engaging activities to keep your students learning at the end of the year, and that’s exactly what a math memory book does!
It helps you:
Plus, it checks the box for both an end of the year memory book and academic review (think… a student portfolio)… something that’s not always easy to find.
One of the best things about an end of the year memory book for math is how flexible it is to use. You can adapt it to fit your schedule, your students, and your classroom routines.
Check out these ways to use this End of the Year Math Memory Book:
Use the book as a daily spiral review by assigning one page or letter per day. This helps students work through skills without getting overwhelmed.
With 2 pages per letter/skill, students will get multiple opportunities to work with the skill, instead of it just being a quick one-and-done type of review.
If you’re looking for low-prep morning work during those final weeks of school (something that you don’t have to print and set out every single morning), this math memory book is a huge timesaver and an easy start to the day. I like to assign one page each morning as students settle in.
This provides:
These A-Z end of year review activities are a perfect option for fast finishers. Instead of them roaming the classroom looking for something to do (and distracting other students in the process), keep them engaged with meaningful activities instead of busywork.
Simply have students pull out their math memory book and continue working wherever they left off. Since each letter reviews a different concept, it keeps it fresh without getting boring.
At the end of the year, you may be finished with your curriculum or creating your own lessons to target what your students are needing to practice. You can use these end of the year memory books as mini lessons for your whole group instruction. Project or model the activity and complete it together as a class.
This allows you to:
These end of the year math review activities can also be used during your regular math block as independent practice. Students can work at their own pace while reinforcing previously taught skills. This is a great way to differentiate at the end of the year.
Have a student you know needs more practice on a certain skill? Challenge them to find that specific skill’s letter page and complete the activity. Then, you can see how they’re progressing. It’s like a quick little assessment (without feeling like a test!).
Switch up your end of year math stations by adding the memory book to your rotations.
Students can complete pages using:
This makes review more hands-on and interactive while working towards completing a fun keepsake all at the same time.
At the end of the school year, kids can get extra chatty, so why not use that to your advantage?! Have your students work with partners to complete their math memory books collaboratively.
Partner work allows students to:
You can assign one page at a time or let partners choose a skill to complete together. This is a great way to build communication skills while reinforcing key math concepts at the end of the year.
Need a low-prep option for a substitute teacher at the end of the year, but don’t want to spend a bunch of time prepping plans and activities?
Math memory books are perfect for sub plans because they require little to no explanation. Simply leave the packet with clear instructions, and students can work independently or as a class.
Since the activities review familiar concepts, students will be able to confidently work through the concepts and stay engaged, even when you’re out. It’s an easy way to ensure learning continues without adding extra prep to your plate.
These memory books can also be sent home completed (or partially completed) as a summer math review packet.
Students can reference and review the activities during the summer months to help:
Here’s a few quick tips to help maximize the impact of your math memory books, while keeping prep and stress low:
Teacher tip: I like to assemble the full summer math review packet, complete with the cover from the beginning. It makes it feel more exciting, makes choosing skills easier, and gives students a stronger sense of ownership and pride. It’s also way easier than keeping track of pages and stapling more on 58 times!
This resource includes:
You’ll find skills like addition, bar graphs, counting coins, division, equal groups, fractions, geometry, place value, telling time, word problems, and more, all the way from A to Z.
You can grab the memory book in 1st grade and 3rd grade versions as well.
Instead of filling those last weeks with random activities, a math memory book gives your students a chance to reflect, review, and celebrate everything they’ve learned.
It’s structured, flexible, meaningful, and low prep… everything you want in an end of the year math activity!
Shop the end of the year math memory books on TPT or in my website store below!
