tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80729381884385087212024-02-07T11:22:17.824-06:00The Teacher Studio: Learning, Thinking, CreatingLooking for information about teaching in intermediate grades? Math workshop? Problem solving? Best practice? Quality reading and writing lessons and ideas? Google Classroom and other 1:1 ideas and resources? Teaching tips and educational resources? With rigorous standards and new information about brain research and learning being released all the time, The Teacher Studio is a great place to come to for great teaching ideas, lessons,and products to help you be the best teacher you can be.The Teacher Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04936657056940797588noreply@blogger.comBlogger639125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072938188438508721.post-36372949655439962662018-11-10T17:07:00.001-06:002018-11-10T19:07:51.716-06:00Project Based Learning: How to Make It Work in Your ClassroomOne question I get all the time is, "How do you work your thinker tasks into your daily instruction?". Today I thought I'd share a little more about how I use these project-based learning experiences!<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Project-Based-Learning-Math-Problem-Solving-BUNDLE-PBL-1843282"><img alt="Problem solving is such a critical part of third grade math and fourth grade math and finding rigorous, real-world math tasks can be hard. These differentiated math tasks help students with the standards for mathematical practice, math discourse, problem solving, and more. #projectbasedlearning #problemsolving #PBL #mathtasks #fourthgrademath #thirdgrademath" border="0" data-original-height="584" data-original-width="1119" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZfoWvmNcJ3YTr8ojKLgz8EFh0UqUmkRHC3T5QrOUaUAx9qNYb9-RBJ-L6CqTH473uTiQb7v1x0mlRZs4PA0AgNzlhbFNh9E1RCSePJ2tqx1UcD3haXioQNfHT0gntJY0GRFJhzqe9uDk/s640/project+based+learning+blog+post+november+2018+header.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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First of all, if you haven't seen my "Thinker Task" collection, this video might give you a better sense of what they are and what they involve. I hope you'll see the benefits of getting students doing "real-world" problem solving and how much math discourse and critical thinking they can evoke.<br />
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Ready to see more?<br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZhfYiVNdqqA" width="560"></iframe><br />
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How do I use Thinker Tasks?</h3>
I think what I really love about these tasks is how many different uses they have. I thought I'd list a bunch of different teaching suggestions for you--but I bet you can get even more creative!<br />
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<li>Sometimes I use Thinker Tasks with my whole class. I introduce them to everyone and then students can work alone or collaboratively at their own pace.</li>
<li>At other times, I use this as a "fast finisher" activity. Everyone has a copy, but some students get far more time to work on it because they need less "me" time for instruction on other things.</li>
<li>Perfect to use as a station in math workshop or guided math. Once students know what to do, they can be totally independent.</li>
<li>These tasks are great to help explicitly teach students about the Standards for Mathematical Practice where students can work to justify their thinking, model with math, make sense of problems, persevere, work with precision, and more!</li>
<li>Two words: Math discourse! These tasks instantly get students talking about math, critiquing each other's reasoning, defending their thinking and more. They also have multiple opportunities to WRITE about math, something missing in most math series.</li>
<li>Perfect for special education in middle school. Teachers have raved that the tasks don't look "baby-ish" but work hard to get students both solving problems AND working on critical computation skills.</li>
<li>Enrichment groups for grades 2-4. Students love the challenges and teachers love that they can do meaningful work while they work with the rest of the class. The fact that the task itself is challenging is great--but the page of additional extensions means that with very minimal planning, this task can provide meaningful math work for weeks.</li>
<li>Sometimes I take a few days in a row and we do the complete task. Other times I introduce the task and then students work on it after they finish their other work. In other words, it can be a replacement activity or an extention activity. Perfect to introduce before having a sub--because students are so engaged.</li>
<li>Wonderful to use to model great math thinking for observation lessons. Administrators love to see students involved with such meaningful math!</li>
</ul>
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<img alt="Problem solving is such a critical part of third grade math and fourth grade math and finding rigorous, real-world math tasks can be hard. These differentiated math tasks help students with the standards for mathematical practice, math discourse, problem solving, and more. #projectbasedlearning #problemsolving #PBL #mathtasks #fourthgrademath #thirdgrademath" border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1I2JlyOpnzBg1Ba8HRRiVSv2MarY73fO8vmwt6FNX0Dk6T1yUJSoTU7VNKMxMJlEgntFrsRUOPD3S3aUQQDKnkbi1V9cZmYCoac6tRD2-E-POW6nPSAfkUTaGZj4Z33nnEg7H-kBpsd4/s640/girl+holding+pencil.jpeg" title="" width="640" /></div>
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What Thinker Tasks are available?</h3>
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I have very few resources that are "holiday" based because I like the flexibility of using different lessons and ideas when they are the best fit throughout the school year. That being said, sometimes those seasonal times of the year are the trickiest times to keep students engaged in their learning!<br />
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For my Thinker Tasks, I have created some of each. I have versions available that can tie to seasons (back to school shopping, a Thanksgiving feast, holiday cookie baking, or Valentine's Day), but others that can be used at ANY time...students can enjoy working on a sleepover task, <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Project-Based-Learning-Math-Problem-Solving-Amusement-Park-PBL-1379707">an amusement part problem</a>, or an animal rescue problem any time!<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Project-Based-Learning-Math-Problem-Solving-BUNDLE-PBL-1843282"><img alt="Problem solving is such a critical part of third grade math and fourth grade math and finding rigorous, real-world math tasks can be hard. These differentiated math tasks help students with the standards for mathematical practice, math discourse, problem solving, and more. #projectbasedlearning #problemsolving #PBL #mathtasks #fourthgrademath #thirdgrademath" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg097S6_bXslPHXdGG_Uizqub1mDRPeOu627oTBKylRuqCIkbs8s43ttr7zBLtGgnoPV5080L1cWGXx5HqwenltRzfseTNh0lkAoWvPQ8CGXud_PxE4fr1DLJlc-WlcDC62h5Gvx2Yc5cU/s640/Photo+Nov+10%252C+4+44+50+PM.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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How do I differentiate these math tasks?</h3>
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Another question teachers often have relates to differentiation with Thinker Tasks. Fortunately, there are a ton of options for teachers wanting to use them with students at different levels. Check out these ideas!<br />
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<ul>
<li>Most of the tasks come with two "Math by the Numbers" sheets with the numbers at different levels. For example, in the Valentine task, one version uses only whole numbers like "$5" while the other uses decimals with amounts like "$4.95". This, of course, makes the task more rigorous.</li>
<li>The tasks can be differentiated by providing different amounts of scaffolding. By giving students the chance to be completely independent, they need to "make sense" of the problem on their own and dig in with no guidance. By working with explicit directions and, perhaps, working with students step by step, the task becomes more manageable and easier to tackle.</li>
<li>Providing students with tools like calculators and manipulatives can make a challenging task more accessible. A child who cannot subtract with regrouping CAN use a calculator to solve a task involving subtraction.</li>
<li>Working in partners or small groups is an instant way to give students support and still have access to rigorous, quality math.</li>
<li>Working in differentiated teams allows you to tailor these tasks to small groups with different needs.</li>
</ul>
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I hope this helps answer some of the questions YOU might have had about Thinker Tasks and how I use them throughout my school year. Each is available separately, or you can buy the bundle and save. Just click the image below to see the bundle. Each individual resource can be accessed from that link. Enjoy!</div>
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<br />The Teacher Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04936657056940797588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072938188438508721.post-27414985888133414912018-09-30T08:38:00.000-05:002018-09-30T08:38:30.135-05:00FIsh in a Tree: Using Read Alouds as Mentor Texts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.upperelementarysnapshots.com/2018/09/fish-in-tree-perfect-mentor-text-novel.html"><img alt="Fish in a Tree is a great novel study for realistic fiction or narrative reading and writing. This blog post gives narrative lesson ideas and activities to try with any novel. Fish in a Tree, narrative unit, teaching narratives, narrative printables, response to reading, mentor texts, fourth grade reading, fifth grade reading" border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="768" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0cQKs-2z0moT3YNOmf5yOpb-bTIK_GQY2X7QPcoM8KZV7K3HqP_9h5HAx-k2yhSZGdZe8l3OWCSQBR4RWobG72hW7vGZO9KtotIGxTe3Q0qmFpPccYfx2yMhFW3ZDkB6-vYn-_pX3MOs/s640/using+read+alouds+to+guide+instruction+UES+post+pin.jpg" title="" width="426" /></a></div>
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Today is my day to blog over at Upper Elementary Snapshots, and I hope you'll stop over to check out some of the lesson ideas I am sharing to use with whatever read aloud YOU are using right now! Just <a href="http://www.upperelementarysnapshots.com/2018/09/fish-in-tree-perfect-mentor-text-novel.html">CLICK HERE</a> or the image above to take you there!The Teacher Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04936657056940797588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072938188438508721.post-42064360240388040102018-08-02T09:43:00.000-05:002018-08-02T10:15:14.668-05:00More Than a Graphic Organizer! Written responses to reading<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Graphic-Organizers-and-Response-to-Reading-Forms-Print-and-Digital-Version-3958836"><img alt="Using graphic organizers to help teach fiction reading and writing is so valuable. This blog post has teaching tips for using graphic organizers to get students ready for written responses to reading and more. Graphic organizer printables, graphic organizer worksheets, fourth grade reading, third grade reading, fifth grade reading, common core reading" border="0" data-original-height="584" data-original-width="1119" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxcDCMbtjNUcp9rh28sb061zu8AhfckhBb357BEQGtR9TFY6hjBb-JWRT83R9VRYHmb1H_Vkglq-pDUsD9f237PvH0-bhP6XORWkZ1anDJ6QeEqNCPNWkmYdHlyc9paajUc-jk9zHupaI/s640/graphic+organizer+blog+post+header.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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As you know, the purpose of a graphic organizer is to help students (or adults!) make sense of information and organize it into a visible, usable fashion. Sometimes using an organizer is all we need from students—a way for them to represent the information we are asking for. Sometimes, however, we want students to organize information for other reasons…like to do a piece of writing. I wanted a way for my students to be able to track their thinking about the texts they read, but also for them to be able to use those notes to complete a short piece of writing to show me their thinking and depth of understanding about a text.
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All year long I share novels, picture books...students read during independent reading, book clubs--you get the drill. There is never enough time to confer with everyone and get as much information as needed to see how deeply students are thinking so, part of the time, I do rely on some written work to check for that depth of understanding.<br />
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The more I thought about it, the more I wanted to be able to be able to quickly consider what skill or learning target I wanted to focus on, and then have a low ink (or digital) way to get students thinking—and then writing about texts.<br />
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I have books and books of graphic organizers, but could I find what I was looking for?<br />
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<b>Nope! </b><br />
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There are countless resources out there filled with different graphic organizers--none of which were going to do what I needed them to do. I decided to create my own for a number of reasons.<br />
<h3>
Graphic Organizers That Help Teach Reading</h3>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Graphic-Organizers-and-Response-to-Reading-Forms-Print-and-Digital-Version-3958836"><img alt="Using graphic organizers to help teach fiction reading and writing is so valuable. This blog post has teaching tips for using graphic organizers to get students ready for written responses to reading and more. Graphic organizer printables, graphic organizer worksheets, fourth grade reading, third grade reading, fifth grade reading, common core reading" border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwjojM5nMNnUmq3hfAyr5R4wmaBUFQ82wF4gl7T4D448RbkfqjBWYXROQ9k5AuKLsHlzlskNYEZfbqBceZTvAiSqcXtZf7TtwU43KNk8b-5-n3Ubdj4_LonI3RXsZpD3JX9fLppRWKpWI/s640/Slide56.PNG" title="" width="480" /></a></div>
•The organizers have teaching tips/mini lessons worked right into them! (see the image above!)<br />
•This resource has the print AND digital versions of these organizers so you can use them either way. <br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Graphic-Organizers-and-Response-to-Reading-Forms-Print-and-Digital-Version-3958836"><img alt="Using graphic organizers to help teach fiction reading and writing is so valuable. This blog post has teaching tips for using graphic organizers to get students ready for written responses to reading and more. Graphic organizer printables, graphic organizer worksheets, fourth grade reading, third grade reading, fifth grade reading, common core reading, google classroom, digital activities" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ3BKSYx-8knteXDoC8ygwYeuVeFTOVkAeHlQY_8PCiZA4s6j5PoLgBGtUjh0Lg3w2X1k_nPOD8ILCjTRGHD8jX5ActOjxkKCw3NRp_WxR1gxK3vyjEpByPAEDzmjzfeq-YJ24kGLDCAY/s640/Photo+Aug+02%252C+10+13+29+AM.jpg" title="" width="480" /></a></div>
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•This set also has a written component so students can use the organizer to jot down their thinking—but then can “write long’ about them to deepen their thinking and work on their writing skills in a meaningful way. <br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Graphic-Organizers-and-Response-to-Reading-Forms-Print-and-Digital-Version-3958836"><img alt="Using graphic organizers to help teach fiction reading and writing is so valuable. This blog post has teaching tips for using graphic organizers to get students ready for written responses to reading and more. Graphic organizer printables, graphic organizer worksheets, fourth grade reading, third grade reading, fifth grade reading, common core reading" border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ0optG2Z4ewOfa5Ybr7eUQd8FqZSmDBGYBKzOhszGEMkKBlyR9urVqyZ6tTsZFlsLHxEU_KBN5ks1kvrTUry62rciwtJaISapSS2DmxtDT6HitRBq-NhqSAEsCcrbguAgJ_tZ4FdDXMM/s640/Slide17.PNG" title="" width="480" /></a></div>
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•These organizers are meant to dig deeply into rigorous standards and get students really thinking deeply about texts, not just fill in the blanks.<br />
<h3>
Assessing Student Thinking with Graphic Organizers</h3>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Graphic-Organizers-and-Response-to-Reading-Forms-Print-and-Digital-Version-3958836"><img alt="Using graphic organizers to help teach fiction reading and writing is so valuable. This blog post has teaching tips for using graphic organizers to get students ready for written responses to reading and more. Graphic organizer printables, graphic organizer worksheets, fourth grade reading, third grade reading, fifth grade reading, common core reading" border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXQfEa2mk5SJRz2eDo59tZBV4C_16xkmCxe9OXff_4-oxIAwzo7kQBpeb7gF_s53irqiHpKaog9CX3VKxpGzA4fzvdF8CXgGVzrQATH5qIddXsbM5r8xUTMh66H3dBlEWYTDdtzTrgVpg/s640/girl+writing+and+smiling.jpeg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>When I ask students to write about texts, I am looking for a few things:</b><br />
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•Are they able to find examples in the text? <br />
•Can they explain clearly? <br />
•Can they write coherently? <br />
•What is their “depth” of understanding? <br />
•How reflective are they as they read? <br />
•How much scaffolding or “coaching” do they need to make sense of the text? <br />
•Does their written work seem to match their reading level? <br />
•What instruction needs to happen to support them as readers and writers? <br />
•Do the texts they are reading seem to be a good fit for them?<br />
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<h3>
When Do I Use Graphic Organizers? </h3>
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The sky is the limit—but here are some ideas for you! <br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Graphic-Organizers-and-Response-to-Reading-Forms-Print-and-Digital-Version-3958836"><img alt="Using graphic organizers to help teach fiction reading and writing is so valuable. This blog post has teaching tips for using graphic organizers to get students ready for written responses to reading and more. Graphic organizer printables, graphic organizer worksheets, fourth grade reading, third grade reading, fifth grade reading, common core reading" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYgDaDg91UaW2uZ9RLF3fJx1l1liw_tcDNcaVNNGsoeff6tUMV16WQHfUeZG2WacxxHB7A__fb9I2AmT3C69jeDLceW-qiGCc3xit8CniT1868s_m5z-WOrjpiz6d4S-WQ_naDGK0jjW4/s640/Photo+May+19%252C+10+23+58+AM.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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•Use these to model your own thinking about texts you share with the class…read aloud novels or picture books. Show how you track your thinking on the organizer AND how you take that information and turn it into a piece of writing. <br />
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•Use this as “ready to go” work for book clubs where students can read, reflect, write, and then discuss! <br />
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•Use this as an assessment…either have students use these organizers to show their thinking about a book you have shared with them or their own reading. <br />
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•Have students work in partners to get them talking about books and finding those essential ideas and text evidence. <br />
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•Work to fill out the organizer as a class (or as a part of a small group) and then have students work independently to do the reflective writing. <br />
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•Use this as a way to get more writing instruction into your day. Teach about paragraphing. Show them how to use transition words to connect ideas. Show them how to write topic sentences and supporting details. Show them how to cite evidence from the text. <br />
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So if you think you might be interested in trying something like this...just click the link here to see my<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Graphic-Organizers-and-Response-to-Reading-Forms-Print-and-Digital-Version-3958836"> fiction graphic organizers</a> or click the image below.<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Graphic-Organizers-and-Response-to-Reading-Forms-Print-and-Digital-Version-3958836"><img alt="Using graphic organizers to help teach fiction reading and writing is so valuable. This blog post has teaching tips for using graphic organizers to get students ready for written responses to reading and more. Graphic organizer printables, graphic organizer worksheets, fourth grade reading, third grade reading, fifth grade reading, common core reading" border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0C6dvImnDoejZvQUuVCEvn8_S2Rb98wR0Q7IRPFONzGRIfxYGIyCpHh5rw-GOEd_kfK-8UVTILp3p80Egsq-5h4Yp902C4k_Eq27WG-S-3u__kfYweOlNgjbIulitxvWrv3GIAE6Aj3U/s320/graphic+organizer+resource+new+cover.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
