Supporting students in the area of math requires addressing sequencing problem and the abstract. Using manipulatives to demonstrate and practice mathematical concepts is one way to address these deficiencies. Select an activity from this chapter and use it with your students, then assess it's efficiency in a narrative of a paragraph or two.
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For my lower students, we practice counting and writing numbers, simple addition and subtraction. We have used printables, apps on the ipad, computer games, manipulatives, and one student's very favorite math lesson used Cheez-It Crackers and Teddy Grams. We added them together, and next when we subtracted them, he got to eat them! Another very helpful math game is a matching math game, in which one puzzle piece is a number and it connects to the puzzle piece with the correct number of pictures (2 dogs, 3 cats, 4 flowers, etc).
ReplyDeleteFor my more advanced math students, I have not created a math reference booklet, but instead written notes, diagrams, and formulas on sticky notes that the students can stick in their math books to look back on. I've also taught them to make a number line when adding/subtracting negative and positive numbers and to use the clock face as a math tool. We've practiced using a hundreds chart to help find LCM and GCF. One other important thing that I've practiced with them is how to create a multiplication chart. Teaching students how to create their own math tools can be very beneficial to students, especially when they aren't allowed to use calculators or manipulatives on assignments or assessments.
We used to use Skittles with my daughter. What a motivator! I like your idea about teaching students to create their own math tools. I attended the Numeracy conference in Wichita back in September and the number line was something that they really focused on as an important tool for mathematical understanding. According to the speaker, the number line can be used to teach not only positive and negative numbers, but fractions and addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. I urge you to go to http://www.kansasmtss.org/2011symposiummaterials.html and download the materials for Dr. Paul Riccomini and Dr. Brad Wetzel's presentation on Number Sense. I think that you will find it very beneficial and give your more ideas for manipulatives and math tools.
DeleteOkay I went to that sight and now had to take a break just to respond. I think I will go through all 50 pages and see what happens. It is really interesting. It reminds me of touch math, Saxon and Singapore all together. I like that site. Thanks. Now back to that site.
DeleteI have 3 kids who come in for math about mid morning and of course they are always hungry. Sometimes I have a word problem ready that has to do with their snack, like if each kid gets 12 crackers and there are 3 kids, how many crackers do I need to get out. It is very motivating!
DeleteI agree with you 100%
DeleteI agree, food is a great motivator. My kids love any kind of snack and it usually makes it trhough the lesson. Raisins make it a little longer than goldfish.
DeleteAs special education teachers many times we are called upon to create a parallel curriculum for math. The text gives us some really good ideas for doing this. Number 306 talks about providing parallel activities in the same content areas as those used by the rest of the class. This is where your paras can really be of help as they are most likely the ones in the classroom and and know what the teachers are doing with the other students.
ReplyDeleteThe ideas #321-331 are also valid ideas for modifying math assignments. My personal experience is with #331 Touch Math, which is a program I used with 2nd and 3rd grade students as a tool for adding and subtracting. It is important that Touch Math only be used as a tool and not as the initial teaching of addition and subtraction as students need to understand the logistics of adding and taking away.
I really like touch math. Some of my kids come in knowing it from other districts. We even took punches and foam to make our own numbers for their tool kits.
DeleteI have this great para who loves math, she is in math classes 6 out of 7 classes daily! She even goes to study hall at the end of the day to help students with their math homework. I do not assist students much in math now. At the junior high level it really helps in assisting students with their math to actually be in the class for the instruction. I have been in math classes with my students and agree with the book in that some students need manipulatives and others do not, manipulatives do help some students and others it just makes it more confusing. My favorite accommodation is activity #322 using graph paper to help with number alignment. I use it alot at school, I have used it with my own children too! With my lower more functional students I do use alot of manipulatives, visuals, and real life math applications, like CBI- going to the grocery store. It can be difficult to convince students that math is something they will always use. If they are successful then they question that less.
ReplyDeleteYou are so right. If they see the need to learn something, they will do it more often. Our grocery store is right next door to the school, so we often do a reward thing and they 'earn money' to go to the store and buy the items to make something, like a smoothie, or pizza. Then the process is more clear and the need to know is stronger.
DeleteI also like to use graph paper. I put some in a sheet protector and can use a dry erase marker with it. That way we can use it again and again. Sometimes we use different colored markers to color code what the kids are doing.
DeleteI love math and manipulative things. I have utilized Touch math to teach from K on. It does a good job of letting students see the value in their head and a system to subtract or add by touching the dots. Once you do the dot attention the rest is a piece of cake, Jake.
ReplyDeleteI still do the gallon man for liquid and match it with the liquid measurement so they have two things to connect with at a time. Just did that about 3 weeks ago.
I like several IPAD and computer sites. For the connecting dots there are several pre-school online games that work well with that. I use Aplusmath, playkidsgames.com, coolmath-games and a slew more just google online math games. I find it works if I monitor the game. they get off and sometimes loose track. Usually I like kids to use graph type paper, squares to keep lines in order. Or turn notebook paper on side and then do long problems, helps with organization of problem.
I used activity 301, which is for counting coins. Actually I have a program for Touch counting money, which is exactly like this activity. One student totally got money when he started using the touch points. Another student does ok, but he still gets the coin identification part mixed up. I used a sharpie and put the dots on some coins to help him. Some days it does, other days not so much.
ReplyDeleteI use activity 308 often. It reinforces fine motor skills in a fun way, it cuts down on defiance and there are sites where you can find them for any number pattern (as well as alphabet). We are using Every Day Math and they do a lot of number patterns. Also, the second grade lessons take twice as long as the first grade lessons so dot to dots for even-odd and skip counting have really helped with managing the class. I used them for extra practice and they made a difference in how well the kids could count by 2's, 5's, 10's and 100's. The only trick is if they think they know the picture they will sometimes try to just draw it instead of counting. That is where the para is great for making them count out loud while I teach other lessons.
ReplyDeleteI also have a student beginning with regrouping in addition. Activity 322 was a natural way to keep them from writing digits anywhere and reinforce place value. I started with dotted lines then actually went to highlighting with different colors in each column. Thanks, by the way for the highlighter star things from last year. I make sure to always use the same color for each place value and am hoping that the student will apply the technique on their own and eventually not need it.