Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Marvelous Math Mats!
Imaginative Math Stories
for Early Childhood
Created by Jane [email protected]
Presented by Jennifer [email protected]
Tennessee Tech University
Crazy Hair Day
Why Use Story Mats?
1. Add interest to math lessons
2. Ignite children’s imaginations
3. Connect to children’s literature
4. Develop oral and written language
5. Mix language arts and math in meaningful, productive ways
Shecky the Shark
Why Use Story Mats?
6. Practice mathematical vocabulary
7. Develop concepts of comparison, number, addition, and subtraction
8. Develop understanding of problem structure
9. Model math story writing
10.Practice stating or writing mathematical equations
11. Serve as an informal assessment tool.
Ladybugs on a Log
“Side by Side” Stories
• Creation/Recognition of a Set – Given a number, the child will build a set to represent the number, or given a group of objects, the child will count the members of the set.
• Comparison of Sets – The concepts of more, less, and the same as are basic relationships that are essential to develop meaning in operations. The child should construct sets to show these relationships using manipulatives, as well as make comparisons or choices between two given sets.
• Subtraction: Comparison Model – The child creates two sets, compares them, and then identifies the difference between them.
My Messy Closet Floor
“Altogether” Stories
• Composition of Sets (Part-Part-Whole) – Children build a quantity in two or more parts.
• Addition of Sets: Combining (Part-Part-Whole)-The child manipulates two or more sets of objects and combines to make a whole set.
• Addition: Comparison Model – When the smaller of two sets and the difference between them is known, then addition tells how many in the larger set.
King Kong
“Something Happens” Stories
• Subtraction: Take Away model (Whole-Part-Part) – The child creates a set of a designated amount (the whole) and is asked to take away an amount (a part) and identify what is left (a part).
• Missing Addend (Whole-Part-Part) – The child creates a set (the whole) and must cover up or hide some of the set (a part). The child is encouraged to “think addition,” and answer the question: “What goes with the remaining pieces (a part) to make the whole amount?”
Flip Flop Fun
Ant Hill
Robot Restaurant
Flower Arranging
Teacher Talk• “Clear your mat so we can tell
a different story.”
• “What do you see on the story mat?”
• “Who would like to share their story?”
• “Do you see a pattern in our stories?”
• “How do I write that equation?”
• “Let’s read the equation together.”
• “What numbers would we use
to write this story the short way?”
• “How did you know when to add or subtract?”
• “How did you know how many (objects) to use?”
• “How do you know if this true or not true?”
• “Let’s write the equation for that on our record sheets. You write along with me.”
• “What pattern can we make with the (objects)?”
More Ideas• Don’t forget zero. Make up stories in which zero objects are
added or removed.
• Have partners take turns telling their own stories to one another.
• Children write and illustrate their stories with corresponding equations in their journals.
• Encourage children to use transition words in their stories such as “first”, “then”, “next”, and “finally”.
• Children roll a die or spin a spinner to determine the amount of objects to combine or remove.
• Practice skip counting and introduce multiplication by having children count objects into sets of 2s, 3s, or more.
More Ideas• Use overhead transparencies to model use of the mat to the whole
group.
• Assess individual children’s comprehension with story mats.
• Create equation cards for children to solve using the story mat as a center activity.
• Invite children to take two story mats and corresponding manipulatives home overnight to “teach” family members. Include a journal so children can write about what they did at home.
• Parent volunteers to prepare/color the story mats and manipulatives.
• Laminate mats to last for years.
• Place individual mats and corresponding manipulatives in zip-lock baggies.
Management Issues
Problem: Children playing with manipulatives during the lesson.
Solution: Provide exploration/play time with the manipulatives before and after the lesson.
Problem: Children eating edible manipulatives during the lesson.
Solution: Anticipate trouble and lessen anxiety by stating that they can eat their manipulatives after the lesson.
Problem: Not enough story mats or manipulatives for each child to work alone.
Solution: Introduce story mat and place in center for individual or partner practice.
Resources for Materials and Ideas
• Novelty resource catalogs
• Dollar stores
• Hobby stores
• Grocery stores
• Party supply stores
• Online auction websites
• Science education supply catalogs
• Math education supply catalogs
What could we create?
Story Mat: ???
Manipulative: wax soda bottle candies
Story Mat: American Idol stage
Manipulative: ???
Story Mat: ???
Manipulative: Runts fruit-shaped candy
Make-n-Take Time• Eight boxes to rotate among tables.
• In each box: story mat supplies (setting and construction paper backing), glue sticks, manipulative supplies, Sharpie pens, zipper baggies, crayons, related children’s literature
• Only one story mat and 6 manipulatives from each box.• Assemble your story mat• Gather or create your manipulatives• If time, color your story mat• Label a zipper bag and place materials inside
• At the end of 7-10 minutes, announcement will be made to pack up the box and pass box clockwise to a nearby table
Make-n-Take Time
• As you work brainstorm together:• Children’s literature connections• Other math and language arts concepts that
can be developed with this mat/manipulative• Other manipulative ideas
#1 Monkeys on the Bunk Beds
#2 The Playground
#3 Birds on the Wire
#4 Game Day
#5 Get Your Ticket
#6 Weather Forecast
#7 Boo Boos!
#8 Package in the Mail
Professional Resource Books
• Box It or Bag It Mathematics by Burk, Snider, & Symonds
• Developing Number Concepts Using Unifix Cubes by Kathy Richardson
• Math Mats series by Creative Teaching Press
• Math Mats & More by Goren
• Math Talk by Forsten & Richards
• More Than Counting by Moomaw and Hieronymus
• Much More Than Counting by Moomaw and Hieronymus
• Munch & Learn Math Story Mats by Sanders
• Number Wonders by Jones Kuhns
• Solve It! K-1: Problem-Solving Strategies by the AIMS Education Foundation
