The Power of Numberless Word Problems
No matter how much we talked about the importance of slowing down, actually THINKING about what the problem was saying and taking time to understand, I always have those students who just pull out the numbers, choose a random operation, and solve.
Modifying Math Word Problems to Encourage Curiosity
Curiosity is a powerful thing. We want to see that desire in our students! We want our kids so invested in the math that they are doing that they can’t stop until they figure it out. Kids are naturally curious, even if it isn’t always what we would like them to be curious about.
Must Have Math Manipulatives for Upper Elementary Classrooms
It’s no secret that students learn best when they have the ability to play with math. Manipulatives give students the opportunity to explore how numbers work and develop deep conceptual understanding of important math concepts.
Transform Your Math Block with Math Talk
Kids love to talk, did you know that? I love to just listen to them talk. The things that come out of their little mouths can be downright hilarious. If you listen close enough, you’ll also notice kids have such a unique (and sometimes surprising) perspective on everything.
Play Dough Fraction Project
One of my favorite things to do in the classroom is to actually make things with my students. I absolutely love throwing on my apron and getting my hands and the rest of the classroom dirty!
Helping Students Get Unstuck When Problem Solving
I think it's safe to say we have all had those students who immediately after reading a math problem raises their hand while shouting "but I don't get it!" It can be incredibly frustrating because you know they have not truly taken a reasonable amount of time to think through the problem and try to do something.
Rethinking How We Teach Operations with Fractions and Decimals
There are certain concepts in math that are pretty obvious in which order they should be taught. Clearly students should learn to add before they learn to multiply, or divide whole numbers before learning to divide decimals. What I found is not so clear among many teachers and those district leaders who write our pacing guides is what comes first?
Taking Math Beyond the Classroom with Real World Fraction Projects
When students understand when they would actually use the content they are learning, their motivation is immediately boosted. Not only do students become more motivated in learning the content, but they are also challenged to apply (Bloom's Taxonomy, anyone?) the content which typically requires more critical thinking.