Ugh. Fractions. I love to teach math, but fractions-blah. So like with any challenging unit, I like to bring in something tangible. Remember, kids were designed to manipulate items and are tactile learners, some on into ten and eleven years of age. This activity is great for all ages and will teach several different concepts […]
math
Math Talk – Fostering Mathematical Thinking
The two most powerful learning techniques that I used with my math classes were Think Aloud and Math Talk. I used Think Aloud, which is teacher directed, with the entire class slowly transitioning them into Math Talk for their group work. My Think Aloud Procedure I would begin with a problem that many of my […]
Math Teachers: Thinking Outside the Algorithm
Middle School math can be frustrating and challenging, especially when the teacher feels that in addition to reaching their own learning milestones, they must backfill the deficits students have when they enter the classroom. Â As an educator I have always believed that part of my job was to take my students as far as […]
Word Walls In Math? But, Why?
When I told my students that we would have a word wall in our class, they looked puzzled. “A word wall?” “I never heard of having a word wall in math class before.” “Huh?” I pointed their attention to the words we had already gone over and said that the wall would grow throughout the […]
Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? The Math and Reading Versions
In school math was a subject I approached with trepidation. I usually was the last kid in class asking my teacher to check my problems so that I could continue my homework when I was at home. Here at The Educator’s Room, we’ve written about math instruction intensively especially with the introduction of new tests based […]
Helping With Middle School Math Homework
This article is for both parents and teachers who deal with middle school students. In recent years there has been a great amount of change in how math is taught in school. My 30 years of teaching middle school math has shown me that these years are very important for students to have and feel successful in […]
Homework for Summer: Talk!
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”] I am often asked, “What can we do over the summer with our child?”  We know if you quit practicing any skill  you will have less success with it when starting […]
Fun Math Activities for Summer Vacation
Parents are the first teachers. Parents can also be of great assistance to their children during summer vacation by doing activities that reinforce skills already learned. The following fun math activities will keep your children occupied while reinforcing math topics that have been taught. Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division Take a trip to the grocery store […]