Being Better at Math

Strategies for Elementary Mathematics

Paula L. Naugle

4th Grade Teacher

Bissonet Plaza/ JPPSS

Lack of prior knowledgeMissing foundational skillsLimited experiences with “doing” math“One right answer” approach“Permission” to be “bad” at mathOthers?

What Makes Math Difficult?

Are you teaching students or learners?Let’s describe a …

Student LearnerActiveEngagedAn independent thinkerInternally motivatedFocused on the learning

PassiveBoredTold what to thinkTypically unmotivatedFocused on the grade

Strategies

Constant exposure to meaningful mathAllow students to verbalize their thinkingProvide for meaningful use of manipulativesHelp students develop “bridge” toolsCreate “reference” resources

Every day, provide meaningful math investigations through manipulatives, games, puzzles, and stories.

Content example: Guess My UnitPIGClosest to 100Two of Everything

Strategy 1 - Constant exposure to meaningful math

Select a unit. Give clues about your unit until someone guesses what it is.

mile centimeter pound gram

inch kilometer cup decade

quart milligram foot liter

Guess My Unit

The goal of the game is to be the first player to reach 100.

On your turn, roll the dice as many times as you would like, mentally keeping a running total of the sum. When you decide to stop rolling, record your total for that turn and add it to the total from any previous turns.

If a 1 comes up on one of the dice, your turn is over and you score 0 points for that round. If you roll a 1 on both dice, you lose your turn and ALL points.

Playing PIG

Roll a die. Decide if the number represents 10 or 1. For example, if you roll a 4, you must decide if you would like 4 or 40 points.Pass the die to the next player who also rolls once and decides how many points.After each turn, add your points.Play 7 rounds (you must play all rounds)The player who is closest to 100 (above or below) after 7 rounds wins!

Closest to 100

Every day, expect students to explain theirthinking.

Content example: Math journals or blogs Follow Me

NIM

Strategy 2 - Allow students to verbalize their thinking

Math Journals or Blogs

Everyday I have students write explanations to math problemsin their math journals (Spiral notebooks – so last century).

I will have my students keep their math reflections on a blog from now on. (21st century)

www.kidsblog.org or www.weebly.com

Bennett’s Blog

Follow Me(I Have … Who Has…?)

Make your own set using this site – http://www.senteacher.org/Worksheet/46/Loopcards.xhtml

Follow Me(I Have … Who Has…?)

Select a partner and count out 21 beans.

One partner begins by selecting 1, 2, or 3 beans from the pile.

The second partner then takes 1, 2, or 3 from the remaining beans.

The person who takes the last bean loses!

NIM

NIM Online

You can play NIM online against the computer or a classmate

here.

Manipulatives should be available and integrated into every math lesson.

Content example: Loose Caboose True Blue Snap cube measurement

Strategy 3 - Provide for meaningful use of manipulatives

Trina wants to win a goldfish at the carnival. In order for her to win, she needs to pick 2 blue tiles out of the “True Blue prize bag,” without looking.

If the prize bag contains 3 blue tiles and 3 red tiles, what is the probability of winning the game?

Predict the number of wins you willget in 40 trials. Then, conduct the trialsand record the outcomes.

True Blue

Students should be taught specific strategies toimprove memory and understanding.

Content example: Coin Chants Finger Multiplication

Strategy 4 - Help students develop “bridge” tools

Coin Chants

Multiplication on Finger - Video.flv

(Click on the words above and the video will open in a player and start playing.)

Finger Multiplication

Students should maintain a math journal or blog to record and store math resources.

Content example: Gallon map Big Inch

DMSCBSRounding Cadence

Real Life Math Chart

Strategy 5 - Create “reference” resources

Gallon Map

0 112 2

2

14

24 4

4

34

18

28

38

48

58

68

78

88

The BIG Inch

DMSCBS

• When teaching long division, I use the DMSCBS acronym. The sentence we use is: Does McDonalds Sell Cheeseburgers & Shakes?

• D-Decide and Divide (Decide where to place the first digit in the quotient and then divide.)M-MultiplyS-SubtractC-Check and CompareB-Bring DownS-Start Over Again

Estimate means to round a numberLook at the neighbor and rememberRound down 1, 2 Round down 3, 4Round down 1, 2, 3, 4

Estimate means to round a number When I say zero, you say down.Look at the neighbor and remember Zero, down, zero, down. Round up 6, 7 Round up 8, 9 When I say estimate, you say round.Round up 6, 7, 8, 9 Estimate, round, estimate, round.

Go Math!The number 5 is in the middle But rounding it is no riddleRound up the number 5 Round up the number 5Always round up the number 5

(Blue = Boy sing and girls repeat White = boys Red = girls Yellow = everyone)

Rounding Cadence written by Paula L. Naugle

Check out these resources

http://pnaugle.blogspot.com

http://plnaugleclasswiki.wikispaces.com/

http://groups.diigo.com/group/elementary-maths

http://tinyurl.com/yhzycjc

Some of the material contained here I adapted from

Heather Sparks

2008-2009 Oklahoma Teacher of the Year &8th grade algebra and pre-algebra teacher

Taft Middle School, OKC Public Schools