Practice Addition or Multiplication Facts with Ghost Cards

Adapted with permission from Kathy Gursky at www.schoolbell.com Tell students a "ghost" has given an answer for only one of the facts on each card. The student's job will be to guess which answer is given!

Materials for Ghost Cards

Directions for assembly are printed on the Ghost Card Sleeve.

Addition/Subtraction

ghost_cards_sleeve.pdf
File Size: 259 kb
File Type: pdf
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number_family_1-18_ghostcards.pdf
File Size: 517 kb
File Type: pdf
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subtract_1-20_ghost_cards.pdf
File Size: 92 kb
File Type: pdf
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Multiplication

ghost_cards_sleeve.pdf
File Size: 259 kb
File Type: pdf
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mult_ghost_cards_add-subt_factors1_final.pdf
File Size: 261 kb
File Type: pdf
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mult_ghost_cards_add-subt_factors2.pdf
File Size: 203 kb
File Type: pdf
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mult_ghost_cards_halves-doubles_final.pdf
File Size: 178 kb
File Type: pdf
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Strategies for Understanding

The following order is suggested for understanding multiplication:
  1. Multiplication on a Number Line
  2. Arrays
  3. Skip Counting & Songs
  4. Advanced Arrays
  5. Using Known Facts to Determine Unknown Facts

Strategies for Recall

After students have comfortably developed several strategies to determine every multiplication fact, you can use these activities to help improve recall. 

Directions for Play (can be adapted for Multiplication)

Say: Write both problems with answers on your paper. [Pause]

Say: What is 4 + 4? [8] What is 3 + 4? [7]

Say: Do you think the ghost added 4 + 4 to get 8 or 4 + 3 to get 7?

Students can raise their hand to vote or circle their guess on paper.
Slide the card out to show which problem the ghost chose to solve.

Students will cheer if they "guessed" correctly. Repeat with more cards.
Note that each child is solving two addition facts and the teacher is repeating the facts as the game is played.