BRADLEY COUNTY
SCHOOLS
Plan for improving Math Skills2010-2011
Heather ByrdKindergarten –Park View
Elementary
RELATIONSHIPS MOTIVATE AND EXCITE
SET GOALS/REWARDS
CELEBRATE ACHIEVEMENTS
COOPERATIVE LEARNING
MATH FACT FLUENCY
Means for building relationshipsWay to motivateWay to set goalsWay to celebrate achievements
Way to include cooperative learning
RIGOR
One hour of uninterrupted math instruction every day.
RIGOR One word problem a day.
Review problem and talk through the thinking process.
Continually review previously taught material.One problem per strand per week.
RIGOR Review math facts daily.
10 minutesWhole group for introducing facts
Move to needs based grouping
How to teach/review facts/numeral recognition:
Provide a variety of strategies
Powerpoints
Hokey Pokey
Calculator Mat or Hopscotch Mat (shower curtain liner)
Calculators Numeral recognition in small groups
Simple Addition and Subtraction Facts Neighbors Near neighbors Doubles
Other ideas???
RIGOR Teach Math Vocabulary
Word WallsInteractiveDaily ReviewIntroduce/Reinforce through math literatureStuart J. MurphyMarilyn Burns
VOCABULARY Math vocabulary is not like learning a
new language. Much of the vocabulary are words students are already familiar with, but have multiple meanings, are a homophone, or have been used in a different context.
Examples: sum, difference, mean, temperature
RIGOR Teach using calculators one day a week.
Numeral recognition Model on Promethean board Student calculators Calculator Mat (shower
curtain)
RELEVANCE Make real world applications
For students to understand new math content it is important to provide instruction with relevant context.
If the situation is about sleigh rides/skiing,
change it to hay rides or something that is relevant to students in our area.
If the situation is familiar then learning new content/math vocabulary will be easier to acquire.
Problem of the day
Relate calendar activities to real-life situations
RELEVANCE Use technology effectively
Promethean board—not just a white board—make it interactive for kids
Several websites for kids to apply their knowledge
PROMETHEAN BOARD
Five Frames
Ten Frames
Double Ten Frames
Websites http://www.mathslice.com/ol_m.php?pg=1&cat=518
http://jmathpage.com/JIMSNumberpage.html
http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/vLibrary.html
http://illuminations.nctm.org/ActivityDetail.aspx?ID=75
http://www.fuelthebrain.com/Interactives/app.php?ID=29
RELEVANCE Use Higher Order Thinking
Mathematical QuestioningSusan O’Connell
Justify thinkingExplain processesDescribe conceptsMake connectionsSummarizeListen to each otherStudent self reflection
RELEVANCE Interactive Learning Strategies to reach all
learners
Interactive Notebooks or Journals
Manipulatives
MANIPULATIVES CONCRETE
PICTORIAL
WRITTEN
ABSTRACT
STRATEGIES/CONCEPTSGrowing patterns
Number senseShapes
GROWING PATTERNS In addition to repeated patterns (ABAB),
beginning in kindergarten students need exposure to growing patterns.
These patterns extend their algebraic concepts.
Growing patterns are children’s introduction to functions.
GROWING PATTERNS Using manipulatives to show growing patterns provides students with a concrete model of a function and some background knowledge to pull from in the future.
Exploring Houses
House 1 House 2 House 3 House 4
THE ROCKET PATTERN
Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4
GROWING PATTERN RESOURCES
http://mathwire.com/algebra/growingpatterns.html
http://teams.lacoe.edu/documentation/classrooms/linda/algebra/activities/pattern_grow/pattern_farm.html
NUMBER SENSE … “a good intuition about
numbers and their relationships. It develops gradually as a result of exploring numbers, visualizing them in a variety of contexts, and relating them in ways that are not limited by traditional algorithms.”
—Howden (1989)
LEARNING PATTERNS &DOT PLATE FLASH Need:
set of paper plates with patterns of dots
Counters
I WISH I HADUses dot plates and counters
MAKE YOUR OWN
FRAME FLASH
Using a 5, 10, or double 10 frame
ONE MORE / ONE LESS Need:
Spinners Five,ten, or double ten frame Counters Dice
How to play: Each child has a frame and counters. Take turns rolling the dice one time to find out the
starting number.
Then take turns with the spinner to place 1 more/1 less on their frame.
The first child to fill his/her frame wins.
SHAPES—PLANE AND SOLIDS After students have had time to explore,
draw/cut out/build, and describe shapes as a whole group, they can then apply their knowledge to do this activity. Place a sticky note with a shape on a students
back. Let the rest of the class see it and then have the
student turn around.
Let 2 or 3 other students tell clues to the “guesser” about the shape. (ex. It has 4 sides).
Then, allow the student to guess the shape. If correct, repeat with another student. If not correct, have the other students give more clues.
RESOURCE FOR NUMBER SENSE, SHAPES, PATTERNS, AND MORE
Elementary and Middle School Mathematics: Teaching Developmentally
John A. Van De Walle
http://wps.ablongman.com/ab_vandewalle_math_5/0,7959,796754-,00.html
FINAL THOUGHT “No matter how lucidly and
patiently teachers explain to their students, they cannot understand for their students.”
Schifter and Fosnot (1993)