By: Amy Bilek, K-8 Math Instructional Coach at The Frances Xavier Warde School in Chicago Think back to your elementary years: Do you remember flashcards, timed tests, or the Around-the-World math game? Most of us learned our basic addition and …
Comprehending the word problem is half the battle in solving it. Visual models help students find success in understanding and solving word problems.
Today we speak with Sarah Schaefer who is the go-to person when learning about the Singapore Methodology. Sarah is the Principal at M4thodology in Atlantic beach Fl and unleashes a bunch of great tips and ideas on how to use …
As educators, it’s very likely that we have encountered the idea of “growth mindset” for our students. Over 30 years ago researcher Carol Dweck began exploring the link between student’s attitudes toward academic achievement and the comparison between a “fixed …
Dear Sarah, I am currently in the unit of Parts to Whole, teaching bar modeling. Looking ahead, it seems to me that bar modeling is a big part of not only this unit but upcoming units as well. My wondering …
Learning Math Facts Math facts are simply the basics: addition, subtraction; multiplication; division. They are basic number combinations and calculations we do every day. So why is it that learning math facts creates such huge problems for teachers and students …
Meaning of Equality Often we teach the meaning of equality as the equal sign indicating “put the answer.” To prepare students for future mathematics, we need to rethink the way we communicate this representation to students. The equal sign is …
Often we share our students progress by sending home “Monday” folders with worksheets that were completed, test or quizzes taken the previous week, or maybe we have a site where parents can go and see the current grade in your …
Many teachers ask how to help students record the renaming process in the addition algorithm. What language should I use? I learned to “make trades” or “borrow” when adding and subtracting that require renaming. Is this still correct?
How can we help student refocus on understanding versus just an answer? Too often when we pose a problem and students shout out an answer. We need to ask ourselves do students understand the concept or are they obtaining the …