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The Teacher Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04936657056940797588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072938188438508721.post-58902382505050025802018-07-24T20:28:00.001-05:002018-08-07T18:40:10.069-05:00Math Workshop--or Not? 5 Ways to Keep Students Learning in MathWell, here we are...our final day of the summer math challenge! I hope you have enjoyed the series and have made some plans to try some new things this year!<br />
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Today's final challenge involves asking you to do some reflecting on how you actually organize your math instruction. I am constantly getting teachers asking me what my math block "looks like"--and it's just not that easy of a question to answer! Mine looks different every day...because the math looks different every day.<br />
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There has been a lot of push to do "math workshop" or math "centers" in recent years. Sadly, this has resulted in some unfortunate results. I'm going to redefine some things the way I like to keep them in my mind...and I hope some of what I have to say resonates with you.<br />
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Here goes.<br />
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In my mind, I like to think of math workshop as being "ways to give as many students as possible JUST RIGHT instruction for as many minutes per day as possible". Does that work for you?<br />
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If so, then we have to be mindful of how we do that. right? Some of our best intentions often go south, so today I'm going to share with you 5 ways that you can plan your instruction to try to get students in that "math zone" as often as possible. You will notice--each strategy has pros and cons. We need to make professional decisions based on the math content, our students' knowledge, and countless other factors. Let's see what you think.<br />
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By the way...if you want a freebie that has all the images from this post to help you with your own planning, here you go!<br />
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<h3>
Whole Class Math Instruction</h3>
First of all, I want to give the disclaimer that "whole class" instruction is NOT the whole class instruction I had growing up! There are no podiums or lectures involved! Instead, students are given some meaningful instruction and then are immersed in a task or set of problems/activities. The teacher then circulates and coaches. Students may be working alone, in pairs, or some other collaborative combination. In order to be successful, the task has to be within reach of all students or small groups--whether that be through the instruction, differentiation, tools (like calculators), or through intervention on the teacher's part.<br />
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This can also be an extremely effective strategy when presenting content that is new for all students...a new concept that students need to be immersed in as an introductory lesson or meant to trigger discussion. A perfect example of an activity that is perfect whole class instruction is my <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-Sorts-Bundle-Math-Activities-to-Deepen-Understanding-and-Math-Discourse-2550979">math </a><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-Sorts-Bundle-Math-Activities-to-Deepen-Understanding-and-Math-Discourse-2550979">concept sorts</a>. My goal as a teacher is that I WANT to be the observer and coach so I can see what my students know and what misconceptions they have.<br />
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Splitting the Class in Half</h3>
There are times when trying to keep the attention of 24 students is simply impossible. Splitting the class in half and teaching the lesson twice might be just the ticket! The beauty of this is the flexibility. You can teach the exact same lesson twice and just have a smaller, more focused group OR you can teach the lesson at two different levels so students are challenged at just the right level and just the right pace.<br />
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Remember, when doing two groups, there is no rule that says each "half" needs to get the same amount of time. I frequently teach the lesson to my more capable learners in about half the time I spend with the other group. You can also bring out different tools or scaffolds for the group who needs it--so a win/win for all. Be mindful of what you have the students who are NOT with you do...we don't want to fill their time with busywork or off-level work. It's a perfect time for collaborative problem solving, computation fluency work, or other "just right" practice.<br />
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<h3>
Math Centers and Stations</h3>
Well, here we go. "Centers". "Stations". "Math workshop". This instructional strategy involves grouping students (either by ability or not) to rotate through a number of different activities--one with instruction from the teacher. Ideally, this instruction is tailored to the needs of the small group--or there really is no value in the rotations, right?<br />
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Here's the deal. Whether we set up 3, 4, or 5 stations, the simple truth is that students are under direct supervision of the teacher for only a small percentage of the math block. That means students need to be doing MEANINGFUL, on-task work for a large percentage of their math class. This requires a great deal of planning. We know we have many, many different ability levels in our classes, and creating meaningful "just right" centers for all of them is a challenge, indeed.<br />
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So if we can create meaningful work at these stations, we also do need to make sure that student behavior creates an atmosphere conducive to quality work. Since students are only getting direct instruction for one rotation, the teacher must be completely free of managing those other groups. This takes a great deal of time up front to make sure the groups function well, know expectations, and can manage them without teacher assistance. When they work well--this can be a great way for teachers to really tailor instruction...but we must be mindful that students aren't wasting 75% of their math time doing centers that aren't "just right" or where behavior interferes with productivity.<br />
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<h3>
Math Minilessons and Focus Groups</h3>
This organizational strategy is a nice combination strategy...it allows the teacher to teach a focused minilesson to the class and then tailor the instruction AFTER that to different groups of students. Here's an example...let's say I wanted to explicitly teach the strategy "draw a picture". I could do some modeling with the entire class...show my thinking...maybe even have students work in partners to try a similar problem.<br />
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After that, I could pull small groups to work on that very skill--but at different levels. Again, like with the "half and half" strategy...there is no rule that says that these focus groups need to be equal lengths of time. For some of my better problem solvers, I might start with a challenge problem to watch them work, listen to strategies, coach on organization and precision issues, and then send them off to try some more on their own or in partners.<br />
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For a group of students needing more, I could use much simpler problems, walk through them more slowly, model in different ways, and keep the students much longer for extra practice and coaching. Like with all the other structures, we just need to make sure the students NOT with us are doing meaningful, independent work!<br />
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<h3>
Math Menus and Checklists</h3>
When the instruction you really need to do is one on one or small group work...using a menu or checklist can be an amazing strategy to really free you up for an entire math block. I especially like to use this toward the end of a unit when students are working toward fluency with the different skills and maybe even have some longer term projects underway like <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Project-Based-Learning-Math-Problem-Solving-BUNDLE-PBL-1843282">Project Based Learning </a><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Project-Based-Learning-Math-Problem-Solving-BUNDLE-PBL-1843282">Thinker Tasks</a> which can be a meaningful way to spend some work time. Sometimes I'll even have the students working on some of my <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-Assessment-Grade-4-1783396">alternative assessment options</a> to keep them really doing meaningful work. I can then circulate and coach...pull intervention groups...reteach...or whatever else I need to do to make sure all my students are getting what they need.<br />
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So there you have it! Although this certainly doesn't cover what my math block looks like EVERY day, it gives you a little glimpse into some of the deliberate structures I use to really maximize the time students spend working on meaningful math--and to make sure I feel as effective as possible with all the different needs in my class.</div>
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So....that's it! Seven posts that I hope have given you some food for thought this summer as you move into your school year. </div>
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<b>Have you missed the other posts in this series?</b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.theteacherstudio.com/2018/06/refine-your-math-instruction-in-7-steps.html">Click HERE</a> for the introductory post.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.theteacherstudio.com/2018/06/crafting-yearly-math-content-plan.html">Click HERE</a> for Challenge 1 (yearly planning)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.theteacherstudio.com/2018/06/6-tips-for-creating-classroom-culture.html">Click HERE</a> for Challenge 2 (math talk and mindset)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.theteacherstudio.com/2018/06/word-problems-problem-solving-and-tips.html">Click HERE</a> for Challenge 3 (word problems and problem solving)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.theteacherstudio.com/2018/07/organizing-your-classroom-designing.html">Click HERE</a> for Challenge 4 (math organization)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.theteacherstudio.com/2018/07/planning-for-meaningful-math-assessment.html">Click HERE</a> for Challenge 5 (math assessment)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.theteacherstudio.com/2018/07/providing-quality-math-problem-solving.html">Click HERE</a> for Challenge 6 (meaningful problem solving)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">Did you miss signing up for the FB group? <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/teacherstudiosummerchallenge/">CLICK HERE</a>! </span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;">(And make sure to answer the screener questions!)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: medium;">Want to pin this post for later? Here you go!</span><br />
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<br />The Teacher Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04936657056940797588noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072938188438508721.post-71284275644391673782018-07-18T15:13:00.003-05:002018-08-07T18:41:34.130-05:00Providing Quality Math Problem Solving ExperiencesA few challenges ago, I talked pretty extensively about problem solving as it related to word problems with tips and suggestions and food for thought. Today I want to talk about problem solving "experiences" that are NOT word problems so that we can adjust our thinking and plan for meaningful math instruction. So here we go...some ideas to get you thinking about problem solving!<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-Challenges-High-Level-Addition-and-Subtraction-Computation-Activities-1477782"><img alt="Finding quality math problem solving experiences can be challenging. We want students to have a growth mindset, be able to do activities and worksheets with rigor and deep thinking. We want students to be able to solve real-world problems that get them making connections between math concepts. Third grade math, fourth grade math, fifth grade math, problem solving, algebraic thinking, fast finishers, math challenge, math workshop, guided math" border="0" data-original-height="584" data-original-width="1119" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgc6lUkp1XFboyqdNdv8sLToZONs0sAdCNVr6Y_rT4-rZkHlxzwXI1ItBw75-qkPv-wZyc5l_cHNhZI5HxdyD2g79UtzXsnz1hicwllbfqV75bqMzaU4rV1f678vpzdcvtdr88wlkjq8o/s640/summer+challenge+header+post+6+problem+solving+experiences.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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Presenting math problems and concepts in new ways</h3>
As defined by the NCTM (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics), problem solving is:<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">"The term "problem solving" refers to mathematical tasks that have the potential to provide intellectual challenges for enhancing students' mathematical understanding and development."</span><br />
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When using that definition, it's easy to see that word problems are no the only way to help students achieve this state of "intellectual challenge". In fact, one thing I like to consider when planning math experiences for my students is simply to try to engage them in a concept in a new, different way. So often math series do just the opposite in their attempt to help students know what to do...they might have a task in one lesson, then do a similar task in a follow up lesson (perhaps with larger numbers) and so on.<br />
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Instead, I feel we really need to ask students to USE the math they are teaching, to practice in different ways, and to make as many neural connections as they can while they work. What this does NOT mean is explicitly teaching a rainbow of different strategies. It simply means that we allow students to do math in different contexts. Let's take simple computation as an example.<br />
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When we want students to learn to add, subtract, multiply, and divide, we have a number of different strategies we can use to help them. We build deep understanding through manipulatives, number lines, picture models, and so on. Once students have deep conceptual understanding, we want them to work toward fluent and accurate work. This can be done with practice pages, games, and so on.<br />
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Take a peek at how these different activities ask students to use their brain in different ways as they work toward fluency.<br />
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This is one of my favorites...totally computation--but forces students to estimate, reason, think, and persevere. I put it up as a bulletin board, but you don't have to...everything students need is right on the reproducibles. Each set has 5 challenges, and each challenge has 2 parts for differentiation...and then there are bonus challenges at the end. TONS of practice but really asks students to use their brains in different ways. It's a challenge--but students love it!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjagXOhxccvcC53FSFlBaGTHPU8xQTFIHS_IKgmWupylHS_GNNoSmxJij5aEePaRZ-BXEk-maYPW4S7wW5DfqEfWdjeLou6toSpbLstyWvLAiOXPrGYiq_ifdoT9W2v0u9wrJYEotGT30A/s1600/mind+boggling+math+original+new+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Finding quality math problem solving experiences can be challenging. We want students to have a growth mindset, be able to do activities and worksheets with rigor and deep thinking. We want students to be able to solve real-world problems that get them making connections between math concepts. Third grade math, fourth grade math, fifth grade math, problem solving, algebraic thinking, fast finishers, math challenge, math workshop, guided math" border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjagXOhxccvcC53FSFlBaGTHPU8xQTFIHS_IKgmWupylHS_GNNoSmxJij5aEePaRZ-BXEk-maYPW4S7wW5DfqEfWdjeLou6toSpbLstyWvLAiOXPrGYiq_ifdoT9W2v0u9wrJYEotGT30A/s320/mind+boggling+math+original+new+cover.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
This little video clip shows another way to get students working on computational fluency in a new and creative way. It forces them to really think about numbers and number combinations. I use this several times a year in different ways to get them really deep ways. See what you think!<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-Challenges-High-Level-Addition-and-Subtraction-Computation-Activities-1477782"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmpVcCoF__VU1JxEZb_pORN0LCIVIxKgiU4RBsj6dWi0afuZy5q1Ri5nmHiiseesCboMlT8XTKPLzXnrW9IPEZwkYqGkMOherEyNawqKbypLHZPhTb4bxIj_7nwL10D0_-04ivr4bhJl4/s320/precision+practice+resource+30+second+video+preview.mov" width="320" /></a></div>
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Another set of problems I use throughout the year is this one...these problems require students to draw from different strategies they have learned and to really just dig in and TRY. I love having them share their strategies and solutions with the "learning poster" component that I've included. </div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Problem-Solving-Teaching-Perseverance-and-Math-Practices-997255"><img alt="Finding quality math problem solving experiences can be challenging. We want students to have a growth mindset, be able to do activities and worksheets with rigor and deep thinking. We want students to be able to solve real-world problems that get them making connections between math concepts. Third grade math, fourth grade math, fifth grade math, problem solving, algebraic thinking, fast finishers, math challenge, math workshop, guided math" border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjThLWKuYyk-hON0-Q9S3F1tLaS_56oyHl49Y9oTs483lhyS5fpW5s9BioJ4GvhVD47H1BGKfIFx6I8zUbvnDPTfZutx_3PLi9oFvb2Ehpo4yB5bUIiMp2C9FS5l58wK3UKE0a-O_6Qk-0/s320/perseverance+problems+new+cover.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
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Using open ended math tasks to build engagement and sustained math focus</h3>
Another type of problem-solving activity I like to use involves what I call "open ended tasks". These tasks are meant to last a class period or more, can be done independently or in pairs or groups, and can be done at varying levels of sophistication.<br />
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The benefits of these tasks are immeasurable--for the students AND you as a teacher! Here are just a few...<br />
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<li>Students talk about math. A lot.</li>
<li>Students learn there are multiple ways to tackle a problem.</li>
<li>Students practice applying the math they have learned.</li>
<li>Students learn to read critically and look for multistep parts of tasks.</li>
<li>Students learn that there are real-world connections to math.</li>
<li>Students learn to sustain math thinking over extended periods of time ("stamina")</li>
<li>Teachers can use this time to watch, notice, and coach.</li>
<li>Teachers can use this time when students are being productive to pull individuals or small groups--either to work on the task at hand or other skills needing intervention.</li>
<li>Teachers can tell whether math concepts that have been taught are transferring to unique tasks.</li>
<li>Teachers can help students prepare for standardized tests where they will see "novel" tasks and need to use their toolbox of strategies to solve them.</li>
<li>Teachers can help build excitement for math.</li>
<li>Teachers can help students develop growth mindsets and perseverance with challenging tasks.</li>
