Estimates help us predict the reasonableness of an answer. Having students make an estimate before they perform the calculation, and even writing the estimate next to the problem, can help them to focus on making the numbers (and the problem) make sense. Example: 3.2 x 9.8 = Students use benchmarks to determine that 3.2 is close to 3 and 9.8 is close to 10, therefore, a reasonable estimate would be 3 x 10 = 30. If students perform the actual…
Making sense of and understanding mathematics is the foundation of the new Common Core State Standards in Mathematics. It is not enough that kids can compute with numbers – they must understand why those computations work. Enter Number Theory, the part of math that explores numbers and how they relate to each other. At the heart of Number Theory are the properties of number. One of the first ones students will encounter is the Commutative Property of Addition. It states…
What a treat it was for me to work with two second graders yesterday in Mrs. Durbin’s class. Mrs. Durbin created a fun project for these two high math students to provide them with extra challenge. I’m there to help facilitate them while she teaches the rest of the class. When I arrived for my first session with them last week, they had already collected their data. Their chosen topic was sports equipment in the primary grades. They wanted to…
How do we get our young children comfortable with numbers? We count things with them. Lots and lots of things. We count the number of forks on the table, the number of grapes on the plate, the number of pennies in our pocket. Counting just becomes something we do. Here’s a fun, hands-on project that turns counting into a game. You’ll need: -1-2 empty “cube” tissue boxes (the boxes are not exactly cubes, but close enough) -colored construction paper -glue…
How yummy is this activity! Oh yeah…and it’s a fun way to practice beginning number facts. I use the double six dominoes, but it’s easy to diferentiate by providing only dominoes that represent the facts you want students to work on. In other words, if you have a student who is still struggling with adding one to a given number, then use only the dominoes that have one dot (pip) on one side. For example, five dots on one side…