Make Algebraic Thinking Easy for Your K-2 Students
One of my favorite lessons to teach comes from comes from Marilyn Burns’ Lessons for Algebraic Thinking, Grades K-2. This lesson is called Two of Everything. While this lesson is very wordy to read, as are most of Marilyn Burns’ books, the heart this lesson is very valuable. In this lesson the teacher reads to the students the book called Two of Everything by Lily Toy Hong which is about a couple that drops items into a magic pot and they double (excellent book). This book provides an solid foundation for students to conceptually understand input/output tables because items are being put into a magic pot (input) and items are being taken out of (output) a magic pot. Then students create their own magic pot patterns on their own input/output charts. When teaching this lesson, I like to get students attention for guided practice by bringing in a magic container of my own and already having some items stowed inside to pretend its magic as I show them other possible inputs and outputs for the table. In this lesson students do work on blank paper and draw their own pots and t-charts. However, I like to have prepared sheets for students to use especially when I have limited class time. Math wire happens to have a sheet that fits perfectly with this lesson–just follow the link.http://www.mathwire.com/algebra/magicpotworkmat.pdf.
Are Your Students Struggling with Counting Money?
If your students have difficulty counting coins a few things will help. A few things I have tried work well.
- Practice adding 10 more and 10 less on the 100’s chart with any number so that students recognize the patterns when adding 10 to a number. Discuss these patterns.
- First, begin counting money values with students without coins. For example, add 25, 5, and 10 randomly on the board and discuss with students how they decided to add the numbers and relate this to money. Some students may see 25 and 10 make 35 and then add 5 to make 40. Others will add 25 and 5 to make 30 and then add 10 to make 40. Having the class discuss the ways students add numbers and the most efficient ways strengthens students’ abilities to add coin values. (from Van DeWalle’s Elementary and Middle School Mathematics)
- Use coin antennas for students who struggle with counting. Antennas are the marks you make on each coin that stands for a value of 5. A quarter would have five antennas, a dime would have two, and a nickel one. If students struggle too much with number sense, then they can count by 5’s after they mark each coin. (from http://www.mathwire.com/money/money.html)
Give Yourself Some Easy Extra Cash in Your Pocket…
Is AT&T your mobile phone provider? If so, save money on your next phone bill. AT&T offers a 15 % discount off your mobile phone bill. You can call your store location and show your teacher id or pay stub to receive the discount. The store will give you a form to fill out which they will then fax to their business office. If you would rather not go into the store location, they can email you the form and you can fax it yourself. The discount may take a few billing cycles to take effect. Some states may not participate in this discount, but most do.
If You Are a Parent or Teacher, You Must See This Movie
I watched Waiting For Superman last weekend, and I couldn’t stop thinking about it for days. The well informed movie documents public education failing in America through personal interviews, history, animations, and statistics. While poor teachers continue to hold teacher credentials and ruin children’s chances at success, quality education stands imprisoned by “the system” which is guarded by teachers unions with their own selfish interests. When someone comes along with a passion to change the system to make education better, teachers’ unions silence them. Several urban and suburban families are pictured with children who want quality education but are unable to afford it for their children . These families are hanging in suspense hoping for a chance at a slot in a charter school for a better education. Waiting For Superman leaves you thinking…if something isn’t done to reform education in America, what will happen to our nation?
A Trick to Get Your Students to Line Up Quietly
I have personally witnessed two teachers use this in their classes and it works exceptionally well. The novelty will wear off after time, but it works well for students at this point in the year when summer break and friends are all that is on children’s minds.
- Buy a feather boa.
- Tell your students to put their heads down on their desks and close their eyes.
- Tell them when you pass by and touch them with the feather boa they can line up.
This seems to have a magical effect because feathers are quiet and those who are in line are in suspense waiting to see who will be feathered next.
Where Can You Find Many Hands-on Math Ideas…
I happened across this teacher’s blog below and it has some amazing out of the box ideas to make math learning fun. To name a few of his ideas…He has students to bring in a photo to display a mathematical equation using food for extra credit. Students build a clock using other ways to make numbers such as 3 could be represented on the clock as the square root of nine or 12 could be represented as 6×2. There are many other great ideas to see. Students also create birthday cards using their age as a variable x and then writing equations inside the card with the variables. This blog is ideal for sparking the creativity of 5th grade, middle, and high school math teachers.
http://handsonmath.blogspot.com/search?q=regrouping.
How Can You Be Successful When Teaching Subtraction with Regrouping?
I just read a fabulous article from the periodical Teaching Children Mathematics (March 2011 issue) about the effectiveness of teaching subtraction with regrouping. A group of students was given a pretest beforehand and scored about 16% proficient at subtraction with regrouping from the instruction they had received the year before. The teacher showed students examples of the error patterns they were making. Next, to teach students about the errors they were making, the teacher gave students magnifying glasses and investigator hats so that they could become investigators to find a particular error pattern. Students relished the idea of finding the mistakes. As a result, the post test revealed a dramatic–more than 60% increase in proficiency of subtraction with regrouping. This article is not available for free online, however you can purchase it at http://www.nctm.org/eresources/toc.asp?journal_id=4&Issue_id=973 or your library may have a copy.
Run for the Borders Bookstore Discount
Teachers, and librarians, remember to ask for an application to receive a teacher discount next time you visit Borders bookstore. Borders discount dishes out a hefty 25% discount at their bookstore for books and music. When you sign up you will have to show proof or documentation of your profession. Signing up is completely free. For more information, visit the following link: http://www.borders.com/online/store/MediaView_teachingzone-teacherbenefits#.
Which Nation Boasts the Highest Student Achievement?
America muddles through education reform, No Child Left Behind, and endless testing all the while still flailing globally to be ranked one of the top effective education systems. We should stop to take a look at someone who has walked in our shoes–Finland. Today Finland is ranked as the top educational system in the world. They were not always so highly admired. In the early 1970’s they struggled with education reform similar to the U.S. Today, they are doing several things which have produced amazing results. Teaching is an honored profession–only 10 percent of teachers applying for an education degree are accepted. Finland has a national common curriculum which is closely adhered to. They emphasize creative problem solving. Struggling learners are assigned tutors for remediation. Because a number of students in grades 7-9 begin to struggle, more time and money is spent with these students. Having the bottom 10 percent of the nation dominate students from any other nation in the world. The world should take the time to study the strategies of Finland’s educational system especially because the lowest 10% of their students exceed other students globally.
Do Your Students Forget to Put Their Name on Their Papers? Try this
This has proven to be an effective method to have students put their names and dates on their papers. Before taking up papers each time say, “Class, put a smiley face beside your name, and put a star beside your date.” Students all want a smiley face and a star at the top of their papers, so they will all put their names and dates on their papers. You will no longer have to tell students to put their names and dates on their papers in a frustrated monotone voice because they will do this. When students get accustomed to putting smiley faces and stars, you can change what you ask them to put beside their name and date and associate it with something they are learning. For example, have students put parallel lines beside their name and perpendicular lines beside their date if your class is studying geometry.
