https://youtu.be/bfB0F5elm58 This video shows how Triangle Fact cards can be used to build quick recall with addition and related subtraction facts. These cards take the place of traditional flash cards, and help students see fact families and related facts which…
If you are familiar with the Common Core Progressions documents, you may recognize the name Bill McCallum. He is a Common Core Standards author as well as an author of the Progressions. He frequently posts to the site Common Core…
What is the one math concept that you still feel students have not quiet mastered in second grade? "Regrouping," you say. Well before you pull another small group to line up place values and regroup to the tens, consider rebooting…
As part of the Standards for Mathematical Practice, students should be able to construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others. Check out the video below to think about how the Same or Different task can be used in…
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…
“Do not worry about your difficulties in mathematics; I assure you that mine are greater.” – Albert Einstein Are teachers increasing students’ anxiety levels in mathematics, especially as state testing approaches? Teachers may very well be swelling the negative feelings…
By the end of Kindergarten, students are required to fluently add and subtract within 5. Throughout the year, students have built conceptual understanding of addition and subtraction through joining and separating situations. They've also have ample experience working with Five…
Congratulations to the 1st grade winner of the Problem of the Month competition for February! The winner is Abigail from Gitlin/Shepard classroom at Trapnell Elementary.
Have you ever heard someone say, "When you multiply, your product is always greater than your factors", "When you divide, your quotient is always less than your dividend and divisor." Are these statements always true? Are we inadvertently teaching misconceptions…
Quick, but interesting read on how our descriptions and language used to describe student learning and goals could potentially affect student learning. For instance, when we describe a certain skill as a "3rd grade skill" or say "a 4th grader…
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…
MAFS.K.OA.1.4, states that, "For any number from 1 to 9, find the number that makes 10 when added to the given number, e.g., by using objects or drawings, and record the answer with a drawing or equation." A fun game…
Students are naturally inquisitive and observant! Why not use these characteristics to teach new concepts! One-way to utilize students problem solving abilities is through Three-Act-Tasks. Three-Act-Tasks allows students to draw on their natural noticing’s and wonderings! The Three-Act-Tasks consist of:…
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,…
I won't say too much here, because the time reading this could be better spent watching the video. :) However, keep in mind, no matter what grade you are teaching, you are providing students with key fractional knowledge in their…
You may have read our earlier post "FSA-Preparing for Context Complexities" about the connection between Webb's Depth of Knowledge complexity levels and the FSA. This post alluded to the importance of taking the complexity levels of standards into consideration when…