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Here are a few examples of the kinds of tasks I'm talking about. I use these ALL year long in my class and love them for all the reasons listed above. The first one has 18 tasks that are perfect for one day lessons or for fast finishers. They range from focusing on basic computation (addition, subtraction, money) to more sophisticated concepts like area/perimeter and measurement and more. Directions are simple...students can work alone or collaborative...and they totally free me up to coach and work with students. (Added bonus--awesome and easy for sub planning!)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoZJqZDW1xXOfRIWu0LEft9Kd4FZgGnZ5AmyeXb-7kc6do90JIr_fTRApXv3R_qXGNvhGp-kSDmG72RxCWWf8WdvnnaWpM9g2RwletjblnmLKAhR672zKGedg4UZy93GvfK-GTKABjumM/s1600/open+ended+challenge+new+cover+set+1-6+mega+bundle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Finding quality math problem solving experiences can be challenging. We want students to have a growth mindset, be able to do activities and worksheets with rigor and deep thinking. We want students to be able to solve real-world problems that get them making connections between math concepts. Third grade math, fourth grade math, fifth grade math, problem solving, algebraic thinking, fast finishers, math challenge, math workshop, guided math" border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoZJqZDW1xXOfRIWu0LEft9Kd4FZgGnZ5AmyeXb-7kc6do90JIr_fTRApXv3R_qXGNvhGp-kSDmG72RxCWWf8WdvnnaWpM9g2RwletjblnmLKAhR672zKGedg4UZy93GvfK-GTKABjumM/s320/open+ended+challenge+new+cover+set+1-6+mega+bundle.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC1OWnxBDkeXFYWDUIcWhQoRWRHzAd4Rv3ZhB2yvT_-KkANQRBp7X44oRJ3xdm0FCSqc3KqPIJMO6Zsc6YSN3Osh5xJKvP1ovYH_7Tow55CwpI5HHoqzWxd_CTV_ulOcaABI6il7jpNRA/s1600/thinker+task+bundle+cover+new.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Finding quality math problem solving experiences can be challenging. We want students to have a growth mindset, be able to do activities and worksheets with rigor and deep thinking. We want students to be able to solve real-world problems that get them making connections between math concepts. Third grade math, fourth grade math, fifth grade math, problem solving, algebraic thinking, fast finishers, math challenge, math workshop, guided math, PBL, project based learning" border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC1OWnxBDkeXFYWDUIcWhQoRWRHzAd4Rv3ZhB2yvT_-KkANQRBp7X44oRJ3xdm0FCSqc3KqPIJMO6Zsc6YSN3Osh5xJKvP1ovYH_7Tow55CwpI5HHoqzWxd_CTV_ulOcaABI6il7jpNRA/s320/thinker+task+bundle+cover+new.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
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The second one involves seven more complex tasks...they are differentiated so students can work at different levels, but these tasks are designed to take place over multiple days. In fact, I have them divided into sections so that you can use some or all of each one...and some students may do more than others. I want them digging in and doing math, writing about math, and then there are a ton of extension activities suggested as well. I love these for students to do during math workshop when they are not working with me because they get totally engaged and don't NEED ME! I tried to write tasks on real-world concepts I thought they would like, and I use one of these tasks about every month of the year.<br />
<h3>
Increasing algebraic thinking and number sense</h3>
One thing I have learned over my twenty-sixish years in the classroom is that we don't spend enough time on number sense and we don't immerse students in algebraic thinking experiences nearly enough.<br />
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I think the number sense concept is talked about more often. We need to immerse our students in number talks, using number lines (I have a ton of posts and resources to help with this!), and helping students develop a deep understanding of how our place value system works.<br />
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What we don't talk about enough is algebraic thinking and how students need to be flexible with numbers and equations--understanding concepts like "equal", recognizing patterns, and knowing how to flexibly "halve" and "double" things--all concepts critical to algebra work in later grades.<br />
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This can be accomplished in many ways...but one of my favorite things to do from the very first day of school is work on the concept of equal. I have an entire blog post where I talk more about algebraic thinking if you are interested, and you can <a href="http://www.theteacherstudio.com/2015/11/what-does-equal-mean.html">CLICK HERE</a> to check it out.<br />
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One of the tasks I mention in it is one of the first math questions I give at the beginning of the year...and it really helps me take the temperature of my class and their understanding. See how many write "12". See how many write "15". See if any write "9". It is so telling about how we present number sentences to children from an early age. Anyway--I would encourage you to check out that blog post linked above for more thoughts about incorporating this kind of thinking. The card below is from a set of task cards I use under my document camera for this very purpose (they get WAY more complex as they go!)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPwV5OfeS6ycxrNgpbpYOh-tJ_hMIHd51NI3g98j9sUuzVbfQLy8pM2xeNCttt8-Y-BhzMQEpPSKR20SN3lMmaVu2VpKQdO9_7kzEU0l7yztQOvNIQLF7rZEklDv4FlPc7fVbTPpU8n4M/s1600/Slide3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Finding quality math problem solving experiences can be challenging. We want students to have a growth mindset, be able to do activities and worksheets with rigor and deep thinking. We want students to be able to solve real-world problems that get them making connections between math concepts. Third grade math, fourth grade math, fifth grade math, problem solving, algebraic thinking, fast finishers, math challenge, math workshop, guided math" border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPwV5OfeS6ycxrNgpbpYOh-tJ_hMIHd51NI3g98j9sUuzVbfQLy8pM2xeNCttt8-Y-BhzMQEpPSKR20SN3lMmaVu2VpKQdO9_7kzEU0l7yztQOvNIQLF7rZEklDv4FlPc7fVbTPpU8n4M/s400/Slide3.JPG" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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I also have a set of math concept sorts that I use to help with algebraic thinking as well as lots and lots of pattern work. Even being selective about the kinds of word problems we choose--making sure the "variable" moves and we aren't always looking for the end result. I've linked a few resources below...see what you think!<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Algebraic-Thinking-Changing-Variable-Word-Problem-Collection-Grade-2-3-1342412"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjogI0akZO7GgRr_3tOUSSxNATdYV-FE8lfnu9ndEkd-SDZy6JwW7rMMTSE4uyHLEoP34IoGB3777UiAHDwmvXkOocOpqT4PHDWuYICT5W_n9RxmkXz7Jp8rQXXn-QcxbpxM-aJSQr0aHA/s200/Slide1.JPG" width="150" /></a><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-Concept-Sorts-5-Algebra-Thinking-Sorts-for-Fourth-Grade-and-Fifth-Grade-1282487"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXqDOUG310A8fdhXPIIJEHNvZ6HoDR-wr-0JtYmiLKu8v2Yc36EoC1dvnIDLLM1MTkU8e3_nMu24GTfFm0Bq3ZE2nMtD5Cv5ilk94c-qQq29jXmsQuZiZ3PPVq8bP-yo_dwfAKvGG3krs/s200/Slide1.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Concept-of-Equals-Algebra-Thinking-Task-Card-SET-2-Grades-4-5-3080101"><img border="0" data-original-height="574" data-original-width="574" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2GDKSL90C38_ndNQnbMuwEEnKou0NAS6rOINN6O5pOKuISzz_j1R9T42C4myzh1LdCPE4WSX3lnxMEnOmBHgQrnX462HFElZwdnm77av_0lnJ83S8AM3p4LPu-fYW0QtihLOM9ZPmjqg/s200/concept+of+equal+task+card+cover+set+2.jpg" width="200" /></a> <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Concept-of-Equals-Algebraic-Thinking-Task-Cards-Grades-3-5-2206970"><img border="0" data-original-height="574" data-original-width="574" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnZTDnw-wGA5JjxcHKKZsbAA6np-HTjd8qpAyYnanPMM1NoioN9HPaPqywOmswO2jZ76mnZNkxXczo1LazUWV3LtpnPnumhxxFZyEh4DMpE6P-R4U1lJfgrGkFboCnL1GS_w94SXiWZxg/s200/concept+of+equal+task+card+cover.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Algebraic-Thinking-Balancing-Equation-Problem-Solving-Task-Cards-2787290"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-0t3Qfd-s6IF3tj0ePCBIOW6HcAmQsXvrkIh7fO0J8HJIt3kgPeJE109RJFnnmiiKUlPSgPVuKf0VJcLQxjoWiNWdlfDZ7WrCcEe894I1J8a4surlyP9KG8BfnArxT61TBw-3MXdZ5zY/s200/algebra+thinking+balance+task+cards+mobiles+new+cover.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Algebraic-Thinking-Balancing-Bubbles-Problem-Solving-Task-Cards-3675282"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGO1fvF3j271ztOTLXCUk2oWRSz9BDjQ4iWI2F2sCl21ZKT0cXuzUA5-hrawIKUs-EFZr2mywfRetBvEvPo9yWy8OPy8lGeYbC-sQfU87UHx5_-zOq-7jTeNkbSaPCgvuWNe0IS5O_RGI/s200/algebra+thinking+balancing+bubbles+new+cover.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<h3>
Making math more "real world"</h3>
Another way to help students think more deeply about math is to make sure we are giving them real world math to do! I thought I'd throw out a couple of suggestions for ways to keep students engaged in the process and excited to dig in. See what you think!<br />
<ul>
<li>Use student names whenever you can...it keeps them engaged and makes it meaningful.</li>
<li>Get to know your students' interests--especially your reluctant ones--and use that information when writing or selecting problems. I had a HUGE sports crowd in my class last year so I used a ton of sports examples.</li>
<li>Find things in your OWN life to use. Check out this freebie below--it's an example of an easy way to use "real world" math. This was at an apple orchard...but you could do SO many things like it.</li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/A-Trip-to-the-Orchard-Problem-Solving-Freebie-Grades-3-5-905807"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjty3WseaEpRq_3D2r9ssMoHBdBTYP_3ngN0tqBg3NF0KiOyCewPvSQsLEa2OQ9RbOOH78QX3ZT0__Q_A7EVyI6-2D8bNHjzJdr-EKmBJo6hbfIgrGtGJJZeY5Fv6muJi8YT2F1Q02Hoo8/s320/apple+orchard+freebie+new+cover.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li>Find meaningful math around your school...students per class. Length of lunch hours. Minutes of recess. Students CARE about math that touches their lives.</li>
<li>Have students create their own word problems on a topic they enjoy or love...favorite foods, sports, hobbies, and so on. Great for sharing with the class!</li>
</ul>
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Do you want a freebie to help you do some reflecting on these ideas? Here you go!</div>
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<script async="" id="_ck_437732" src="https://forms.convertkit.com/437732?v=7"></script>
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<b>Have you missed the other posts in this series?</b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.theteacherstudio.com/2018/06/refine-your-math-instruction-in-7-steps.html">Click HERE</a> for the introductory post.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.theteacherstudio.com/2018/06/crafting-yearly-math-content-plan.html">Click HERE</a> for Challenge 1 (yearly planning)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.theteacherstudio.com/2018/06/6-tips-for-creating-classroom-culture.html">Click HERE</a> for Challenge 2 (math talk and mindset)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.theteacherstudio.com/2018/06/word-problems-problem-solving-and-tips.html">Click HERE</a> for Challenge 3 (word problems and problem solving)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.theteacherstudio.com/2018/07/organizing-your-classroom-designing.html">Click HERE</a> for Challenge 4 (math organization)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.theteacherstudio.com/2018/07/planning-for-meaningful-math-assessment.html">Click HERE</a> for Challenge 5 (math assessment)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.theteacherstudio.com/2018/07/providing-quality-math-problem-solving.html">Click HERE</a> for Challenge 6 (meaningful problem solving)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">Did you miss signing up for the FB group? <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/teacherstudiosummerchallenge/">CLICK HERE</a>! </span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;">(And make sure to answer the screener questions!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: medium;">Rather pin this for later?</span><br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-Challenges-High-Level-Addition-and-Subtraction-Computation-Activities-1477782"><img alt="Finding quality math problem solving experiences can be challenging. We want students to have a growth mindset, be able to do activities and worksheets with rigor and deep thinking. We want students to be able to solve real-world problems that get them making connections between math concepts. Third grade math, fourth grade math, fifth grade math, problem solving, algebraic thinking, fast finishers, math challenge, math workshop, guided math" border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="768" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9BV08AEm2Bz4tjWJ5pYmhAiMv65Krqq4Nb4XF-XE9gy9kClfDqa8FHj7owX9VZiRo0ccY4xMgBZAHK8itHGtmmh6s6zo56yhqSgQZpaC7fgTMGiLMLF7ffUvhrg2k5FlBrJ2FLvlRXMo/s640/summer+challenge+pin+6+problem+solving+experiences.jpg" title="" width="426" /></a></div>
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The Teacher Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04936657056940797588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072938188438508721.post-55829239642536541022018-07-12T16:26:00.003-05:002018-08-07T19:34:26.752-05:00Planning for Meaningful Math Assessment"Planning for assessment" is a phrase that we might not use that often. PLANNING for instruction? Isn't it just something we DO? I think a proactive approach to assessment leads to better instruction, less stress, and more efficient use of our time. I want to bring up some different topics related to assessment as food for thought.<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Formative-Assessment-Toolbox-BUNDLE-3349187"><img border="0" data-original-height="584" data-original-width="1119" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvRZOqQGM2b9wKrenn1FvSjc8i6zxL9Rr2BGE4XBamRx_WWgUL6-hYZI1nhoVjdzj_GpYUXuw0na1nRDWC3SEDrAp9OSIbXFR_EOGSBXy1qpsyaTdKN64LKiEv_8QvUSwDd-Uh6iasNYE/s640/summer+challenge+header+post+5+assessment.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<h3>
Math Content Assessment</h3>
We all know that we need to measure how well students are learning the content we are teaching. If our standards dictate that students need to be able to "round numbers through hundred thousands to a given place", then we have to have the tools by which we check for that math understanding.<br />
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Often math series, if used, have this type of assessment--in varying degrees of quality. Here are some points to ponder!<br />
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<ul>
<li>Do your content assessments ask students to showcase their understanding in more than one way, with more than one or two problems, and in multiple attempts? (So often series only provide end-of-unit assessments and many standards are measured with maybe one or two questions)</li>
<li>Are many of the questions multiple choice or matching? Do students have to actually DO the math to get questions right or could your data be inaccurate because students can guess or narrow down the answers because of how they are written?</li>
<li>Do the assessments really tackle the content at the level or depth of understanding needed to really show they have learned it?</li>
<li>Are there opportunities to measure understanding throughout the unit or just at the end?</li>
</ul>
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After you have studied what you have available to you to help you measure student learning, then you can begin to craft a plan to fill in the missing parts. For me, I am not provided enough assessment to help me feel confident that I know where my students are with their learning, so I am always needing to supplement.</div>
<h3>
Math Practice Standards and Student Self-Assessment</h3>
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Whether or not you GRADE the standards for mathematical practice (more on that later!), I do think it's important for us to be not only tuned in to our students' math content understanding, but the math practices as well--and that we are making that public to them! Students can only hit a target that they can see, so we need to make these math practices visible and meaningful.<br />
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<b>I have found a few things to be true.</b><br />
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<ul>
<li>Students often don't realize how important math "behaviors" and practice are to their learning.</li>
<li>They often feel that speed and accuracy are the most important components of math work.</li>
<li>Students often overgeneralize--they don't realize how complex math is and we need to help them realize their strengths and goal area.</li>
<li>Students need help finding ways to meaure their own progress and successes.</li>
</ul>
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There are so many ways to help with these things...from full class discussions to 1:1 conferences with students, to anchor charts and checklists. I spend a great deal of time at the beginning of the year to help students understand the standards for mathematical practice...to break them into student-friendly terms, and to work on math that allows them to practice them and reflect on them. We make anchor charts, look at student work, and more! I use these assessment checklists as well to help students understand how complicated the practices are--and to realize that they may, indeed, be doing PART of the standard and that they can they identify smaller areas to set goals and make improvements. Just click <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Common-Core-Math-Practice-Standards-Self-Assessment-Checklists-3224089">HERE</a> or the image below for more details.</div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Common-Core-Math-Practice-Standards-Self-Assessment-Checklists-3224089"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0W4QauTSu9TJaNGzyaR62TwZ_EQ6lrlt80SQc-lyeKgqGLtIQRmyKJ-Rjdyd6wKLIkhvQPo1gK3v8HytZL0V3NBmU0ZiIKLrpbwfhQbn3PFcPwc_qqwr5rhZTI4iXteTuh757j3GR3hU/s320/standards+for+mathematical+practice+self+assessment+cover.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<h3>
Formative Assessment</h3>
As I alluded to earlier, I am huge believer in formative assessment. I don't EVER want to get to an end-of-unit assessment and be shocked at how a student performs. A few nuggets to think about as you plan for your formative assessment:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Formative assessment doesn't have to be all paper and pencil (see "Observation")</li>
<li>You do not need to only assess what you taught that day. Bring back concepts from weeks earlier to check for understanding.</li>
<li>Try doing an "entrance" slip when students walk in the door and use that information to group students.</li>
<li>No need to grade and score all assessments...as students turn them in, sort them into "Got it!", "Maybe" and "Oh my!" to help you know who to work with later.</li>
<li>Thumbs up/thumbs down can give you a quick "check"--as long as you have built the culture where students are comfortable admitting that they are stumped</li>
<li>Student self-assessment can be formative as well!</li>
<li>One way to informally assess students is to make an optional "coaching session" for students wanting help...students can self-select (or be placed by you!) into this review group.</li>
<li>Be mindful that you don't simply mimic the questions on the end-of-unit assessment. Present things in as many different ways as you can and make students really show they understand!</li>
</ul>
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I use lots of different "tools" to help with formative assessment, but I seriously couldn't do my job without print exit and entrance slips. I've use many from this bundle which has slips for 6 key math areas. I try to print them before I teach the unit and use throughout the unit and then even AFTER the unit to make sure students are retaining the concepts taught. Click the image below if you are interested.</div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Formative-Assessment-Toolbox-BUNDLE-3349187"><img border="0" data-original-height="574" data-original-width="574" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbCCfjF3Uohe4mgcCV9UfHSlv_JccxnXram7Q70kLROWiwclXkCDY5WCs-3P40GoMKAuO5ScWsnZqzQW9idlYxTNckX9b8fssAdPxYfB1wmCQ0t0N3X78uP7gk3y75kgyVTe-ser1jeno/s320/formative+assessment+bundle+cover.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Sometimes I want to assess something in a different way (or in a different subject!), so I use these to make my own! I make a copy of the page I want...write in my content, and then make copies!<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Using-Exit-and-Entrance-Slips-to-Guide-Instruction-BUNDLE-821305"><img border="0" data-original-height="574" data-original-width="574" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5KoXLQU47Dj2z9El0eeFLbH0yed0K-D18f4gI1hBdAfG8Ala5F_syqFKtjuv2LyYJj9rpl1Qms62u8O-jNMzT54agkmvmP2TJiPikEbw5oPFgBTtKm7F97TyOuLHvYmFNiWrRdPcwpGM/s320/exit+entrance+slip+bundle+cover.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<h3>
