Reflection

I'll be honest: before the semester began, I had assumed that this class would be as easy as pi (pun intended). How challenging could a course with the word "elementary" in its title be? Quite challenging, as I discovered. For the first time in a math class, I had to understand the method behind the madness. In high school, my math teachers had taught me to learn the material, not to understand it. In high school, it had not mattered how I solved a problem as long as I found the correct solution, but in this class, the procedure was more important than the solution. I now had to know how to solve operations and be able to provide an explanation for the procedure. I found that explaining how to solve an equation is not complicated, but explaining the reason for the solution can be challenging. This is what sets teachers aside from others: anyone can explain how, but it takes a teacher to explain why. This class has helped me understand math for the first time in my educational career. Before this class, I did not understand math. I just did as I was instructed to do. I could perform operations, but I did not understand what these operations meant. For instance, before this class, I did not know why multiplying a fraction by half was the same as dividing it by two. I just did it because it was what I had been taught. I now understand this and other concepts that I had not before. In retrospect, it is no wonder that I had been a poor math student in high school. It is hard to succeed in a subject if you are memorizing the material rather than understanding it. This class has taught me how to think about math in an abstract manner. Most important of all, this class has prepared me to teach math to children. From this class, I have learned how to explain concepts to children in a manner that will help them make sense of math. Now, when the children that I babysit ask me to help them with their math homework, I find myself telling them not just how to solve the equation, but explaining why it is solved the way that it is. Teaching is one of the most rewarding professions, and to me, one of the best things about being a teacher is seeing a child's face light up when he or she finally understands a concept. I hope to help all of my future students become confident in their abilities. All children can be successful if they believe that they can be successful. Overall, this class has helped me to become a better math student, and in turn, a better math teacher. I will take what I have learned and use it when I become a teacher. I hope to serve as an example to my future students that it is possible to overcome a fear of math and become a successful math student. 

Quick Kindergarten And 1st Grade Math Lessons

Math does not have to be and should not be boring. Children learn best through hands-on experiences, so plan activities and lessons that are interactive and engage students in learning. Be creative. Your students will be interested in learning if you make learning interesting. Believe it or not, it is possible to plan a fun lesson without using a lot of time and resources. In high school, I was fortunate enough to have the experience to work in a kindergarten and a first grade classroom, and I learned a lot about planning lessons from the cooperating teachers. Here, I have shared some fun math lessons that the students in my placement classrooms participated in. Most of these lessons require minimal preparation and can be altered to suit the ages and the abilities of your students. The students in my placement classrooms loved these activities and I hope that your students do, too.

Shop 'Til You Drop
Create a classroom "store". Print pictures of various items and attach a price label to each picture. I suggest laminating them if you plan to use them again in the future. Feel free to be creative: use real items instead of pictures, create a theme (ex. use pictures of food items to create a food store), provide props (ex. a cash register and shopping baskets), etc. Provide each student one dollar (or more) in plastic coins and encourage them to find the different combinations of items that can be purchased with their coins. You can extend the lesson and encourage students to use the smallest possible combination of coins, the largest possible combination of coins, etc. when purchasing their items. This is best suited for small groups of students. This is an excellent lesson to connect math to the real world and to help children gain skills that can be used outside of the classroom. 

What's Crackin'?

On one half of a plastic egg, write an addition equation. On the other half of the egg, write the sum of the equation. Repeat and write a different equation on each egg. Separate the halves of the eggs and encourage students to match each half that has an equation with the half that has its solution. This game is best-suited for independent use. As an alternative to addition, you can create a subtraction, a multiplication, or a division version of this game, depending on the abilities of your students. The possibilities are endless.

(image is not mine)

Lucky Roll

Provide each student with a pair of dice. Encourage the student to roll the dice and find the sum of the numbers that he or she rolled. You can extend the lesson and encourage students to write equations for the numbers that were rolled. This game is best suited for independent use. You can use multiplication instead of addition and encourage students to find the product of the numbers that were rolled.

Ship Shape

Cut pieces of construction paper into large geometric shapes. I suggest laminating them if you plan to use them again in the future. Provide students with pattern blocks and encourage them to sort the pattern blocks onto the mats according to shape. Students can work alone or in small groups. 

