Welcome toWelcome to

Math Math ManiaMania

Granger Elementary SchoolGranger Elementary SchoolFamily Math NightFamily Math Night

Traditional MathTraditional Math

Collection of rules and procedures to Collection of rules and procedures to memorizememorize

Focus is on getting answers

Only some are “good at math”

John A. Van de Walle (2007)

How is the way we teach How is the way we teach and learn mathematics and learn mathematics

different?different?

MemorizingMemorizing

procedures to procedures to

get an answerget an answer

Do math in a way that makes sense to the learner

Teacher – centered

Student - centered

““The goal of mathematics should be toThe goal of mathematics should be toproduce learners who are both produce learners who are both mathematically mathematically competentcompetent and and confidentconfident. This does not come from . This does not come from merely memorizing rules and merely memorizing rules and procedures, procedures, but from understanding relationships but from understanding relationships and knowing you can make sense of and knowing you can make sense of information and situations you information and situations you encounter.”encounter.”

Ruth Parker (2000)Ruth Parker (2000)

ITS ABOUT THE WHY?ITS ABOUT THE WHY? Conceptual Age – its no longer about just Conceptual Age – its no longer about just

getting an answer. How did you get there? getting an answer. How did you get there? What tools did you use? Why did you What tools did you use? Why did you choose to solve it in that way?choose to solve it in that way?

Employers want people who can apply what they learn and work collaboratively.

Traditional math does not work for all children. Many don’t understand what they learned.

Investigations in Number, Data, Investigations in Number, Data, and Spaceand Space

K-5 programK-5 program

Focuses on mathematical thinking Focuses on mathematical thinking and reasoning.and reasoning.

Does not abandon traditional learning, just builds a conceptual understanding FIRST.

As a result of their everyday As a result of their everyday learning, students will….learning, students will….

Explore problems Explore problems in depthin depth

Find more than one way to solve a problem

Develop problem-solving strategies

Explain their thinking

Represent their thinking using models, words and numbers

Make connections between mathematical ideas

Develop fluency – efficiency, accuracy, and flexibility

Choose a variety of tools and technology

Learn with and through each other

So what does it look like?So what does it look like?MATH WORKSHOPMATH WORKSHOP

So what does it look like?So what does it look like?DEVELOPING FLUENCY WITH DEVELOPING FLUENCY WITH

NUMBERSNUMBERS

So what does it look like?So what does it look like?PROBLEM SOLVING –PROBLEM SOLVING –FINDING MORE THAN ONE WAY FINDING MORE THAN ONE WAY

TO SOLVE PROBLEMSTO SOLVE PROBLEMS

This student used tallies and drew a picture.

So what does it look like?So what does it look like?PROBLEM SOLVING PROBLEM SOLVING

This student used a number line to solve the equation.

So what does it look like?So what does it look like?PROBLEM SOLVING PROBLEM SOLVING

This student decomposed the numbers in the equation.

So what does it look like?So what does it look like?REFLECTIONREFLECTION

Writing about our thinkingWriting about our thinking

Ways to support your Ways to support your child…child…

““One of the most significant things parents One of the most significant things parents can do is to help their children understand can do is to help their children understand the normalcy and the value of struggle in the normalcy and the value of struggle in mathematics. Learning math ultimately mathematics. Learning math ultimately comes down to one thing: the ability, and comes down to one thing: the ability, and choice, to put one’s brain around a choice, to put one’s brain around a problem – to stare past the confusion, and problem – to stare past the confusion, and struggle forward rather than flee.”struggle forward rather than flee.”

S. Sutton (1998)S. Sutton (1998)

Ways to support your child…Ways to support your child… Work on fact fluency every night – flashcards, addition Work on fact fluency every night – flashcards, addition

and subtraction gamesand subtraction games Practice telling time on an analog clockPractice telling time on an analog clock Count groups of coins to find the totalCount groups of coins to find the total Go shopping – have your student add the totalGo shopping – have your student add the total Skip count in the car – by 2, 3, 5, 10, 20, 25 Skip count in the car – by 2, 3, 5, 10, 20, 25 Cook together – talk about recipes and fractionsCook together – talk about recipes and fractions Play dice games/domino games – add or subtract the Play dice games/domino games – add or subtract the

totals to see who winstotals to see who wins Have your child count objects in different waysHave your child count objects in different ways Sort objects by attributesSort objects by attributes Make lists of ways you used math in one dayMake lists of ways you used math in one day Check out books by Greg Tang from the library and Check out books by Greg Tang from the library and

solve the problems insidesolve the problems inside

Ways to support your child…Ways to support your child… believing that s/he can successfully learn mathematics believing that s/he can successfully learn mathematics expecting your child to work hard to learn expecting your child to work hard to learn

mathematics mathematics sharing how you use mathematics everyday sharing how you use mathematics everyday playing games that make learning fun and important playing games that make learning fun and important solving problems together and exploring different ways solving problems together and exploring different ways

to solve the same problems to solve the same problems asking your child questions as s/he solves problems asking your child questions as s/he solves problems examining why solutions are correct and incorrect examining why solutions are correct and incorrect knowing how knowing how InvestigationsInvestigations helps your child learn helps your child learn

mathematics mathematics supporting your child as s/he completes homework supporting your child as s/he completes homework

assignments assignments

Read “Helping Your Child With Math” Read “Helping Your Child With Math” by Jeremy Kilpatrick and Jane Swafford, by Jeremy Kilpatrick and Jane Swafford, EditorsEditors, Mathematics , Mathematics

Learning Study Committee, National Research Council Learning Study Committee, National Research Council

Math Games to play at home Math Games to play at home – a list of – a list of games (including directions) will be added to our games (including directions) will be added to our

website as we introduce them in classwebsite as we introduce them in class

Visit these websites for more ideasVisit these websites for more ideashttp://investigations.terc.edu/

http://www.terc.edu/work/440.html

It is time to It is time to “do” the “do” the

math!math!