Observation</h3>
I think it's really important that we realize that assessment doesn't need to be written down. A huge percentage of what I learn about students happens as I watch, listen, ask, and notice. In order to get good information about students and their thinking, we need to put students in situations where they will do the type of work we want to see.<br />
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If we want to see if they can compute accurately, we can give them a page of problems to do. If we want to see how they think, how they process, how they explain, or where they go wrong--we need to get them doing rigorous work so we can see how they tackle it.<br />
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This work can be done as a part of a whole class activity...in a small group...as a center that we are facilitating, as we walk around and coach. This is really the BEST kind of assessment because we can intervene at the time of difficulty rather than wait for students to struggle with misunderstandings that they then show us on paper later.<br />
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One of the trickiest parts about assessing in this way is record keeping. There are a ton of different ideas out there for tracking your anecdotal notes--but before you stress out about how much work this is, let me just ask a question.<br />
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<b>Is this information you will need to remember later?</b><br />
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If it is...then you will need to find a way to document it. You can use sticky notes. A Google doc. A spiral notebook. Whatever works for you...but keep in mind that good teaching involves constant assessing...so be mindful that spending more time writing down what you see than COACHING what you see isn't, in my opinion, the best use of time. Instead, use your time and energy to refine your observation skills--and I hope the freebie I'm sharing with you below will help you with this!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="giphy-embed" frameborder="0" height="480" src="https://giphy.com/embed/CW27AW0nlp5u0" width="480"></iframe></div>
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<a href="https://giphy.com/gifs/laughing-smiling-30-rock-CW27AW0nlp5u0">via GIPHY</a></div>
<br />Depth of Understanding</h3>
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When we are looking to assess student understanding, I feel I would be remiss if I didn't ask you to do some reflecting on the types of problems, questions, and tasks you are giving your students. If we ask students to fill in the blank on a problem like this, does this tell you how well students understand equivalent fractions? If they can answer 2 of these? 8 of these? Will you be convinced that they understand the concept of equivalence? What other questions might help you really determine how deeply they understand equivalent fractions?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEoFqNNe3oYu5mfgcw1mopQBRB1oc7hKl3VdXe8ruwRTMSs6s_JlPAND-tZNX-B6FM-qcwilk4o9Foh-R7Rhe8iKQLg2_LH_bdVUOtFqi4dHHKL3H2OyQRSrdSs_G8jkst5n53uLhyphenhyphenro4/s1600/image+for+blog+post+5+equivalent+fractions.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="584" data-original-width="1119" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEoFqNNe3oYu5mfgcw1mopQBRB1oc7hKl3VdXe8ruwRTMSs6s_JlPAND-tZNX-B6FM-qcwilk4o9Foh-R7Rhe8iKQLg2_LH_bdVUOtFqi4dHHKL3H2OyQRSrdSs_G8jkst5n53uLhyphenhyphenro4/s640/image+for+blog+post+5+equivalent+fractions.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>What about a question like this:</b><br />
There were two pans of brownies at the baseball picnic. P The coach cut each pan of brownies into equal portions. Jamal had 2 portions from one pan, while Daniel took 4 portions from the other pan. They both took the same amount of brownies. How is this possible?<br />
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<b>Or this:</b><br />
Write two fractions that are equivalent. Prove they are equivalent using at least three different methods. Explain your thinking with words and pictures.<br />
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<b>Or this:</b><br />
Sam said 4/5 and 9/10 are equivalent because each fraction is one piece away from a "whole". Is he right? Explain your thinking.<br />
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Or how about a combination of all of them! My point is this...if most of your assessment tasks are asking students to fill in a blank, generate an answer, or come up with a computational response, it might be time to do some research about how to assess students at a deeper level. (NOTE: Many students will put the number "6" in that white box because it is a logical guess...it doesn't in any way guarantee they understand equivalency.)<br />
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Another way to assess the depth of student understanding is to give them a much more open-ended assessment option. I use these throughout the year...and it really helps me see if student understanding is superficial or more in depth. I have a blog post where I show more about if you are interested--just <a href="http://www.upperelementarysnapshots.com/2015/03/out-of-box-math-assessment.html">CLICK HERE</a>. The image below will take you to my fourth grade assessment set if you want ot check them out!<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-Assessment-Grade-4-1783396"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYh3fTOUEw3ugAi9AlhOIK1T5Fu4ro6cCxNVq-9h2ebJX1n0RTbR5l-3fXG-R3hlzNZkaUlEr0L71aXfAD8vLsaSjvjpqiIPR6tik5sdeRi-gyK6H08ne7mQmTpNX6llXb8qnapSzRoO4/s400/Slide1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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(Or click HERE for <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Out-of-the-Box-Constructivist-Math-Assessments-for-Grade-3-CCSS-Compatible-1783462">third grade</a> or <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Out-of-the-Box-Constructivist-Math-Assessments-for-Grade-5-CCSS-Compatible-1817326">fifth grade</a>) </div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-Assessment-Grade-4-1783396"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCcRgE0AFGroLnTYdH2ejOnId4ZZlus3HnkMiMCUOYmLINNETukwJB9lrt9YKNp26o1dDXu9ji85ZuPq1WyRYqsWjuDd54PsY6zAVBioRS5qemUVeV80l2rqERnfG2DRaimQxvoM8FU10/s640/Slide5.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<h3>
Assessment and Grading</h3>
I just want to preface this section by making it clear that assessment and grading are related but not equivalent. I think the terms are sometimes used interchangeably--and shouldn't be. We use assessment as teachers to help us understand how our students are doing--and for students to assess how they are doing.<br />
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We also need to be cognizant that we DO have to report out--in some format. Whether we have to be ready to talk to parents at conferences, do report cards--or even just send parents an email, we must be able to take the information we observe and collect to make our decisions, to communicate to families and students about how students are progressing.<br />
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A few hints:<br />
<ul>
<li>Remember that finding "averages" of scores doesn't necessarily show where students are NOW.</li>
<li>Often, scores mean very little to parents, so finding ways to EXPLAIN with comments, checklists, or other more clarifying examples.</li>
<li>Getting students involved with their own assessment and grading makes a difference in how students understand why their grades are what they are.</li>
<li>We want students to understand that grades are a VERY small representation of who they are as students and people!</li>
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I hope this post has gotten you thinking a little bit--and might give you inspiration to make your assessment practices more in-depth and varied.<br />
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<b>Want to grab the freebie to help you with some assessment planning?</b><br />
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<b><br /></b> <b>Looking for more guidance?</b><br />
<script async="" id="_ck_430322" src="https://forms.convertkit.com/430322?v=7"></script> Want to read a post about <a href="http://www.theteacherstudio.com/2016/11/subtraction-observationsthe-power-of.html">observation in math class</a>?<br />
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Want to read a post about <a href="http://www.upperelementarysnapshots.com/2017/07/the-importance-of-student-self.html">student self-assessment</a>?<br />
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How about a post with some <a href="http://www.theteacherstudio.com/2016/04/3-formative-assessmetn-tips-coaching.html#more">formative assessment tips</a>?<br />
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Rather pin this for later?<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Formative-Assessment-Toolbox-BUNDLE-3349187"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="768" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPcgTWxYHRMqiP8vHxZZDgK5UwI1qUQVpaf7oJrTogBRWNyUk7LdpjE94uMTuoS7nJHiEfsqDAT9h8Obv3DCq8riwH53CaXOdrC5YOKbFU7yfamKB6TMJcXcLJEdN-kxBhUgJG8yAJmmI/s640/summer+challenge+blog+post+5+pin.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />The Teacher Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04936657056940797588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072938188438508721.post-90015090412059822372018-07-06T19:00:00.004-05:002018-08-07T19:34:58.616-05:00Organizing Your Classroom: Designing Spaces to Maximize Student Learning<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today I want to talk to you about mindful classroom design and organization--organization that leads to efficient teaching and learning. We often get so caught up in planning lessons and activities that we forget that the space we teach those lessons in can really impact our teaching--and student learning!<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Bright-Ideas-Bundled-Math-Stations-Place-Value-Games-and-Centers-2689925"><img alt="Classroom space planning and classroom organization are critical parts of helping teachers be more efficient and to help students learn. Use these classroom organization tips, anchor chart ideas, math manipulative storage ideas, math game storage ideas, and more! third grade math, fourth grade math, math workshop, math stations, math centers, teaching math, guided math" border="0" data-original-height="584" data-original-width="1119" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJqPQFGIcWZUGG3TnklEWyBOjLb3tMw7ZIhk7S8YRaal44FqsacFUvmCcQqs4qBCDOQ7nP_WQZHyXIzSyq2t5-H7O1j9rjRM4ctxAkJp3fRRy9towBuowd-AiuYTXpaS0ld-hzk9it3vE/s640/summer+challenge+header+challenge+4+image.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
<h3>
Space Planning</h3>
Every classroom is so different--it's hard to give clear direction on this one! I have a few tips to keep in mind.<br />
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<ul>
<li>Consider the role of your teacher desk. I use mine as storage and a place to put my document camera. I don't sit at it. Ever. The last thing I want is to have my students have to interrupt their thinking to come find me--I am moving around to coach THEM. Some people can live without a teacher desk to free up space in their room. I wish that were me. I have too much junk. #truthbomb</li>
<li>Consider carving out multiple "floor spaces". I want my students to have multiple floor spaces to work--whether they are in pairs, trios, or larger groups. When I do a new desk arrangement, I seriously count the number of work spaces I have on the floor to make sure we all have room to function without getting up into each other's business.</li>
<li>Desks in small groups--always. I switch up the number of desks in each group and how they are arranged (last year I had a challenging group, so more students were facing forward in their groups than usual!). I use <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Customizable-Make-Cooperative-Groups-Name-Tags-1400835">cooperative grouping nametags</a> to help me quickly form groups when I need to. We work cooperatively ALL. THE. TIME.</li>
<li>Consider where to put math supplies (more on this below!) to make sure students have easy access.</li>
<li>Make sure all students have easy view of your main teaching area(s) and key anchor charts and displays.</li>
<li>Consider traffic flow. I am huge on transitions (like we practice them) because I cannot stand wasted time. If there are hard-to-navigate areas in the room, streamline them.</li>
<li>Make sure to avoid "hidden" areas where students might get off task when you are working with small groups.</li>
<li>Consider having a crate, bin, cart, or table where you keep your intervention supplies and notes so you aren't digging for things all the time.</li>
<li>Find an easy storage system for games. Bins, crates, those fun rainbow carts--whatever the system, make sure students know how to use it and that it won't interrupt others when they access it. </li>
<li>I'm sure you will have tons of other ideas to share as well!</li>
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Anchor Charts, Walls, and More</h3>
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Streamline your walls</h4>
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One thing I have done more and more as I've gotten more "seasoned" is actually pared down what I put on my walls. I want the items I have posted to be USED, so I don't want a lot of distractions. In the hallways, the sky is the limit! That's where I put student work, projects, and so on--but in my classroom, I keep the walls as learning tools. I have even stopped hanging things from the ceiling to make sure my students can easily refer to my walls. </div>
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Create anchor charts you and students use</h4>
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I firmly believe that anchor charts are meant to be created WITH and FOR students. That being said, I want them to be useful as well. For that reason, I work with students on a "rough draft" anchor chart...then we group things together, cross things out, and so on--and then I recopy it in a neat (well, relatively!) fashion so it's easier to read and understand. I want students to use these charts independently, and I want to be able to send students to them--both for content information AND for expectations on how to function in my class. Here are a few examples of charts that hung in my room last year...and each year I "remake" them with my new group so they are a part of the process--and they evolve along the way!<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Bright-Ideas-Bundled-Math-Stations-Place-Value-Games-and-Centers-2689925"><img alt="Classroom space planning and classroom organization are critical parts of helping teachers be more efficient and to help students learn. Use these classroom organization tips, anchor chart ideas, math manipulative storage ideas, math game storage ideas, and more! third grade math, fourth grade math, math workshop, math stations, math centers, teaching math, guided math" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBRKvVoasPtsI-igE7o6txf66sgWoCQQgTZvLXR89uy8foKCEzJfQSmqp9sZKZdQwu8N53cnGVHcVQBxa_33E-UZgB2vSkCPjKbopbm8UcGeJ9Ibm8aYz17yHZ_ZcbWN_92ETEwF8cziM/s640/Photo+Jul+06%252C+9+50+05+AM.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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Be mindful of bulletin boards and take advantage of that real estate</div>
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Bulletin boards can be great reference tools for our students! I keep up my <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Growth-Mindset-Activities-Lessons-Posters-and-More-2021181">growth mindset bulletin board </a>all year and add to it as we learn new things. I refer to it often--as do the students.<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Growth-Mindset-Activities-Lessons-Posters-and-More-2021181"><img alt="Classroom space planning and classroom organization are critical parts of helping teachers be more efficient and to help students learn. Use these classroom organization tips, anchor chart ideas, math manipulative storage ideas, math game storage ideas, and more! third grade math, fourth grade math, math workshop, math stations, math centers, teaching math, guided math, growth mindset" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzqdFtGoCFhN9upyIjKYqp6fJoTn0Ul9uJku1YsKF8I6plp-E1LnywrkPcUoUhlo7VbPea2hV4GD_mYfVpnX8CTvl-cO-P2XVVTw7vJ0lDJzDcjjrPMB4UAj5TrsZ87jtYs_fQed3A1Ek/s640/Photo+Jul+06%252C+9+52+58+AM.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
Even displaying the Standards for Mathematical Practice posters (in kid-friendly language) is a great way to use bulletin board space--IF you actually use it as a teaching tool. Simply hanging up the posts (or any anchor chart, for that matter) does nothing...we need to refer to these tools, talk about them, and encourage students to use them. Click the image below if you want to check out this poster set (I have several versions in my store to match different room decor!)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh48-TlgdoDUKD3-Zd3dqHdozBG_CuYcILDCafB-O_46cm4N-5IMT-3fevnSdVwqRZVZANWo_QtdnzoAnV3FAMZWyv78LW5m1_wWbKSAAI4k6pxqyOziIzQg-yaYQvdlSNnod0XLrMNcyA/s1600/Slide1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh48-TlgdoDUKD3-Zd3dqHdozBG_CuYcILDCafB-O_46cm4N-5IMT-3fevnSdVwqRZVZANWo_QtdnzoAnV3FAMZWyv78LW5m1_wWbKSAAI4k6pxqyOziIzQg-yaYQvdlSNnod0XLrMNcyA/s400/Slide1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
I'm sure you will think of other great bulletin board ideas that can make a difference in your teaching...whether it's for math or other content. I love displaying other work too--but I want to make sure my classroom is a place for learning and inspiration as much as possible!<br />
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Math Manipulatives and Supplies</h3>
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We want students to be independent "users" of our supplies</h4>
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One thing that I constantly talk about is the need for us, as teachers, to get out of our students' way. We do too much! We think for them...we make decisions for them...and we need to learn to let go. Here's an example.</div>
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Let's say I'm going to be doing a lesson on elapsed time. To help, I put a few Judy clocks at each desk group to help them model their thinking. Great, right?</div>
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Wrong. I did the thinking for them. I essentially said, "This is a problem you need a clock to solve."--but really, it is not.</div>
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Students could draw a sketch. Or make a number line. Or get counters out to represent minutes. Or use a ruler to measure out passed time. Or use fraction circles where a "whole" represents a whole hour. Or maybe they will use tally marks or some sort of computation where they "trade" hours and minutes. It doesn't matter--by giving them clocks, 9 times out of 10--they will use the clocks.</div>
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So...the moral of the story is this. Have a bounty of resources in your classroom. Have them at student-height. Have them available--not in a closet. Teach the students where they are and how to use them. Create the climate where students know they can go grab whatever they need whenever they need it.</div>
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Consider small storage containers or toolboxes</h4>
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One way I help make this happen is to store math manipulatives in easy-to-use containers. Snack sized plastic storage containers are great for individual sets of counters--easy to grab and take back to students' desks with no fuss or hassle. You can use little cubes, fun mini erasers, bingo chips--whatever you can find!<br />
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I also love my toolbox as pictured below:<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Bright-Ideas-Bundled-Math-Stations-Place-Value-Games-and-Centers-2689925"><img alt="Classroom space planning and classroom organization are critical parts of helping teachers be more efficient and to help students learn. Use these classroom organization tips, anchor chart ideas, math manipulative storage ideas, math game storage ideas, and more! third grade math, fourth grade math, math workshop, math stations, math centers, teaching math, guided math" border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS_OeO_omaIXK1hw2eFAhPgEigdaNoiiHT4_KEPoCeDzmEyifhFxBt8K9XEvQugh1UUJGBB0LitILss9AjpAptdBaJCxQw94YdYx0QGNSFszJOvjAazaMe0HYMK_Yvgoq-9v0jsq_MCQQ/s640/Slide2.JPG" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
