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)