Assessing Mathematical Fluency

Lesley Lynn April 14th, 2017 Math Grades 3-5, Math Grades K-2 1025 0

It is the end of the school year. You've spent time and energy teaching various math concepts so that your students have a conceptual understanding of content. Students in your class have explored foundations of operations using concrete models and…

Joining and separating….using actions to understand addition and subtraction

Lesley Lynn March 30th, 2017 Math Grades K-2, Uncategorized 617 0

According to MAFS.K.OA.1.1, students in kindergarten are required to, "Represent addition and subtraction with objects, fingers, mental images, drawings, sounds (e.g., claps), acting out situations, verbal explanations, expressions, or equations." They are also required to, "Solve addition and subtraction word…

The struggle can be real when subtracting!

Lesley Lynn March 1st, 2017 Math Grades 3-5 565 0

Do you have students in third, fourth, or fifth grade that are struggling with subtraction? Chances are, they missed the concrete phase of modeling subtraction with regrouping. This skill is extremely valuable as per the Mathematics Florida Standards, students in…

Progression of Addition and Subtraction

Lesley Lynn February 24th, 2017 Math Grades K-2 785 1

The Progression of Addition and Subtraction is a wildly discussed topic in elementary schools. It is important that we do not rush students' understanding of the operations. Learning should be anchored in the foundational understanding of joining and separating situations,…

Round and Round We Go… Where we will stop… At Rounding?

Jeff Cooley September 22nd, 2016 Math Grades 3-5 916 0

In 4th grade students also use rounding to estimate sums and differences. This strategy is used to make sure that their estimation is reasonable. They used this strategy in 3rd grade. Below is some examples of estimation that students learned…

Top 5 Things to consider when teaching 3rd grade students about adding or subtracting with place value understanding!!

Shanna Uhe August 22nd, 2016 Math Grades 3-5 715 0

Here are the Top 5 things to consider when teaching 3rd grade students about adding and subtracting multi-digit numbers with place value understanding: 1. Student’s prior knowledge from 2nd grade and how it relates to 3rd grade standards Students in…

Concrete-Representational-Abstract

Allison Tredway August 21st, 2016 Math Grades 3-5 1837 0

What is the Concrete-Representational-Abstract (CRA) instructional approach? CRA is a gradual systematic approach to teaching mathematics. Each stage builds on to the previous stage and therefore must be taught in sequence. This three step approach has been found to be…

Direct Modeling- Why is it Important?

Allison Tredway August 10th, 2016 Math Grades 3-5 2487 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.…

Open Number Lines Can Change Your Life!

Allison Tredway August 9th, 2016 Math Grades 3-5 1075 1

What are open number lines? An open number line starts as a line with no numbers. They can be used as a visual representation for recording thinking during the process of mental computation. Why are open number lines so useful?…

A Different Angle on Basic Facts

mathsmartspd December 16th, 2014 Math Grades 3-5, Math Grades K-2 910 0

Many kids who struggle to learn their basic facts often believe there are hundreds of facts to be learned because they do not understand the relationship between the facts and between the operations. A tool that can help students learn…

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