counting, Intellectual Need, Making Math Accessible, SMPs, Strategy Development, Teacher Content
Counting and cardinality is critical in kindergarten. Without it, all math fails. With that being said, counting can be extremely boring which causes many students to quickly lose focus. One thing I’ve tried to do this year is identify ways to engage students in...
Cheese Mover, Intellectual Need, Making Math Accessible, Modeling, Planning, SMPs, Strategy Development, Teacher Content, Who Knows?
I received an email from a principal in my district last Tuesday: Please send me info on why teachers should be careful about teaching kids to pull out keywords from word problems as a key way to define what operation to use. I went to my Virtual Math Buddies (VMB)...
Fact Fluency, Making Math Accessible, Strategy Development, Teacher Content
Question: If you memorize your basic math facts have you learned them? The term from memory is used twice in the K-5 math standards, and they continue to be the most misunderstood words I encounter each day. The term “from memory” does not suggest that...
Against the Norm, Making Math Accessible, Math Tools, Strategy Development, Teacher Content
The concept of 10 more/less is a beast in the primary grades. Last week I realized that I’ve been feeding the monster that I’m continually trying to defeat. Almost every day, in every K-2 classroom across the United States students encounter this guy: I made a...
Making Math Accessible, Strategy Development, Teacher Content
The power of sharing, collaborating and giving credit where it’s due! This post is because of Joe Schwartz sharing his awesomeness at Exit 10A. Joe got the idea from Nicora Placa’s post on tape modeling. She cites 3 sources in her post which are...
Fractions, Making Math Accessible, Math Tools, Teacher Content
I’ve spent the past month visiting classrooms, reading blogs, attending workshops, sitting in grade level meetings and I’ve noticed a common theme which is concerning. Before I continue I want to acknowledge that the use, and proposed use, of manipulatives is rampant...