Each drawer pulls right out and students can take it right to their desk. I fill the drawers with different counters so students can pick what they like!<br />
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All other supplies...pattern blocks, base 10 blocks...rulers...Judy clocks--ALL of it--is on open shelves and ready for students to use when needed. </div>
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Teach students about where things go and how to access them</h4>
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Because of this easy access, I do make sure my students know how to use the tools, where to get them, and HOW TO PUT THEM BACK! This takes some training at the beginning of the year, but it saves so much time eventually because when students find dice on the floor or a ruler--they can just deal with it without interrupting me. #timesaver #sanitysaver<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="giphy-embed" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://giphy.com/embed/NWoJQ8peVE78A" width="480"></iframe><br />
<a href="https://giphy.com/gifs/NWoJQ8peVE78A">via GIPHY</a></div>
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Have stacking trays of different types of paper</h4>
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It's not just math supplies either! Get a stacking tray and fill it with lined paper, white paper, different grid paper, dot paper, blank number lines--anything! Students can realize that paper itself is a tool...and it may inspire them to solve problems in different ways.</div>
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Don't assume students have supplies </h4>
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One thing I didn't think about when I was a younger teacher was that some students may not have supplies. Our supply list has things like rulers, glue sticks, and protractors--but I know not all students come with them--for a variety of reasons. I always have this type of supply on hand in my math area so there is never any embarrassment or need to ask. Again, I want students to be independent and to have access to any tool they need.</div>
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<h3>
Other Organizational Tips and Strategies</h3>
There are other people FAR more organized than I am who can write a better post about classroom organization. That being said, I thought I'd share a few more tips of things that actually seem to improve the quality of instruction (or efficiency) for me.<br />
<h4>
Colored paper in hanging files </h4>
I like to use colored paper to shake things up sometimes...for problems that I have students glue in their notebooks, for directions at stations, or for headings for math sorts. I used to have to go foraging, but by biting the bullet and buying some hanging folders, my beeyooootiful paper is easily within reach at all times.<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Bright-Ideas-Bundled-Math-Stations-Place-Value-Games-and-Centers-2689925"><img alt="Classroom space planning and classroom organization are critical parts of helping teachers be more efficient and to help students learn. Use these classroom organization tips, anchor chart ideas, math manipulative storage ideas, math game storage ideas, and more! third grade math, fourth grade math, math workshop, math stations, math centers, teaching math, guided math" border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="384" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJTh5qPUaK6H9UwEZOwJE7tNaU-g2EFiLkO0gDQDSYWWaI6UQn3WDuHXu8pv2uyGkqFrZAYv9unMWHard1roLfkGZRNnM0PL8thrEw4iG6EVhl02OKNYs1xC-BmDROcAIusB8DZP6PcGs/s640/Slide1.JPG" title="" width="426" /></a></div>
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<h4>
Zipper bags for math games</h4>
I like to use gallon zip bags for my games most of the time because they are so inexpensive and easy to replace. I like that you can write on them--and I even will write what supplies are needed, how many people can play, or other directions.<br />
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For the games I use for interventions, I do put them in these nice bags from Seat Sack. I like that they are oversized, super durable, and have a spot to put a label. These are all the games I have as a part of my bundled math centers...4 games and the labels to go with them! <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Bright-Ideas-Bundled-Math-Stations-Place-Value-Games-and-Centers-2689925">Click here</a> to see what I mean. I love how durable they are and that I can grab what I need and hang it on a tack on the wall next to my table so it's ready for me. They are big enough to put several sets of the game and dice, counters, or whatever is needed.<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Bright-Ideas-Bundled-Math-Stations-Place-Value-Games-and-Centers-2689925"><img alt="Classroom space planning and classroom organization are critical parts of helping teachers be more efficient and to help students learn. Use these classroom organization tips, anchor chart ideas, math manipulative storage ideas, math game storage ideas, and more! third grade math, fourth grade math, math workshop, math stations, math centers, teaching math, guided math" border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="384" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz_TSN0mqFxySrI5w6vk-MBNz9oA05EE8WGjufPsCmNMy4cg9JVMwzOPWcZOj9bTtN82YnOtOxA8Hp2hAt1UY-SgpjsLfzDflIBZreQVpO4WPAZOmeA7cTwGyHAoBl08R0OXeaoDJYO1M/s640/Slide2.JPG" title="" width="426" /></a></div>
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(These are the bundled game sets with labels if you are interested)</div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Bright-Ideas-Bundled-Math-Stations-Structuring-Skills-and-Addition-to-20-2688027"><img border="0" data-original-height="574" data-original-width="574" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWhH-EOsBFGgBFkE_3N9m6NyIZvA1MJn6mq9Qj8EvMVbFshVqb4rabH8x_h6x-6RiR0yk_SqG6jel0r94hak3c9Ak3-RIyzaMf77xOV8KcZudX08xmc-O5HXN19tHPEQgr2UajeNDDb4E/s200/bright+ideas+math+game+bundle+structuring+cover.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Bright-Ideas-Bundled-Math-Stations-Place-Value-Games-and-Centers-2689925"><img border="0" data-original-height="574" data-original-width="574" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwRnvr8ziRBkSObQ6GSi05bDTkYu7fX_4SqS-jQAB2RzS73cZFmg_8ThSq0yPyQ9N1j9fdZMr4wYX3-VmhJmklH4jjljxGZbIM2ue70osS2EnF_2iJPMElbZ14apFnKBvjqhjyvcFr178/s200/math+game+center+bundle+place+value+cover.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Bright-Ideas-Bundled-Math-Stations-Addition-Fact-Fluency-2688145"><img border="0" data-original-height="574" data-original-width="574" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiBEiEVu3CLCEEkWvUc1YIyTRYHmjPAnRV1xF2q4scDl2Z9JJm9qktlrrJ6WxYsipoC7ELHm8iL4gZcVpvksGIMLCikBFVL7q4ed1D2iYNufDWOVbO8Gd_0eltxsjib02RqO6f790dQXE/s200/math+game+bundle+addition+fact+fluency+cover.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<h4>
Premade exit slips and word problems</h4>
Another time saver that REALLY helps me is that for each unit, I print off the word problems and exit slips I want to use, get them cut, clipped together, and marked with a sticky note for the day/lesson I want to use them. Realistically, I don't get through them all which is GREAT! I put the extra word problems in a vertical letter holder to use as warm ups over the next week ( I love to keep using problems as review even when the unit is finished!) and the exit slips in a different one. I am a firm believer in continuing to measure skills--so if we finish our unit on partial products, my students can count on exit slips on partial products sprinkled in for the rest of the year. This is so important as I plan interventions--to makes sure students retain their learning and get reteaching when needed.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvE-3i6Rs2irXgFUG4u5YYDpK2GsSGqcw8Mz4vmTFAnU3c2NNjcyL7YTnnUn3vqUjD6n4AKSiBnQoAOfbbzaC6zyExLZCLnMARx212Ge78NfmlB2PTgROsoYhP5UZekDsxbeM4vQAd-Ek/s1600/Photo+Oct+02%252C+1+25+19+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Classroom space planning and classroom organization are critical parts of helping teachers be more efficient and to help students learn. Use these classroom organization tips, anchor chart ideas, math manipulative storage ideas, math game storage ideas, and more! third grade math, fourth grade math, math workshop, math stations, math centers, teaching math, guided math" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvE-3i6Rs2irXgFUG4u5YYDpK2GsSGqcw8Mz4vmTFAnU3c2NNjcyL7YTnnUn3vqUjD6n4AKSiBnQoAOfbbzaC6zyExLZCLnMARx212Ge78NfmlB2PTgROsoYhP5UZekDsxbeM4vQAd-Ek/s640/Photo+Oct+02%252C+1+25+19+PM.jpg" title="" width="480" /></a></div>
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<h4>
Get a mobile math cart!</h4>
Seriously. I use this cheap piece of plastic ALL. THE. TIME. It stores my whiteboards, a bin of markers and erasers, and then whatever else I want...fraction pieces if I am meeting with a fraction group...task cards if I need those...and I can move it to wherever I want. I often move my "teaching area" around the room based on how much space I need, so it's awesome to be able to relocate this "hub" either to where I am--or far away from me if students NOT working with me need it.<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Bright-Ideas-Bundled-Math-Stations-Place-Value-Games-and-Centers-2689925"><img alt="Classroom space planning and classroom organization are critical parts of helping teachers be more efficient and to help students learn. Use these classroom organization tips, anchor chart ideas, math manipulative storage ideas, math game storage ideas, and more! third grade math, fourth grade math, math workshop, math stations, math centers, teaching math, guided math" border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMdgT2VAcYA2QThBj3pmhsu5pUdCOb5-8_JFG8MlaD20ZdEBuAboec8IVEANiqxtj6O-2_pBVm8Y19uot9rpQAg4z5w9QAL8hv2-21srO6d5Xml1Fi5k6HUuYybH-rXHyq606PS057vsM/s640/math+cart.JPG" title="" width="480" /></a></div>
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<b>Want a FREEBIE to help you do some classroom planning of your own? </b></div>
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<b>Have you missed the other posts in this series?</b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.theteacherstudio.com/2018/06/refine-your-math-instruction-in-7-steps.html">Click HERE</a> for the introductory post.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.theteacherstudio.com/2018/06/crafting-yearly-math-content-plan.html">Click HERE</a> for Challenge 1 (yearly planning)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.theteacherstudio.com/2018/06/6-tips-for-creating-classroom-culture.html">Click HERE</a> for Challenge 2 (math talk and mindset)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.theteacherstudio.com/2018/06/word-problems-problem-solving-and-tips.html">Click HERE</a> for Challenge 3 (word problems and problem solving)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.theteacherstudio.com/2018/07/organizing-your-classroom-designing.html">Click HERE</a> for Challenge 4 (math organization)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.theteacherstudio.com/2018/07/planning-for-meaningful-math-assessment.html">Click HERE</a> for Challenge 5 (math assessment)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.theteacherstudio.com/2018/07/providing-quality-math-problem-solving.html">Click HERE</a> for Challenge 6 (meaningful problem solving)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">Did you miss signing up for the FB group? <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/teacherstudiosummerchallenge/">CLICK HERE</a>! </span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;">(And make sure to answer the screener questions!)</span></div>
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<b>Rather pin this for later?</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2LvPSd7iFRLpSGPdvp4eP6iRTUeLNxejLXd6XA2xet3Oa9lZckIYhKBCkBP8i8vDZaSv4SxLbmW0G5AssANuCsGeKfShOgzw9nfyELznBw4UywsJQtaNrPq0nu8-JUNVY9UX0D-j9Ps0/s1600/summer+challenge+blog+post+4+pin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Classroom space planning and classroom organization are critical parts of helping teachers be more efficient and to help students learn. Use these classroom organization tips, anchor chart ideas, math manipulative storage ideas, math game storage ideas, and more! third grade math, fourth grade math, math workshop, math stations, math centers, teaching math, guided math" border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="768" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2LvPSd7iFRLpSGPdvp4eP6iRTUeLNxejLXd6XA2xet3Oa9lZckIYhKBCkBP8i8vDZaSv4SxLbmW0G5AssANuCsGeKfShOgzw9nfyELznBw4UywsJQtaNrPq0nu8-JUNVY9UX0D-j9Ps0/s640/summer+challenge+blog+post+4+pin.jpg" title="" width="426" /></a></div>
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The Teacher Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04936657056940797588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072938188438508721.post-70559514064024112942018-06-30T15:04:00.001-05:002018-07-18T15:19:31.528-05:00Word Problems, Problem Solving, and Tips to Make it Happen!<b>Here we go! On to challenge 3. If you are just joining us, I have linked to all the other posts related to this summer math challenge at the bottom so check them all out1</b><br />
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Today's challenge is all about reflecting on problem solving--how we teach it AND how we make it accessible to students. I am hoping something in this post resonates with you--and if it does, please consider dropping into the Facebook group and sharing your thoughts!<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Bundle-of-Word-Problem-Task-Cards-Grade-3-4-2893168"><img alt="Teaching students how to solve word problems is one of our most important math job! Problem solving strategies are key as well as finding differentiated, just right problems that are engaging and have real-world situations. Check out these problem solving tips! third grade math, fourth grade math, fifth grade math, problem solving, word problems, problem solving strategies, word problem printables, word problem worksheets" border="0" data-original-height="584" data-original-width="1119" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsiJ9z-a4xUTKg5Di2DcXQ7YVWec0qFSaoTGwnZg6cgP5czCrcwRxejOpcleuPOhl_s5PjC_VCSOYQr3OYCHEFQPgMMobCbZTHc5EJUmP4_HdUhS0ciwCGgX0sg_fpluSznEbu-u98hhQ/s640/challenge+3+blog+post+header+image.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Let's get rolling...</b></div>
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First of all, I want to go on record as saying that I think it's crucial that we, as teachers, understand that teaching the act of "solving problems" is very different than using word problems to practice already taught skills. My point is this. We can give students word problems that ask them to multiply. Or compare fractions. Or add money. But the act of TEACHING students how to solve problems is another entity all together. They are both important--but we need to be mindful of what we are working on when we select our problems.<br />
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Secondly, we often use the term "problem solving" and "word problems" as if they mean the same thing. Students can be provided MANY situations where problem solving is required--but are not word problems. More on THAT later! Today's post is about incorporating more word problems or "story problem" into your day. As we know, making math meaningful with real world applications is critical. Word problems can be a great way for students to see how math ties to the real world--as long as we find good problems!<br />
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Teaching Problem Solving Strategies</h3>
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First of all, I think it is really important to give students problem solving "tools" in their toolbox. So often our textbooks teach one strategy in each chapter...so they might have to wait until chapter 9 to learn that they can draw a picture to solve a problem! I'm not a fan of that approach, and prefer a problem solving "boot camp" at the start of the year to get students thinking about and using different strategies.<br />
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That way, as different problems come up throughout the year, they can draw from this foundation. Knowing how to work backward, draw a picture, make a table--these are all so important not just on the one page of the math textbook, but for their rest of their mathematical lives! Although I won't go into this in detail in this post, these strategies are integrally tied to the Standards for Mathematical Practice and other rigorous math "behavior" standards.<br />
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The image below is the set of task cards I use at the beginning of the year to teach 7 different strategies. I explicitly teach each one--then the last set of cards asks students to apply what they have learned and select an appropriate strategy. It's also available in a digital format. Just click the image or <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Problem-Solving-Task-Cards-7-Strategies-for-Grades-3-4-2655985">HERE</a> if you are interested. (Also available in a <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Problem-Solving-Task-Cards-7-Strategies-for-Grades-3-4-GOOGLE-EDITION-2657061">DIGITAL FORMAT</a>)</div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Problem-Solving-Task-Cards-7-Strategies-for-Grades-3-4-2655985"><img alt="Teaching students how to solve word problems is one of our most important math job! Problem solving strategies are key as well as finding differentiated, just right problems that are engaging and have real-world situations. Check out these problem solving tips! third grade math, fourth grade math, fifth grade math, problem solving, word problems, problem solving strategies, word problem printables, word problem worksheets" border="0" data-original-height="574" data-original-width="574" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXBCdUsslYYHoxGqBujlyTsPh7F0PrwseJy_Cfo4N3MyUGFRLS2OWphgmjcLK5xgjzGWX7_eqbycIV0mOPUwYpLBzOT9L-m15lQzZzlAqQ6HKXjhVtbDbUgzw0q0E-XAKgk0ePFX3GHDI/s400/problem+solving+task+card+strategies+cover.jpg" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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<h3>
Word Problems As Warm Ups</h3>
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Another way I like to get students problem solving is to mix things up. Research has shown that the first ten minutes of math class is the time when students are most "ripe" for engagement--and so often that ten minutes is spent doing procedures or correcting homework! I'm a firm believer in moving RIGHT into math with a quality warm up. Whether this be a number talk, a math discussion--or a word problem--getting students engaged with and talking about math is so important. </div>
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I do this in a few different ways...see if any seem like they could work for you!</div>
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<li>I project one problem on the board and students first talk about it, then solve independently, then share solutions and thinking.</li>
<li>Each student gets a copy of the problem to glue into their math notebook, they work to solve independently, then share in pairs or bring it back to the whole class for a discussion.</li>
<li>Provide a problem (maybe a task card, maybe projected) where a small group first discusses strategies that would work (no paper and pencil!) and then students go back to try it on their own.</li>
<li>Students work to solve a problem on their own and then different students share their strategies with the class or under a document camera. This can also be a great time for students who organized their work really well to showcase that!</li>
<li>Solve a problem as a whole class and then send students off to try writing a similar problem.</li>
<li>Use a problem that has blanks instead of numbers and then give three choices of numbers to use...students can pick their level of challenge</li>
<li>And so many more!</li>
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I think it's a lot more engaging when you mix up the problem solving in different ways--and it gets students really "doing" math in those first minutes of class.</div>
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<h3>
