I've been mulling a story on how K-5 math instruction will change under the Common Core State Standards, which emphasize conceptual understanding over formulas and tricks—and how elementary teachers in most states will need to change their pedagogy to keep up with the new requirements.
It's particularly interesting because most math teachers are now being asked to instruct students in a way they were neither taught during pre-service training nor learned themselves in the early grades. And while teachers may understand these concepts well, teaching them, as you know, is a different story.
Recent studies have shown that kindergarteners who are exposed to complicated math concepts actually do better in math when they get to elementary school, regardless of initial skill level. Researchers report that many students already know how to count or recognize shapes before they even get to kindergarten, but teachers still spend a lot of math time on those concepts, effectively offering nothing to students.
One popular instructional strategy for teaching word problems is using key words to support students’ solution strategies. The idea is that if a student sees one of these words in the problem, that word indicates what operation to use. There are several shortcomings with this idea.
Math teaching resources for grade 2 - 6 classrooms. | See more about decimal, multiplication facts and elapsed time.
More and more classrooms are gaining access to technology that can be used with students. Whether you're modeling a lesson, creating stations or working in a one-to-one classroom, virtual tools can promote student engagement while increasing academic success.
150 KS2 Mixed Maths Challenge Cards Bumper Pack - Make maths fun with these handy challenge cards! Each card features a different challenge with visual representations to help your children relate maths problems to real-life scenarios. This resource is available in Standard Premium, Higher Ability and Lower Ability.
MathFileFolderGames | Math File Folder Games, Math Games for iPad & iTouch with Printable Math Games Perfect for Upper Elementary & Middle School Students!
To use these math printables, just head over to this page and select the grade you are teaching. Under each grade category is featured a wide variety of worksheets that address specific math concepts related to that grade. Browse through the materials they have there and click on the sheet relevant for your students.
Thanks to a recent Instragram from Andy McKiel I learned about a neat mathematics and photography project started by a grade 3 class in Thompson, Manitoba. The project asks students to take photographs of things representing various topics and concepts in elementary school level mathematics. There is a different prompt for each day in May.
Number lines are so important in elementary math. Students who can work with number lines efficiently and flexibly develop strong number sense and deep understanding of number relationships. In {this post} on All Things Upper Elementary, I blogged about how I use number lines to teach rounding.
To help young kids who struggle with math, well-intentioned teachers often turn to non-traditional teaching methods. They use music and movement to involve the whole body. They use hands-on materials such as popsicle sticks to help the students understand tens and hundreds. Or they encourage students to come up with different strategies for solving 7 + 8.
This article by Carol Otis Hurst first appeared in Teaching K-8 Magazine. Intro If you're trying to show that math is everywhere and you were, weren't you, the oral tradition has many examples to prove that you're right. Besides, if you're working with oral language, you'll be without a book in your hand.
Math teaching resources for grade 2 - 6 classrooms. | See more about decimal, multiplication facts and elapsed time.
Students are more likely to be able to solve math problems if the concept behind the question is explained to them beforehand, according to a new study from Vanderbilt University's Peabody College. Researcher Emily Fyfe set out to determine whether math instruction solely focused on learning skills and procedures, such as answering addition and subtraction problems, was more or less effective than instruction that included explanations of concepts.
This morning I received an email from a reader that was looking for "the best sites and apps for elementary school students." That is a very broad question and I rarely say that any site or app is "the best" because what's best for my students may not be the best for another teacher's students.
The way we do math has changed! The Common Core offers a new way to look at an old subject and encourages us to integrate relevant content. There are many new and exciting ways to get students motivated in the math by teaching in this more constructivist manner.
A game-based, blended learning math instruction program increased California elementary students' math scores significantly on state tests compared with students not using the program, a new study has found. The evaluation of Spatial-Temporal Math, or ST Math, which uses an animated penguin named JiJi to guide children through mathematics lessons, found that students using the program improved their scores on the California Standards Test, or CST, in a statistically meaningful way.
Kristen Wideen teaches 2nd Grade in Windsor, Ontario Canada and is an Apple Distinguished Educator I do not use a lot of worksheets in my math program. So much so, that last week, I gave a worksheet during math to my grade 2 students to do and one of my students cheered.
Higher level math centers will really get your students thinking and writing about math. Read about my top six favorite higher level math centers.