(image is not mine)

Teachers: what are your students' favorite math activities and lessons?

Girls And Math

I read an interesting article titled "Negative Gender Stereotypes Disrupt Girls’ Math Performance". The article (which can be read here) is about the stereotype that males are better at math than females and its impact on young girls. Girls as young as the first grade are doubting their mathematical abilities and developing an "I can't" attitude because they are being told that they are less capable than their male peers. Gender is no indication of intelligence. Females are just as capable as males of succeeding at math, but some people refuse to accept this. How did this stereotype begin? I believe it is because it was rare for females to enter the field of mathematics until several decades ago. Although an increasing number of women are pursuing math-related professions, such as accounting and engineering, some people are still opposed to the idea of females entering these once-male-dominated fields. The assumption that females cannot succeed at math is closed-minded and untrue.

Who is responsible for this negative message? In part, I blame the media. There are shirts with sexist slogans, such as "I'm Too Pretty To Do Homework So My Brother Has To Do It For Me" and "I'm Too Pretty To Do Math" (as pictured below), that send the message that girls are all looks and no brains. In 1992, Mattel released a talking Barbie doll that said the phrase, "math class is tough!". I cannot even list all of the movies and television shows that I have watched that have featured a female character who was characterized as being an airhead. This might seem harmless, but it has a significant negative impact on young girls and it is making them doubt their intelligence, which is no joking matter.

 (according to some clothing companies, girls can't be beautiful and have brains)

The media is not the only negative influence on young girls. The women in their lives, including their mothers and their teachers, have an influence on their attitudes about math. Girls will learn to dislike math if the women in their lives teach them to dislike math. Women: we are responsible for putting an end to this pattern. Develop a positive attitude about math and the young girls in your life will follow your lead.

The article suggested that the solution to the problem is to surround girls with successful females in the fields of mathematics and science to inspire them to take an interest in these subjects. Danica McKellar is one positive female role model. The actress-turned-author wrote a series of math books for adolescent girls that make math feminine and fun. McKellar's advice and encouragement is an inspiration to teenage girls who struggle with the subject. In 2010, Mattel released a computer engineer Barbie doll, a step in the right direction after their fail with the mathophobic Barbie doll.

 (McKellar's best-selling series of math books for teenage girls)

What can we as teachers do? We should encourage our female students to believe in themselves and to be confident in their mathematical abilities. Female teachers in particular have an important role in helping their female students succeed in math, despite the discrimination against them. Girls can rule the world one equation at a time if we give them the proper encouragement to do so.

Math In Literature

Literature is an important learning tool for children. Reading is not just for language arts; through books, children learn about all subject areas, from science to social studies. There are hundreds of books that can be used to help children understand math. From preschool number recognition to fifth grade fractions, there is a book for every age and every math concept. Here are some excellent math books to use in the classroom:

Title and Author: The Hershey's Milk Chocolate Bar Fractions Book by Jerry Pallotta
Recommended Age Range: 1st grade to 4th grade
Concepts Explored: Fractions
Description: This book teaches children about fractions and fraction operations using a chocolate bar as a manipulative. It helps children understand the concept of a fraction, the relationship between equivalent fractions, and how to add and subtract fractions. This is an excellent book to introduce children to fractions. The chocolate bar is a fun representation of fractions and the author explains the material in an understandable manner. Sweet! 
Corresponding Lesson Ideas: Provide each of your students with a chocolate bar and instruct them to break their chocolate bars into equal pieces to represent fractions as demonstrated in the book. As an alternative to real chocolate bars, you can cut pieces of brown construction paper into twelve equal pieces and have students represent fractions with their paper chocolate bars.

Title and Author: How Much Is A Million? by David M. Shwartz
Recommended Age Range: Kindergarten to 3rd grade
Concepts Explored: Quantities
Description: This book helps children understand the relationship between numbers and quantities. It answers burning questions such as, "How long would it take to count from one to one billion?" and "How large would a fish tank have to be in order to hold one million fish?", to put the quantities of large numbers into perspective. This book is an excellent visualization of one million, one billion, and even one trillion. Each page is filled with interesting facts that students and their teachers will find intriguing. It is the perfect book for curious children and adults alike.
Corresponding Lesson Ideas: Assist your students in researching other quantities that amount to one million, one billion, and one trillion (ex. How large would a swimming pool have to be in order to hold one million gallons of water? How long would it take to walk one billion miles? etc.)