Word Problems on Display</h3>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Bundle-of-Word-Problem-Task-Cards-Grade-3-4-2893168"><img alt="Teaching students how to solve word problems is one of our most important math job! Problem solving strategies are key as well as finding differentiated, just right problems that are engaging and have real-world situations. Check out these problem solving tips! third grade math, fourth grade math, fifth grade math, problem solving, word problems, problem solving strategies, word problem printables, word problem worksheets" border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicDNs1vmM7SgZtRf0iKxGFtzxBvdfuW9gcAHK-TIDflEa7lgHFsB0vYzrdSumBQNR_zV7DfTWU7Dy8Z23-7PypfFOT7XOC0Eub0uP9NCg2Djp5kcIwqsYe12-fCCf6nGd4fKNKAt46WDA/s640/math+journal+pocket+chart.JPG" title="" width="480" /></a></div>
Another great way to incorporate more problem solving is simply to have tons of problems available at all times! Problem solving is ALWAYS an option if students have extra time in my class...never is there a "What should we do?" because no matter what, there are ALWAYS problems around! You can even find ways to differentiate...by printing on different colors, putting them in different colored pocket charts, or labeling bins at different levels of challenge. This is a perfect way to help students do a little self-assessing about their readiness for different tasks--and if they have a true growth mindset, it is fun to watch them push themselves toward more rigorous problems!</div>
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Whether it be on one of my problem solving pocket charts or a bin of problem solving task cards, there are specifically chosen to either complement the content we are working on or to merely engage the students in meaningful, motivating problems. This is a perfect time for me to pull out some of my seasonal problems or problems that have "cool" and extreme facts or that pique their interest. I love writing problems with students' names and interests in them as well! Once they have the tools in their toolbox, my students actually gravitate toward these problems when they have extra time!</div>
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<h3>
Cooperative Problem Solving in a Math Workshop</h3>
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Like previously mentioned, having problems around the room is a great way to provide students with problems. It's also a great way to build a center or station if you are using math workshop. Students can work alone OR collaboratively on problems that are chosen for them--or that they can freely select as mentioned above. In other words, you can have problems around the room for fast finishers, but you can also have those problems be a part of a math workshop plan. </div>
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Perhaps you might have one problem that is "required" and then students can use the rest of their rotation to select from other problems. Or you might ask students to solve a problem in two different ways...or make a "mini poster" of their problem that clearly shows their steps. I do this once in a while as a sort of "final copy" of a problem...where students can really look at the work they did and make improvements to their precision, accuracy, and organization and then can use that poster to showcase their work. You have tons of options--and by getting problems ready ahead of time, this is an easy station to use...and you can mix it up just by asking students to approach the problems in different ways.</div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Bundle-of-Word-Problem-Task-Cards-Grade-3-4-2893168"><img alt="Teaching students how to solve word problems is one of our most important math job! Problem solving strategies are key as well as finding differentiated, just right problems that are engaging and have real-world situations. Check out these problem solving tips! third grade math, fourth grade math, fifth grade math, problem solving, word problems, problem solving strategies, word problem printables, word problem worksheets" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ccGsfkwR0otU775LGip39pB7aEcRtEhzSFH8rUAPZ_YvYIOPD9F0-GlQFWwBhLnSMc09xT4pI3Drey3GhwuFZQ8uYBgdcx5f-1HYun2luHQ0YbjrI1HMg-qbbDRky_DYP-d1KIPSKlY/s640/Photo+May+03%252C+1+14+21+PM.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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<h3>
Ways to Differentiate and Scaffold Problem Solving</h3>
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One of the many "truths" about teaching as that no two students are ever in exactly the same place. There are times when working on the same problem is meaningful, but there are other times that we need to be mindful of these differing abilities. Here are few nuggets to ponder.</div>
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<li>Sometimes students can tackle the same problem if you make "tools" available to them. If you are truly working on the problem solving process and not a skills (like subtraction), why not make manipulatives or calculators available? That way students who don't have the math computation skill can still work to understand the problem itself and work to solve it.</li>
<li>One of my FAVORITES (and this is why so many of the word problems I write do this) is to have problems that have a "part 2"...a "challenge" component for students who easily manage the first part. This puts students on equal footing for the first part--but allows those who are ready to move on to the next part. This also would allow you time to meet with those who need help on the first part while the others tackle the second part.</li>
<li>Work in pairs! This is a great way to make problems more accessible to students.</li>
<li>Do a "presolve" meeting with anyone who is interested. What I mean by this is...invite (or require!) students who need a quick discussion or read-through of the problem to meet with you first so you can get them off on the right foot. Don't give everything away...but read through the problem with them, ask them what they notice, maybe even ask them to share out what strategies might get them started--and THEN send them on their way.</li>
<li>Put "hints" up someplace in the room. A simple piece of folded paper taped to the board with a hint inside can free students up who get stuck beyond "unsticking" without needing teacher help. Even a series of hints can be useful!</li>
<li>Have students offer to be problem coaches for the day...people other students can go to for ideas and hints. You WILL have to teach students how to give hints rather than do the work for them...and sometimes teaching students to ask questions is the best way to do that. It works for you too--teachers often give away too much to students. Try asking questions like, "What do you know already?" or "What have you tried?" or "What is confusing you?" instead of SHOWING them the next step.</li>
<li>Use problems that have different number choices (see above)</li>
<li>Have your problems around the room categorized...maybe a green pocket chart for "go ahead" and try for easier problems and a yellow chart for "slow down" before you choose? Color coded envelopes or bins? Or check out this post <a href="http://www.theteacherstudio.com/2014/05/bright-ideas-pocket-chart-problem.html">for some other ideas.</a> </li>
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<h3>
Teaching Fractions? Then Why Are They Solving a Money Problem?</h3>
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One thing that I have stated over and over for years is that we often take away our students' thinking by how we make our teaching decisions. This is certainly true when we teach math.</div>
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In particular, after twenty-six years (and counting!) of teaching, I have heard things come out of the mouths of babes (and teachers) that make me stop and reflect. About 15 years ago, I was teaching a math lesson and was listening in to a conversation two students were having about a word problem and I heard this:</div>
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<b>"Well, we have been working on multiplying all week, so this must be a multiplication story."</b></div>
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And it stopped me in my tracks. Since that day, I have made a CONSCIOUS effort to immerse my students in true problem solving...the kind where they have to "make sense" of the problem on their own, choose from their bank of strategies, and then try out their plan. So when we are immersed in fractions, students may find themselves warming up with a money problem. Or when we are working on partial products, students may need to divide to solve a problem. No longer do I do the thinking for them (by choosing a fraction word problem during your fraction unit, you have done part of the work)...at least some of the time! Of course, when I teach multiplication, we DO need to solve multiplication stories...but that's not the ONLY time we do so. In my class, problem solving is like a box of chocolates...you never know what you're going to get. </div>
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<a href="https://giphy.com/gifs/disney-eating-frozen-IxsChhXUIOipW">via GIPHY</a></div>
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Your Role. Your Students' Role.</h3>
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One thing I think is important to reflect on are the "verbs" we associate with teaching and learning with problem solving. Do we observe? Coach? Question? Guide? Listen? Watch?<br />
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I think so often we don't. We rush. Tell. Help. Do.<br />
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And what about the students? Do they think? Listen? Watch? Try? Adjust? Or do they wait? Freeze? Ask? Quit?<br />
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One great thing to do is to lay out some of these verbs for ourselves--and our students. Making an anchor chart of "my job" and "your job" is a great way to help craft that culture of math investigation and mindset. Give it a try--see what you and your students can come up with!<br />
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One shared responsibility teachers and students DO need to have is assessment and self-monitoring (more on this in an upcoming challenge!) but since we are on the subject of problem solving, I thought I'd link to a <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-Problem-Solving-Rubric-Standards-for-Mathematical-Practice-591180">problem solving rubric freebie</a> if you are interested in trying one version of a rubric. It might help you and your students get on the same page for the complex world of problem solving--or might inspire you to write one together!</div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-Problem-Solving-Rubric-Standards-for-Mathematical-Practice-591180"><img alt="Teaching students how to solve word problems is one of our most important math job! Problem solving strategies are key as well as finding differentiated, just right problems that are engaging and have real-world situations. Check out these problem solving tips! third grade math, fourth grade math, fifth grade math, problem solving, word problems, problem solving strategies, word problem printables, word problem worksheets" border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Y0TZvvFznUCP0kLyC76HT-ZhZ5k40VcRJrKhLohZ07UVMU6cDM7adI0pRVOAVZ01hfdMvV0jgWs-qeN-QRxXoUBw1SF8ilStIQlHhm8q2fbhobGdxHZAXQZPokqb2MZ49P6b1NfPrGQ/s400/problem+solving+rubric+freebie+cover.jpg" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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So...if you want to do some thinking about problem solving and word problems in YOUR classroom, I put together a little freebie of "thinker questions" and space for notes if you are interested!</div>
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Here are some of my favorite word problem resources...see what you think! (and shhhh....I'm putting them on sale for just a few days so grab any that seem appealing!)</div>
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<b>Have you missed the other posts in this series?</b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.theteacherstudio.com/2018/06/refine-your-math-instruction-in-7-steps.html">Click HERE</a> for the introductory post.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.theteacherstudio.com/2018/06/crafting-yearly-math-content-plan.html">Click HERE</a> for Challenge 1 (yearly planning)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.theteacherstudio.com/2018/06/6-tips-for-creating-classroom-culture.html">Click HERE</a> for Challenge 2 (math talk and mindset)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.theteacherstudio.com/2018/06/word-problems-problem-solving-and-tips.html">Click HERE</a> for Challenge 3 (word problems and problem solving)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.theteacherstudio.com/2018/07/organizing-your-classroom-designing.html">Click HERE</a> for Challenge 4 (math organization)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.theteacherstudio.com/2018/07/planning-for-meaningful-math-assessment.html">Click HERE</a> for Challenge 5 (math assessment)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.theteacherstudio.com/2018/07/providing-quality-math-problem-solving.html">Click HERE</a> for Challenge 6 (meaningful problem solving)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">Did you miss signing up for the FB group? <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/teacherstudiosummerchallenge/">CLICK HERE</a>! </span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;">(And make sure to answer the screener questions!)</span></div>
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Rather pin this for later?</div>
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The Teacher Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04936657056940797588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072938188438508721.post-1754902199835515192018-06-26T09:50:00.000-05:002018-07-06T19:20:20.837-05:006 Tips for Creating a Classroom Culture for Math Talk<h3>
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So now that many of us have sketched out our year and have done some thinking about the sequence of instruction, resources we have at our disposal, and so on--it's time to start considering the "feel" we want our classroom to have. This is a little less tangible than writing things down on a calendar, so I have a little food for thought as you ponder this idea.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEmYVrM_seRN_WEn2tmFoJjO3DrXW3ZN_EXA_EwGu3bz-XIaOzt_yUVPb2blMWZNcGtXieSna2jN4IODkF7nA3lxPSMKUAkYKr_k0bIjw3fj9DuGma8mpJwgZSJWI-HIddCynLRzS4IT4/s1600/blog+post+2+creating+a+culture+for+math+talk+and+learning+image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Creating a classroom culture where math talk and discourse is prevalent takes work! Check this post for tips on incorporating more math talk, growth mindset, and other culture-building pieces to help students learn and talk math! third grade math, fourth grade math, collaborative math, accountable talk, math talk, classroom culture, problem solving, back to school, math freebie, accountable talk stems, cooperative groups, math workshop, growth mindset" border="0" data-original-height="584" data-original-width="1119" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEmYVrM_seRN_WEn2tmFoJjO3DrXW3ZN_EXA_EwGu3bz-XIaOzt_yUVPb2blMWZNcGtXieSna2jN4IODkF7nA3lxPSMKUAkYKr_k0bIjw3fj9DuGma8mpJwgZSJWI-HIddCynLRzS4IT4/s640/blog+post+2+creating+a+culture+for+math+talk+and+learning+image.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a name='more'></a>1. Accountable Talk</h3>
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One of the things we need to do to make sure that students actually have the LANGUAGE to communicate about math is to explicitly teach accountable talk strategies. If this is a new topic for you, essentially accountable talk refers to the idea that we need to help students with the language to respectfully and meaningfully communicate with other--it helps students share their thinking, reflect on their learning (and the learning of others), and communicate both their understanding and MISunderstanding. </div>
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We know that we want students talking about their work through academic discourse, and we have talked for years about increasing students' depth of understanding. I think--especially at the elementary level--that we need to take the time to give students to the tools to do this. It requires the language piece, a growth mindset (below), modeling (below below), and a culture where this is supported.<br />
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<b>I have a few tips on how to get started if this is new for you!</b><br />
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1. Post sentence stems somewhere that students can easily access and you can point to for support. This is the display in my room...I just printed big letters (two per page) to spell "accountable talk" and then made the speech bubbles. You can grab them for free <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/at1om734tzsk0pm/talking%20speech%20bubble%20accountable%20talk.pdf?dl=0">HERE</a> if you want. I have another set of posters for free in my store by clicking <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Collaborative-Talk-Posters-Stems-to-help-your-students-with-group-talk-1859015">HERE</a>. Hopefully one will work for you if you need something like this!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-pGJfTfHzNbhukohEn4-aFCT8mpg6wOg-jr78wAFFA2BIfKs-SMlhPM7uhLlxzMJDJqtSYBb6S2m1Uc9V9fQxaCBJV6hOPPHW4XFtY8DtYG_1g9P4OMk-QVPMMz3KlJfz8B2xbz3etsU/s1600/Photo+Jun+26%252C+8+36+55+AM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Creating a classroom culture where math talk and discourse is prevalent takes work! Check this post for tips on incorporating more math talk, growth mindset, and other culture-building pieces to help students learn and talk math! third grade math, fourth grade math, collaborative math, accountable talk, math talk, classroom culture, problem solving, back to school, math freebie, accountable talk stems, cooperative groups, math workshop" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-pGJfTfHzNbhukohEn4-aFCT8mpg6wOg-jr78wAFFA2BIfKs-SMlhPM7uhLlxzMJDJqtSYBb6S2m1Uc9V9fQxaCBJV6hOPPHW4XFtY8DtYG_1g9P4OMk-QVPMMz3KlJfz8B2xbz3etsU/s640/Photo+Jun+26%252C+8+36+55+AM.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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2. Focus on partner talk and then move to bigger groups. I love using my "talk starters" to help students learn to listen, ask follow up questions, piggy back off ideas, and so on. You can easily make these on index cards, but I like to have a big set at my fingertips, so I created <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Improving-Accountable-Talk-Speaking-and-Listening-1356111">THIS SET</a> so I can work discussion practice into my daily routine--not just in math class.<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Improving-Accountable-Talk-Speaking-and-Listening-1356111"><img alt="Creating a classroom culture where math talk and discourse is prevalent takes work! Check this post for tips on incorporating more math talk, growth mindset, and other culture-building pieces to help students learn and talk math! third grade math, fourth grade math, collaborative math, accountable talk, math talk, classroom culture, problem solving, back to school, math freebie, accountable talk stems, cooperative groups, math workshop" border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4S5Zvtu6BvJGJRHhZ3poYhysqyplWFyyhlxUBM-XawbCNiID8evdoJ-1jJ-7KTCtTwRwp9Vvc_UCnc_a7QfOtxCNQGHILVo9bzn6FUPVlk8lTbJyHP1KLXW43QdkLcdCZaOpPJnmq5zM/s640/Slide3.JPG" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
3. Point out examples of good collaborative talk or areas for growth. By noticing things like "Malinda did a nice job of piggybacking off your comment. Does anyone else want to add on?" or "Remember, if you don't understand her explanation, you can say things like 'Could you please repeat that?' or 'I didn't understand the part about...'". Sometimes bringing these examples to students' attention helps make it all more clear. Also, this really contributes to the climate in your classroom.</div>
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2. A focus on growth mindset</h3>
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In order to nurture this climate for accountable talk, students need to truly understand and internalize the idea of having a growth mindset. I think this phrase is thrown around a lot these days, and students can often parrot the phrase "I need to have a growth mindset" and so on...but are we planning experiences to help them really understand what a growth (and, for that matter, a "fixed") mindset truly is--and at a grade-appropriate level? When students don't have an understanding that learning is a journey--a journey that will have hills and valleys, it is harder for them to be willing to take risks with their participation. They need to see that hard work and effort pays off, and that mistakes are a part of the deal.</div>
