If I EVER figure out how to make this blog do what I want, there will be fireworks — and possibly champagne. I have a special interest in elementary school mathematics, partly because when I was an elementary school student, my own math skills were pathetic. Maybe it takes failure to find success… I have no idea, but I do “get” mathematics now.
As I work on the curriculum and find interesting ways to teach all things mathematical, I’ll post them here.
- Here’s a great resource for all things mathematic: Mathwire. Looking for ways to reteach or differentiate? This is a great site!
- Summer Read: Math For All, Differentiating Instruction.
- If you haven’t been on NCTM’s website lately, there’s a new section labeled Dynamic Paper. Create nets, pattern blocks, graphs…. the possibilities are endless.
We are second-time-around parents – grandparents raising three children, ages 4, 6 and 8. It’s going fine. But our eight-year-old is entering third grade and she really struggled with her addition and subtraction facts, prefering to rely on her fingers instead of memorizing. And yet this kid can memorize text easily – long passages, too. So I’m wondering – do you know of any experiments with teaching maths facts with the numbers spelled out? Ever see math fact sheets like these? (BTW, I was researching this question when I came across your blog. Excellent.)
What lucky children to have someone so involved with their schooling! I personally don’t know of any resources that substitute number words for the symbols — I am wondering if using an addition/subtraction (or multiplication/division) chart could be used to help with computation? I will ask our math coordinators next time we meet if they have any ideas.
Thanks – I appreciate the quick reply (and kind words). I just checked the wordcount of the piece she memorized for a recent public reading – 158 words. She didn’t have to memorize it – only read it – and I didn’t know she had memorized it until I looked at her summer school journal where she had written it from memory verbatim and perfectly. It just brought home what sponges they are at this age and I hate to see her miss the window of memorizing these facts. I’ll be interested in what you find out. Thanks again.