Title and Author: Measuring Penny by Loreen Leedy
Recommended Age Range: 1st grade to 3rd grade
Concepts Explored: Measurement
Description: This is an excellent book to introduce children to measurement. It teaches children about the standard and nonstandard units of measurement, including height, volume, and weight. Children will love the charming plot about a girl who measures her dog for an assignment using standard measuring tools as well as household items such as dog biscuits and paper clips. After reading this book, your students will be inspired to measure items (or animals) in their own homes using different measuring tools. 
Corresponding Lesson Ideas: The main character of the book is assigned to measure an item at home using standard and nonstandard units of measurement. Assign the same assignment to your students and instruct them to measure items at home or in the classroom using different measuring tools and to record their measurements to report to the class. To extend the assignment, you can ask students to predict the size of the item before measuring it.

Title and Author: Math Curse by Jon Scieszka
Recommended Age Range: Kindergarten to 4th grade
Concepts Explored: Various
Description: This book, which is about a girl whose life becomes a living math problem, has got it all, from the basic operations to fractions to measurement. It is the perfect tool for teaching a range of math concepts. This is an excellent book to help children understand how math is used outside of the classroom and it inspires children to connect math to their lives. In addition, it engages children, encouraging them to solve the math problems that the main character encounters throughout the book.
Corresponding Lesson Ideas: Encourage your students to brainstorm how math is used outside of the classroom and instruct them to write word problems about their experiences with math in their lives.

If you are interested in more math books to use in your classroom, click here! 

Ten Ways To Help Children Feel Comfortable With Math

In order for our students to succeed in math, we must first help them feel comfortable with math. Below are ten techniques that teachers can use to help their students feel comfortable with math:

1. Encourage students to ask for help and be open to answering their questions. Students will be more willing to ask for assistance if their teachers are willing to assist them. Be patient when assisting students and never make them feel ashamed for asking for help. 

2. Create a math-friendly environment. Incorporate math into all areas of the classroom to familiarize students with numbers and operations. Hang math posters on the walls, stock the block center with blocks in geometric shapes, and provide math-related literature in the reading center.

3. Plan engaging activities and lessons that make math fun. Math does not have to and should not be tedious. Ditch the worksheets and engage children in interactive activities to ignite their interest in math.

4. Use a hands-on approach to teaching math. Children learn best by doing, so provide interactive materials and plan lessons that involve the use of these materials. Materials such as measuring tools, pattern blocks, place value blocks, plastic or real coins, and Unifix cubes, enhance math skills.

5. Use real-life situations when teaching math to help students make real-life connections. Ask students to solve word problems to encourage them to practice their math skills outside of the classroom, whether it is helping their parents measure ingredients for a recipe or counting change at the store.

6. Encourage parental involvement. It is important for a child's parents and teachers to be on the same page about his or her progress so he or she can receive the proper support at home and in the classroom. When parents know how and what their children are doing in school, they can provide them the resources for success at home, and when teachers know how and what their students are doing at home, they can provide them the resources for success in the classroom.

7. Accommodate each student's individual learning style. Each child learns at a different pace and in a different manner. As a teacher, you will have students of various developmental levels and needs. It is important to consider all of your students' academic needs when teaching math. Use verbal, visual, and kinesthetic methods when teaching math to ensure that all of your students understand the material, regardless of their learning style.

8. Allow your students to work alone, as a class, and in small groups. When working alone, children can practice skills on their own and work at their own pace and in their own manner. In groups, children can learn from their classmates and their teachers and collaborate to solve problems. Both are important in learning math.

9. Practice makes perfect. Review the material on a regular basis to help students become proficient in math. Encourage students to practice their math skills throughout the day, whether it is counting the number of beats in a song during music time or measuring the height of a block tower built during recess.

10. Finally, make yourself comfortable with math. As a teacher, you are a role model to your students. The more comfortable you are with math, the more comfortable your students will be with math. Adopt a positive attitude about math and your students do the same. If you have confidence in your abilities, your students will have confidence in their abilities.

Teachers: how do you help your students feel comfortable with math?