Number Sense
-
Life Skills Math – Not So Easy
As I wrote previously, shopping is dense with math tasks as are grocery stores. Here are some division situations that are sneaky challenging and require a student to know when and why to divide before even reaching for the calculator. I will use these to help illustrate the fact that life skills math is not…
-
Using $10 and $1 Bills to Represent Regrouping in Addition or Subtraction
Money is intuitive for many students, even when the underlying math is not. For example, I often find that students who do not understand well the concept of Base 10 place value do understand $10 and $1 bills. With this in mind, I created a virtual scaffolded handout that builds on student intuitive understanding of…
-
Math is a Language
The Gutenberg printing press was revolutionary because it provided a faster way to share words. In turn, these words and how they were structured were representations of ideas used to make sense of the world around us. Math is a language with words and other symbols that also makes sense of the world around us.…
-
Addition: Concept and Mechanics
-
WAR Card Game Modified for Height Comparision
Comparing numbers is very challenging for some students and likely speaks to a major gap in their number sense. It is also very challenging to address effectively with these students. The photo below shows an entry point into I have used with success in helping such a student. Even for these struggling students, taller and…
-
Superhero Math
-
Lego Fractions
The photo below is courtesy of Robert Yu, Head of Lego Education China, as shared by Jonathan Rochelle, Director for Project Management at Google. The use of Legos shown here is a classic (and wicked clever) example of manipulatives. Before writing the actual fractions students can use drawings as shown below. The sequence of manipulatives,…
-
So Easy?!
Problems like the addition problem below are often viewed by adults as straight forward. This perception can make it difficult for adults, including teachers and even special education teachers to help students who struggle with it. I find that the math teacher candidates and special education teacher candidates struggle with breaking down math topics, especially…
-
Adding ones digits in 2 digit numbers with carrying
-
Place Value Representation
Here is an easy way to create and implement strategy to unpack place value for students (created by one of my former graduate students). I suggest using this after manipulatives and visual representations (drawing on paper) in a CRA sequence. It is hands on but it includes the symbolic representation (numbers). Hence is another step…