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This all takes time. It takes picking meaningful books to read that highlight a growth mindset. It takes telling stories (one of my favorite things to do!) about examples in OUR lives. It takes pausing during challenging times and recognizing and labeling examples of a growth mindset. It takes giving students the language and tools to be able to speak about mindset in a way that makes sense to them. Jo Boaler has some great video clips on Youcubed.org, and if you haven't signed up for this, you are missing an amazing resource! Her book "Mathematical Mindsets" should be required reading, in my opinion (I'll put my affiliate link at the bottom of the post if you are interested...a great book at a really reasonable price).</div>
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If you want to see more about some of the activities I do, <a href="http://www.theteacherstudio.com/2017/07/teaching-growth-mindset.html#more">HERE IS A LINK</a> to a blog post where I talk about this a little more...and the image takes you to my growth mindset toolkit in my store. It isn't anything fancy, but it really helps me get my students talking about mindset, using the language, and internalizing the concept.</div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Growth-Mindset-Activities-Lessons-Posters-and-More-2021181"><img alt="Creating a classroom culture where math talk and discourse is prevalent takes work! Check this post for tips on incorporating more math talk, growth mindset, and other culture-building pieces to help students learn and talk math! third grade math, fourth grade math, collaborative math, accountable talk, math talk, classroom culture, problem solving, back to school, math freebie, accountable talk stems, cooperative groups, math workshop, growth mindset" border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKKbePQkeL0yawU7FldKQBkuUeebySH3gHC3Bnc4FWhzHyQSP8tEv93dpb139LUaH745iQ8b4B7aJt32V5hoqQN2svV157t5oUmMRMN9OAxBJdKLwx78VIrhtXRKhHMitVvJPCvf7gLxI/s400/growth+mindset+new+cover.jpg" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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<h3>
3. Modeling, modeling, modeling</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-4dT1cLJox6pR8hmcVSqCK5brNY_Pp1x-cbhCYyTgIZntoDV9Szb-glzgsspmsJVRWkyjHxnsW77AHefWE7kK2Jtmmqy5Wj34Axx8ZW4VXtvfhddDUetcCMSyE-3-qgUMPt0bMb3zdzc/s1600/group+of+boys+working+together.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Creating a classroom culture where math talk and discourse is prevalent takes work! Check this post for tips on incorporating more math talk, growth mindset, and other culture-building pieces to help students learn and talk math! third grade math, fourth grade math, collaborative math, accountable talk, math talk, classroom culture, problem solving, back to school, math freebie, accountable talk stems, cooperative groups, math workshop" border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-4dT1cLJox6pR8hmcVSqCK5brNY_Pp1x-cbhCYyTgIZntoDV9Szb-glzgsspmsJVRWkyjHxnsW77AHefWE7kK2Jtmmqy5Wj34Axx8ZW4VXtvfhddDUetcCMSyE-3-qgUMPt0bMb3zdzc/s640/group+of+boys+working+together.jpeg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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In order for students to get better at talking about their thinking and talking about their math, they need examples of this done well. As teachers, we were trained to model...and I don't think it's any surprise that showing students what to do helps them do it. What I think we sometimes miss is the explaining "why"...and the thinking behind the doing. Again, this takes time. The way I was taught math looked a little like this:</div>
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We corrected our homework. The teacher told us what we were going to do that day. S/he showed us several examples on the board. We then tried some on our own. If you needed help, you raised your hand.</div>
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<b>Anyone else?</b></div>
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Modeling is much more than this. Here are a few things to keep in mind when you are trying to create a culture where math talk and math learning is everywhere.</div>
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<ul>
<li>Show how to DO math is less important than showing how you approach math and the decision making you go through when doing math.</li>
<li>Showing how math concepts are related to each other is as important as modeling each concept alone</li>
<li>Remembering that the TEACHER is not the only one who should be modeling is critical</li>
<li>Students model with each other when doing collaborative tasks. As teachers, we need to circulate and listen for great math thinking...coach where needed to get it to that level...and then have them share out with others.</li>
<li>Using a document camera or a whole-class meeting is a great way for students to share discoveries, strategies, and more</li>
<li>A "fishbowl" is a great way to showcase great modeling--of thinking and math work</li>
<li>Remember, modeling doesn't have to be for the entire class. A student can model their thinking for one other student who is struggling--or one small group can pair up with another to showcase great math.</li>
<li>And more!</li>
</ul>
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<h3>
4. Number talks and math warm ups</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Z8U0G73ulH2uPfgjD3tsjeJmNBAT70DsI1Il-ojQgUnddwVKfb7PTJanrwHhYckCLkSCaY4CPahs4s0Xlexo_fdJDQIeeUulS8k0ypMk552Rzp2ni72W0uei4xXOKcYlizkaGwF0PKQ/s1600/Photo+Jun+25%252C+8+23+00+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Creating a classroom culture where math talk and discourse is prevalent takes work! Check this post for tips on incorporating more math talk, growth mindset, and other culture-building pieces to help students learn and talk math! third grade math, fourth grade math, collaborative math, accountable talk, math talk, classroom culture, problem solving, back to school, math freebie, accountable talk stems, cooperative groups, math workshop" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Z8U0G73ulH2uPfgjD3tsjeJmNBAT70DsI1Il-ojQgUnddwVKfb7PTJanrwHhYckCLkSCaY4CPahs4s0Xlexo_fdJDQIeeUulS8k0ypMk552Rzp2ni72W0uei4xXOKcYlizkaGwF0PKQ/s640/Photo+Jun+25%252C+8+23+00+PM.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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Many of you may be familiar with "Number Talks", an amazing book by Nancy Parrish (I'll add the affiliate link at the bottom of the post as well). It's pricey--but super worth it. Number talks--when done in their purest of fashion--are an amazing way to get math talk going in your classroom. Unfortunately, I've seen a lot of people lose the true intention of the number talk, and there are many things out there CALLED number talks that truly aren't.</div>
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Anyhoo...using a true number talk or other type of math "warm up" is one of my favorite ways to get students talking about math and setting up the climate for the rest of the math class. I thought I'd share a few of my favorite "discussion inducing" warm-ups below. I may be missing some...but this is a good starter list.<br />
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<ul>
<li>Number talks</li>
<li>A writing prompt...give students a few minutes to write, then a few minutes to share, then a few more minutes to write after hearing the ideas of others. (For example, "What do you know about equivalent fractions?" or "What are some patterns in multiplication?" or "How can you explain the difference between prime and composite numbers?"). I love that it gives students time to think--and then time to listen and process--and then time to add on to their own thinking. This is an example from my <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Improving-Deep-Fraction-Understanding-A-Fraction-Unit-for-Grades-3-5-625571">big fraction unit</a>...it led to GREAT writing and discussion!</li>
</ul>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyE9QimcGwWeUZas3IOrDTBkQtRQG7yH8gGYvR3x-yOxYqBGHoTdD88mkkZMgcMwB91f29b2Gmt7DKo_5nmDve6hyphenhyphenkH_EImEpSWeSaNrOtO-E56uLwSBsNE7Xd3BzUZl7BxtzOGuscC1Q/s1600/Photo+Jun+26%252C+8+33+58+AM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="Creating a classroom culture where math talk and discourse is prevalent takes work! Check this post for tips on incorporating more math talk, growth mindset, and other culture-building pieces to help students learn and talk math! third grade math, fourth grade math, collaborative math, accountable talk, math talk, classroom culture, problem solving, back to school, math freebie, accountable talk stems, cooperative groups, math workshop, teaching fractions, fraction activities" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyE9QimcGwWeUZas3IOrDTBkQtRQG7yH8gGYvR3x-yOxYqBGHoTdD88mkkZMgcMwB91f29b2Gmt7DKo_5nmDve6hyphenhyphenkH_EImEpSWeSaNrOtO-E56uLwSBsNE7Xd3BzUZl7BxtzOGuscC1Q/s640/Photo+Jun+26%252C+8+33+58+AM.jpg" title="" width="480" /></a></div>
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<ul>
<li>Partner problem solving...and I'll get more into this in my next challenge!</li>
<li>A debate...for example, "It is impossible to draw a triangle with two right angles." or "Any time you divide a number by 4, the answer will be even." Again, I would encourage you to give some individual "think time" before the discussion or you will find the same students participating. Just slowing down to get more students on the playing field makes a huge difference.</li>
<li>Studying, continuing, and discussing patterns. I do this throughout the school year. I have a few different things I do, but I did put together a set of <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Differentiated-Pattern-Task-Cards-Grades-3-5-2172358">pattern </a><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Differentiated-Pattern-Task-Cards-Grades-3-5-2172358">task cards</a> that has been a life-saver for me! I keep them right by my document camera and about once each week I use one as a discussion starter. I also have some pattern work in my"More Than a Math Center" resource. There are all sorts of things online that you can find, but I know I do better with things when I don't have to go searching, so I get all my supplies organized and in one place for easy access.</li>
<li style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Differentiated-Pattern-Task-Cards-Grades-3-5-2172358"><img alt="Creating a classroom culture where math talk and discourse is prevalent takes work! Check this post for tips on incorporating more math talk, growth mindset, and other culture-building pieces to help students learn and talk math! third grade math, fourth grade math, collaborative math, accountable talk, math talk, classroom culture, problem solving, back to school, math freebie, accountable talk stems, cooperative groups, math workshop, patterns, teaching patterns" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcoA1TlQ24HNqq3RiCmvAZkQmZ-fOQ_KF7k_bP8bDSxFHtZXICAgzxzFbSrTXkg8OIfw77kO3F3HIXG8eMvLUH_y0_X-SftSz9oMywgVkjtfwW9nFGDAYMmpatobRHyzvjKMXCSPMFpdM/s640/Photo+Jun+26%252C+8+30+47+AM.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Finally, one of my favorites is below--and I felt it deserved its own heading!</li>
</ul>
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<h3>
5. My favorite mistake</h3>
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I've seen it called "My Favorite No" and other things...but over the years as I have strived to get my students CELEBRATING mistakes instead of hiding them, one of my favorite activities is to look at "My favorite mistake". It's a flexible strategy, and I use it in a few different ways.</div>
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<ul>
<li>Sometimes I find mistakes on a formative assessment (or even summative!) that I think would make a worthy discussion. (more on this in an upcoming challenge!)</li>
<li>Sometimes I hear students SAY something that shows a misconception.</li>
<li>Sometimes I find careless errors in daily work or other activities</li>
<li>Sometimes I find examples of precision and accuracy errors (like not lining up the decimal point when adding decimals)</li>
</ul>
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Anyway, when I find mistakes students are making and I feel the discussion will benefit the entire group, we study them. If it's a student's work, I always ask permission (once that culture is set, students LOVE to have their mistakes showcased!). Other times I will create a similar problem with a similar error to look at and then have students go check their own work to see if they can find it.</div>
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Creating a climate to celebrate mistakes is such a critical piece of making your math classroom productive, safe, and fun. Seriously--when you hear students calling out, "Hey--I made a cool mistake!" or "I made that mistake too, but I caught it!", it makes my heart sing.</div>
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6. A culture to collaborate--not to compete</h3>
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When I was in school, I definitely felt the pressure to compete. To "win", one might say. I wanted my sticker on the multiplication fact chart posted in front of the class. I wanted to get 100%. I wanted the "A+". I never even considered what this might have been like for students who struggled--how embarrassing, frustrating, or defeating that must have been.</div>
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I think the time has come to realize that access to good math instruction needs to be available to everyone. If we can help students see that math is a process where creative thinking, perseverance, and collaboration are the center--ALL students can and will learn.</div>
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<b>So now it's your turn! Download the freebie and start to do some reflecting on YOUR classroom culture and math talk. What is your "current state" and what is your "preferred state"?</b></div>
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After you do some work, make sure to stop over to the Facebook group and share your thoughts and findings! Not a member yet? CLICK HERE to join (don't forget to answer the screener questions!)</div>
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<b>Miss the other blog posts in this series?</b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.theteacherstudio.com/2018/06/refine-your-math-instruction-in-7-steps.html">Click HERE</a> for the introductory post.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.theteacherstudio.com/2018/06/crafting-yearly-math-content-plan.html">Click HERE</a> for Challenge 1</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.theteacherstudio.com/2018/06/6-tips-for-creating-classroom-culture.html">Click HERE</a> for Challenge 2</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Click <a href="http://www.theteacherstudio.com/2018/06/word-problems-problem-solving-and-tips.html">HERE</a> for Challenge 3</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span id="goog_501430703"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a><span id="goog_501430704"></span>Clich <a href="http://www.theteacherstudio.com/2018/07/organizing-your-classroom-designing.html">HERE</a> for Challenge 4</span></div>
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<b>Here are those book affiliate links if you are interested...</b></div>
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The Teacher Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04936657056940797588noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072938188438508721.post-91374720977237502242018-06-20T10:44:00.000-05:002018-07-18T15:20:14.214-05:00Crafting a Yearly Math Content Plan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: start;">One thing I try to do for ALL subjects in the summer is to create a yearly content plan that helps me with curriculum pacing and other teaching decisions.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgahjvttxZZ-tFrQrw-WXqozEajiSivsVI8C1OY5IsXmW4BjQFSHufcPXos5Gs4Mk1SgmigpHKNECTNsrFq9raFtXSzGYz2QHUP4b2EL_aARio4CxLCnYnPPHbBep9epIJQvPMgxrsK1GA/s1600/blog+post+1+creating+a+math+plan+blog+header.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="584" data-original-width="1119" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgahjvttxZZ-tFrQrw-WXqozEajiSivsVI8C1OY5IsXmW4BjQFSHufcPXos5Gs4Mk1SgmigpHKNECTNsrFq9raFtXSzGYz2QHUP4b2EL_aARio4CxLCnYnPPHbBep9epIJQvPMgxrsK1GA/s640/blog+post+1+creating+a+math+plan+blog+header.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Today's CHALLENGE is for you to find a way to do the same! I'll talk to you a bit about what I do--and then you are going to head off and find a way to do this for your year of math. If this doesn't fit your needs--no worry! Come back in a few days for the NEXT challenge.<br />
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Creating a Yearly Curriculum Content Schedule</h3>
First of all, it is important to consider a few things when crafting your yearly plan.<br />
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<b>1. What are your school/district/state/national standards that you are responsible for teaching?</b><br />
<b>2. What key resources are you expected to use or follow--if any?</b><br />
<b>3. How is your year organized? Quarters? Trimesters? Semesters?</b><br />
<b>4. Do you have any "obstructions" to consider--testing weeks, grading windows, and so on.</b><br />
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So the first thing I do is get myself a calendar! I like to see a few months at a time, so I use a sheet that looks something like this:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixXpWF-mL1B4q_QQqv6yN9Q10eYKDjA4tXUYuoagInUqQJ1brjDrlGEZWOUvpl2CAtgdXv4c3SKY8ZDTrj_wc3Q872GOX1aSbbItS6Mb4qg2Vu-40TewnPh3GBs41rpdjlfKjnkLvzK6I/s1600/summer+challenge+calendar+page+1+sample.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixXpWF-mL1B4q_QQqv6yN9Q10eYKDjA4tXUYuoagInUqQJ1brjDrlGEZWOUvpl2CAtgdXv4c3SKY8ZDTrj_wc3Q872GOX1aSbbItS6Mb4qg2Vu-40TewnPh3GBs41rpdjlfKjnkLvzK6I/s400/summer+challenge+calendar+page+1+sample.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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This allows me to see nice chunks of the year--and by using only the left side of the page, I have room to write on the right side. (NOTE: Want a copy of this blank calendar? No problem...just see the link later in the post and grab it for free!)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJNnLZIRMpRUkxFIcVxmLqaNOMRNdc8Eh-btTjFLN56bB-9NNwogafCN_OJjFDwdXh87h3-qANp56AcTA0F1PUEU-XiATgLWyj9tDLs3Hv6Ur4-8XdN90_NyaPWy9bq-vY1VE-Sl8tKwc/s1600/summer+blog+challenge+calendar+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJNnLZIRMpRUkxFIcVxmLqaNOMRNdc8Eh-btTjFLN56bB-9NNwogafCN_OJjFDwdXh87h3-qANp56AcTA0F1PUEU-XiATgLWyj9tDLs3Hv6Ur4-8XdN90_NyaPWy9bq-vY1VE-Sl8tKwc/s640/summer+blog+challenge+calendar+2.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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The point here isn't to aim for perfection...but to think about the sequence of things and how you might want to change things up. For example, I have made a decision to teach fractions in 4 separate units throughout the year that build on each other. I still use our math series for part of my instruction and use our state standards for my decision making--but I know that students really need time to process fractions so by splitting it into smaller units, I have time in between to intervene and remediate. More on THAT later!</div>
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Now every school is different, and you may not have pacing flexibility. Regardless, laying out your year has many advantages.</div>
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<li>It helps ensure that you don't fall behind in "real life" when you first lay it out on paper.</li>
<li>It helps you look at things more holistically to help you make decisions about what to teach, when to teach it, and how to adapt as you see fit.</li>
<li>Creating a pacing guide can help you think about what you will do for interventions. For example, I start right away with some problem solving so I can see where my needs are and I can immediately make some intervention groups. </li>
<li>Noting what is being taught at certain "peak" times (ex. before winter break!) can help you make decisions about teaching strategies to keep students engaged!</li>
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So I have my content sketched out...now what?</h3>
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What I like to do next is take ALL my other resources...my games. My intervention and enrichment activities. My challenge tasks. My concept sorts. ALL the meaningful work that I either do whole class or in small groups and start to place these activities, lessons, and plans next to the week(s) where they make the most sense. </div>
