Number Talks

In my resource room, I do informal number talks every day, if you think of number talks as a way to get students thinking about numbers. However, I have not taught a formal number talk with my whole resource class of fifth graders. I chose to do a number talk beginning with a numberless word problem to get the students thinking. It evolved into a missing number perimeter problem that used fractions.

I began with reviewing the signals used in number talks. Then, I presented the students with a rectangular shape with no numbers and asked the students to determine the perimeter. The students were very quiet. It took several minutes for the students to put out the idea that it was impossible to calculate the perimeter with no numbers. Then, we discussed what numbers we would need to determine a perimeter. Next, I added a mixed number fraction for the length and width. The number talk began at this point.

From my experience last year, I had come to believe that much of the challenge in math for my students comes from a lack of math vocabulary. This number talk reinforced my observation. My students struggled to remember and use simple but important terms, such as numerator and denominator. They also have a difficult time expressing their ideas about math.

I chose to use a picture of a real garden with a fence as the basis for the problem. Some students found this distracting. Next time, I will use a more traditional picture and slowly work up to using a pictures of real objects. I think my recording of the problem was somewhat chaotic. I did not have enough room to record all of their ideas.  We did get the problem solved and most of the students seemed comfortable with the process. I forgot to take a picture of our work.

In the future, I will not mix a numberless problem with number talks. It was a useful discussion, but it made the overall process too long. I had previously introduced activities to improve math vocabulary and I will continue those. I am planning to post math vocabulary in the room to support my students. I will also post sentence stems to help my students express their ideas. I will attempt a simpler number talk next week with my students using data tables.

Discovering Joy in Mathematics

I work with students who receive special education services. I chose the word ‘game’ for this year. Many of my students are intimidated or scared of math. I want my students to enjoy math, because I believe it will increase their learning. Games are a good way to improve their engagement and have them practice their skills at the same time!

My 5th grade students are learning the Order of Operations. We have been practicing all week. Rather than give them worksheets to practice, we have been playing ‘games’. On Tuesday, we brainstormed different ways to remember the order of operations. We looked at common ways to remember, such as PEMDAS or Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally, and more uncommon ways, such as representing the order of operations with student-created pictures. On Wednesday, the students chose a partner, a dry erase board and a marker. Then, we played a game where each team solved a problem and presented it. Teams earned a point for each part of the problem that was solved correctly.

On Thursday, the students will play bump games with 1 or 2 partners, while I meet with each student to assess their understanding. Although its a simple concept, the students love these games, because they can ‘bump’ their  partner off a spot! I have different levels of bump games ready, so each student will be able to play at their level of understanding.

Last spring, I realized just how important adding an element of gaming can be to making a difference to my students’ attitudes regarding math. I had a resource group for math at two o’clock and the students always found it hard to sit and concentrate that late in the day. However, I needed to assess their understanding of 2 digit by 2 digit multiplication and I had the worksheet ready! While walking to my room with them, however, I realized a worksheet would just exhaust them further. So, I pulled out decks of cards, had the students find a partner, and let them play a ‘card game’. Each student drew 4 cards, made 2 numbers, recorded them, and solved the multiplication problem. Whoever ended up with the largest number won the round! It was a simple game, but instead of “ahhhhh I’m too tired”, they jumped into their groups and starting solving problems. This experience brought home to me the need to find elements of play in learning, so students will stay engaged.

 

 

 

Place Value: The Foundation!

In reading Unit 1 in Grade 4 math, I reconnected with my thoughts throughout last year about the importance of place value. I had several students that really struggled with understanding how place value works. What is the difference between 10, 100, and 1000? How does a simple decimal affect that relationship? Which number has a greater value, 0.1 or 1.0?

As a special education teacher, I have students that struggle with the concept of place value. They see the ‘trick’ in just moving a number over to the left on a place value chart when multiplying by 10, but do not really connect it to real situations. For my struggling students, we will go back to concrete representations of smaller, manageable numbers and then move on to larger more abstract numbers. I believe understanding place value is key to becoming proficient in mathematical operations.

I will be emphasizing mathematical vocabulary this year.  We will read vocabulary, write sentences about our understanding of math concepts, and use vocabulary to explain concepts. I will be more thoughtful in my own use of vocabulary as well to make sure I am modeling the appropriate use of mathematical language.

Diving Deeper into the TEKS

I spent some time perusing the Grade 4 Mathematics TEKS Supporting Information document. The emphasis on problem solving caught my eye multiple times as I read. I found the supporting details helpful in more fully understanding how to interpret a particular TEK as well as connecting TEKS. Many supporting details offer suggestions on how to pair TEKS together to enhance connections between math concepts. I also noticed the clarity of language used to more clearly portray the intent of the TEKS. In TEKS 4(2)(D) regarding place value, the supporting detail provides wording to get students thinking at a higher level. It recommends saying “to a given place value through the hundred thousands place” instead of “to the nearest ten, hundred, or thousand”. In some cases, the supporting details also include examples to better illustrate the TEK. Reading this document and utilizing it will make me a more thoughtful math instructor.