Are your students “Number Shoppers” instead of “Problem Solvers”? Try numberless word problems!

Jackie LeJeune May 27th, 2017 Math, Math Grades 3-5 1823 3

"Number Shoppers"....we've all encountered them: students who just plow through a story problem, pulling numbers out as if they were just grabbing their favorite snacks off the shelf and tossing them into a shopping cart; no regard for the value…

Should I take the road less traveled?

Lesley Lynn January 23rd, 2017 Math Grades 3-5 568 0

We've all heard the saying, "The shortest distance between two points is a straight line." Last week, as I was walking around a school, I thought to myself, is that saying true? Are there certain routes within a school building…

Money, money, money!

Lesley Lynn January 11th, 2017 Math Grades 3-5 555 0

Like most people, for my New Year resolution, I resolved to save more money!!! To accomplish this, I plan to save all my dimes in a Mason jar "bank." My goal is to fill the mason jar completely! Your task…

Where is the Math?

Lesley Lynn January 3rd, 2017 Math Grades 3-5, Math Grades K-2 502 0

What math do you see in this picture? According to the Standards for Mathematical Practices, "Mathematically proficient students make sense of quantities and their relationships in problem situations." How might students make sense of the quantities in this picture? What…

Lots and lots of lights!

Lesley Lynn December 14th, 2016 Math, Math Grades 3-5, Math Grades K-2 679 0

As I was driving home the other night I noticed this beautiful display of lights and it got me thinking about...Math! Math is all around us….especially this time of year, so why not have a little fun with math in…

The Dreaded Math Word Problem: Get Organized to Solve the Problem!

Shelley Fritz August 21st, 2016 Math, Math Grades 3-5, Uncategorized 1015 0

Students of all ages have difficulty applying comprehension skills when reading and interpreting math word problems. Those of us who attended school before the year 2000 know that most of our instruction was computation with two word problems to solve…

Direct Modeling- Why is it Important?

Allison Tredway August 10th, 2016 Math Grades 3-5 2671 0

What is direct modeling? Direct modeling is when students show exactly what is happening in the problem, using manipulatives or pictures, to solve. Direct modeling is a powerful strategy that provides a foundation for the more advanced strategies that follow.…

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