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For example, I love my <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-Sorts-Bundle-Math-Activities-to-Deepen-Understanding-and-Math-Discourse-2550979">math concept sorts</a> and I have 25 of them! They range in topic from algebra thinking to fractions to geometry to multiplication to angles...and I want to make sure that I consider them when I do my unit planning. The same is true for my <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Project-Based-Learning-Math-Problem-Solving-BUNDLE-PBL-1843282">Project Based Learning activities</a> and my <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Open-Ended-Math-Challenges-Problem-Solving-MEGA-BUNDLE-Sets-1-6-3798702">open-ended challenges</a>...I want to make sure I remember WHEN I want to use them so I'm not scrambling during the unit. For example, some of the challenges deal more with multi-step problems. Others address area and perimeter challenges. Others deal with measurement concepts...so I want to be mindful of when I plan them.<br />
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By adding those to my yearly calendar, I can keep all sorts of ideas from different places together! As I come across other ideas, I can simply add them in...new games. Math projects. Videos. You get the picture.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigCvhpfQISkIra5NtktBBsYFgSZR1lCXxEeqJ1R9NdeEJCciK_3pAr_YrWR3AOeCzy4AyY5RoMQVVngZQzWuOL-AD8v-YJqFr9OsfFz58RI2oQa6rw3qUQ-BjtTQVSvJ2AMwFKPgiXZoc/s1600/summer+calendar+image+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigCvhpfQISkIra5NtktBBsYFgSZR1lCXxEeqJ1R9NdeEJCciK_3pAr_YrWR3AOeCzy4AyY5RoMQVVngZQzWuOL-AD8v-YJqFr9OsfFz58RI2oQa6rw3qUQ-BjtTQVSvJ2AMwFKPgiXZoc/s640/summer+calendar+image+3.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Now this is an overwhelming task--so I don't think you need to do it all at once. Get your foundation set up and then start to add things as you can.</div>
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<b>Now if my calendar idea doesn't work for you--get creative!</b></div>
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<li>Use one sheet for each chapter/unit/topic and put ideas and resources on <span style="background-color: white;">sticky notes.</span></li>
<li>Use chart paper to make a content "web" where you can track all sorts of things--from vocabulary you want to teach to learning targets to resources!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjre-Wlo47h9tJFKL08mLHq0m-44itK7mXeTmZ5FgQbSuXxVWjILBpHfooYnD5XxERQ5Srq9l5q9SS5cwnR1LIhAoUYnn3XrBHKPjoxbiEuAUshwMp_wWb3B8YZ4ZPbKIFSn93oBA_c1rQ/s1600/Photo+Jun+19%252C+6+45+13+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: white; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjre-Wlo47h9tJFKL08mLHq0m-44itK7mXeTmZ5FgQbSuXxVWjILBpHfooYnD5XxERQ5Srq9l5q9SS5cwnR1LIhAoUYnn3XrBHKPjoxbiEuAUshwMp_wWb3B8YZ4ZPbKIFSn93oBA_c1rQ/s640/Photo+Jun+19%252C+6+45+13+PM.jpg" width="480" /></a></li>
<li>Do you stay pretty true to a math series? What can you insert as part of your manual to help you add in meaningful activities? Sticky notes? A sheet that you put at the beginning of each chapter?</li>
<li>Do you work with a team? Consider a shared document (like a Google doc) where you can all contribute ideas, links you find, and so on.</li>
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The point of today's challenge is this: It doesn't take very long after the school year starts for us to feel swamped, overwhelmed, and in "reactive" mode. The more we can think through some of these organizational content decisions NOW, the smoother our ship will sail once the year begins.</div>
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So what next? Get to work! Then head over to the Facebook group and share your success...upload photos, share your accomplishments, ask questions, or encourage others. I can't wait to see what you do! <b>Want a free copy of the blank calendar template I showed above? </b></div>
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<script async="" id="_ck_413414" src="https://forms.convertkit.com/413414?v=7"></script>
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Some of the resources mentioned that I put on my yearly content calendar are linked above and below if you are interested. Also, if you missed the introductory blog post, just <a href="http://www.theteacherstudio.com/2018/06/refine-your-math-instruction-in-7-steps.html">CLICK HERE</a> for details! <b>(And don't forget to stop by the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/teacherstudiosummerchallenge/">Facebook group</a> for a special announcement as well!)</b></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-Sorts-Bundle-Math-Activities-to-Deepen-Understanding-and-Math-Discourse-2550979"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikYAuFB95MzOY5OBMnfRhFm_Y0h2luXSRRkEgK2zxdoLmMhhGau800X1bJp5BxKLt2F9eFLK_d8nuilV1rqleOsbpwGrLIMyw8djKUE8JXwi0EcCUOAn3TJLf9k5dM8iERFoGZfn_C7xQ/s200/math+concept+sort+bundle+cover.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Multiplication-Facts-Instruction-and-Intervention-Resource-Kit-2623243"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizSVPoX9bu0AwAyr_yzLmPc8eLjW0aYllCQCEJ1RvqpZdRNipeVe-1IYfClvMxRtMeWj4AKiMDYeK8ZJ0PGhdJ-06AhfxS3bBZyLaz7-aypBhNNUNrx8-uZ5CNjOFNOyzSF2RJoANH6nU/s200/multiplication+fact+intervention+kit+new+cover.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Number-Sense-with-Number-Lines-Grade-3-5-BUNDLE-2957028"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi96fKNJ8Bdrha0xNj-RXdgN1sY7pBxRmEbKllcZpY1CeRK3zf_mXl7KIXulkvJxdt79tRKqTrVPWdyki7wa2WsJ3r_AUaVUQ8EL44V9YD-bOXngWelLJZCYJH4NsswJKyHig29C2wFdsc/s200/number+line+new+cover+to+1%252C000%252C000.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Open-Ended-Math-Challenges-Problem-Solving-MEGA-BUNDLE-Sets-1-6-3798702"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKAStCBaeFhMMxhnw-5gLCCrW9InuOtOEJbPghc1TYwlTycr8zNhz7SVUBj0ohMG4hyphenhyphen9phMQ3RdV7q0mdp6XO5zx8Ij7XCg_lWNpuUwUaQ92e9W3vrIf5Y9grOpdKvm24_5IqGD8_xClc/s200/open+ended+challenge+new+cover+set+1-6+mega+bundle.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Project-Based-Learning-Math-Problem-Solving-BUNDLE-PBL-1843282"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv_zPmMJIHk1Y8Xj0-b7uXL3fH7Ay0W2YqKt0ZZeNRqWu7vNbrISpsYTZ8_bJp7_UysVD_FGqR1Oe2y9291fP7hN4Fl_sxs30EihlDHCIkrABbdytpwcWoipaNx3zC0mXKFp9hfCsD_ew/s200/thinker+task+bundle+cover+new.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Introducing-Arrays-Factors-and-Prime-Numbers-932226"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHqvZRK1yYA_z4XZvNoBK2Uj2ceS8yUaGyP1zN4nbUi2dSI707i_VLUou_cG_hZKUoQMeLjjOd6nzVVZdNPE6dWmPIYHVqCxriqKbYT9ZhwibvPr8hZFcAoJBbVxwdeoBTw_Vp-opQjXw/s200/prime+and+composite+numbers+scoop+new+cover.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<b>Have you missed the other posts in this series?</b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.theteacherstudio.com/2018/06/refine-your-math-instruction-in-7-steps.html">Click HERE</a> for the introductory post.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.theteacherstudio.com/2018/06/crafting-yearly-math-content-plan.html">Click HERE</a> for Challenge 1 (yearly planning)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.theteacherstudio.com/2018/06/6-tips-for-creating-classroom-culture.html">Click HERE</a> for Challenge 2 (math talk and mindset)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.theteacherstudio.com/2018/06/word-problems-problem-solving-and-tips.html">Click HERE</a> for Challenge 3 (word problems and problem solving)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.theteacherstudio.com/2018/07/organizing-your-classroom-designing.html">Click HERE</a> for Challenge 4 (math organization)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.theteacherstudio.com/2018/07/planning-for-meaningful-math-assessment.html">Click HERE</a> for Challenge 5 (math assessment)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.theteacherstudio.com/2018/07/providing-quality-math-problem-solving.html">Click HERE</a> for Challenge 6 (meaningful problem solving)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">Did you miss signing up for the FB group? <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/teacherstudiosummerchallenge/">CLICK HERE</a>! </span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;">(And make sure to answer the screener questions!)</span></div>
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Want to pin this for later? Here you go!</div>
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The Teacher Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04936657056940797588noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072938188438508721.post-73776085514576209482018-06-18T13:44:00.000-05:002018-07-18T15:19:49.923-05:00Refine Your Math Instruction in 7 Steps! A Summer Challenge...<h4 style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Anyone else looking to improve their math instruction next year?</span></b></h4>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Most summers I do some sort of a book study on the blog, but this summer I decided to try something new! I know a lot of people have big dreams of making sweeping changes in their classrooms or their instruction and hope that summer will provide them the time to do that.</span><br />
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<b>I have a little "challenge" for those of you who are looking to make some changes in how you teach math this year</b>...maybe not a complete overhaul--but you want to be more deliberate and intentional with what you do. If this sounds like you, then this series of blog posts and "mini challenges" is just the ticket! So whether you teach kindergarten or fifth grade...if you teach math, give this summer challenge a try and see what you think!<br />
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<b>You can end this summer feeling organized...feeling planned...and KNOWING that you are going to be better meeting each and every students' math needs--with less stress for you!</b><br />
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<b><span style="color: #741b47; font-size: large;">Here's how this is going to work:</span></b></div>
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7 Challenges. 6 Weeks. You can do it!</h3>
1. <b>There are 7 challenges that will happen over the next six weeks or so</b>. You can do all of them--or some of them. You can do them alone, or team up with teachers you know and love and work on these together! There are several days between challenges to give you time to dig in. Each challenge is NOT meant to take a ton of time--although depending on your current situation, you may wish to go even deeper into some of them. Work at your own pace...and join any time!<br />
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Check out the blog post. Grab the freebie. Get to work!</h3>
2. Each of the 7 challenges will have a blog post with some background information and the challenge itself. Along with it, there will be a freebie "checklist" or other materials to help you implement the challenge. These freebies are not in my store and are available only through my blog at this time.<br />
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Join the Facebook group. Get support. Win prizes. Boom.</h3>
3. There is a special Facebook group for updates, suggestions, and even some special giveaways just for this challenge. It's a great place to share successes, challenges, ideas, and more. You will want to join this group (it will only last through the summer!) to get free coaching, post your successes, ask questions, see what others are doing, and so on! There will definitely be "perks" to being a part of it! I will also be posting reminders, videos, and updates on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/FourthGradeStudio/">my Facebook page</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/fourthgradestudio/">my Instagram.</a><br />
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Wait? A giveaway at the end? Yes, please.</h3>
4. At the end of the challenges, there will be a great giveaway for you to enter to reward you for your hard work! If you could use a nice juicy TpT gift card to help you with back to school purchases, then you may be interested in joining in that part of the fun! There will be other smaller giveaways along the way in the Facebook group, so don't forget to join in the fun there as well!<br />
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<b>So are you interested? Are you in? </b></h3>
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<b>Do you want to join me in preparing for a GREAT YEAR of math teaching?</b></div>
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Start by joining the Facebook group by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/202603620369477/">CLICKING HERE</a> and then following my Facebook page by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/FourthGradeStudio/">CLICKING HERE</a> to get updates and reminders. Introduce yourself in the group and get ready for your first challenge coming on <b>Wednesday</b>! Warm up your brain and get ready to set your math instruction on fire!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Get ready to work a little, win a little, and feel more ready for your next year! Don't forget to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/202603620369477">hop over to the group now</a> and get started! (Hey...let your friends know too! Let's start a movement to improve math instruction for ALL students!)</span><br />
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<b>Have you missed the other posts in this series?</b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.theteacherstudio.com/2018/06/refine-your-math-instruction-in-7-steps.html">Click HERE</a> for the introductory post.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.theteacherstudio.com/2018/06/crafting-yearly-math-content-plan.html">Click HERE</a> for Challenge 1 (yearly planning)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.theteacherstudio.com/2018/06/6-tips-for-creating-classroom-culture.html">Click HERE</a> for Challenge 2 (math talk and mindset)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.theteacherstudio.com/2018/06/word-problems-problem-solving-and-tips.html">Click HERE</a> for Challenge 3 (word problems and problem solving)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.theteacherstudio.com/2018/07/organizing-your-classroom-designing.html">Click HERE</a> for Challenge 4 (math organization)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.theteacherstudio.com/2018/07/planning-for-meaningful-math-assessment.html">Click HERE</a> for Challenge 5 (math assessment)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.theteacherstudio.com/2018/07/providing-quality-math-problem-solving.html">Click HERE</a> for Challenge 6 (meaningful problem solving)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">Did you miss signing up for the FB group? <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/teacherstudiosummerchallenge/">CLICK HERE</a>! </span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;">(And make sure to answer the screener questions!)</span></div>
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The Teacher Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04936657056940797588noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072938188438508721.post-15429508110507897792018-04-28T22:37:00.000-05:002018-04-29T13:01:45.871-05:00More Than a Math Center: Help to Unpack and Teach Algebraic Thinking and Operations<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; background-repeat: no-repeat; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: 600; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">So often teachers are asked to teach math standards—whether they be from the Common Core or other rigorous standards—and aren’t given enough help or the resources to do it well. </span><span style="background-color: white; background-repeat: no-repeat; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><b> </b></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/More-Than-a-Math-Center-Grade-4-Operations-and-Algebraic-Thinking-Bundle-3751237?utm_source=www.theteacherstudio.com&utm_campaign=more%20than%20a%20math%20center%20post%20bundle"><img alt="Teachers need help teaching the standards--math standards are complex and need to be broken into kid-friendly terms! Math centers aren't enough...teachers need assessment, teaching tips, rigorous math problems, task cards, and more! This post helps show how we CAN teach the standards effectively in whole class, math workshop, or intervention groups. Grade 4 math, Common Core math, math station, math center, math printables" border="0" data-original-height="584" data-original-width="1119" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZMD8TWQXfAoy4JqhQ7NF_JkSMiRtkV0jnYZv608GmVR8eNEKatoO7sa57hfmPG2XXnTxUdMq2bVzGFgnYOsRjS_6BnW2Rj3S9be2MY-Itwu0cBPgSbblBNoH00ZIkCClTQKQfD9PFPkQ/s640/More+than+a+math+center+post+header.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><b>If you sometimes struggle to know exactly what the standards mean or how to break them down for your students, I believe this <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/More-Than-a-Math-Center-Grade-4-Operations-and-Algebraic-Thinking-Bundle-3751237?utm_source=www.theteacherstudio.com&utm_campaign=more%20than%20a%20math%20center%20post%20bundle">new line of math resources</a> is exactly what you need! It </b></span></span><b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">includes the following components to help teach fourth grade algebraic thinking and operations.</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white; background-repeat: no-repeat; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #222222; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /></span> <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><b>*Clearly worded standard page (CCSS Aligned) to compare to whatever standards you use.</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><b>*Teaching tips and suggestions</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><b>*Assessment options (2 forms) to use as pre- and post- tests or as test and retest</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><b>*12 task cards to use as a math center or with a small instructional group</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><b>*4 “challenge” cards addressing the same standard but pushing for deeper thinking and application</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><b>*Recording sheets for both sets of task cards</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><b>*Error analysis/critiquing reasoning reproducible</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><b>*Class recording sheet to monitor who is in need of intervention, who is on track, and who needs enrichment.</b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; background-repeat: no-repeat; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><b>We are supposed to "unpack" the standards and figure out how to teach them...how to assess them...and what to do with students who don't "get it". It's a lot--especially when we, as elementary teachers, are usually teaching multiple subjects! </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;">I decided to try to tackle this standard by standard and started with <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/More-Than-a-Math-Center-Grade-4-Operations-and-Algebraic-Thinking-Bundle-3751237?utm_source=www.theteacherstudio.com&utm_campaign=more%20than%20a%20math%20center%20post%20bundle">Algebraic Thinking and Operation</a><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/More-Than-a-Math-Center-Grade-4-Operations-and-Algebraic-Thinking-Bundle-3751237?utm_source=www.theteacherstudio.com&utm_campaign=more%20than%20a%20math%20center%20post%20bundle">s resources</a> because I think many textbooks fail teachers on this set of standards. What I wanted to do was create a</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;"> resource geared toward helping teaching these rigorous math standa</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;">rds--and that takes into account all those </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">factors that sometimes get in our way. Here are the topics covered in this set!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/More-Than-a-Math-Center-Multiplication-Comparison-Problems-3751178?utm_source=www.theteacherstudio.com&utm_campaign=more%20than%20math%20center%20post%20mult%20comparison"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLxgAbAVcWEil7xTT2dw0SZcGD560ZXIb0lrGHFaum7Zzsu7Ytnfzs9mUCw9-fOhA7fQkPsZis0AnthVVACtyx_ccl46wRn2pAhA4gfyME6onHcEmyW2Qq9nviVMIs3S8X26vdsRIgBtg/s200/more+than+a+math+center+comparison+4+OA+A+1+cover.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/More-Than-a-Math-Center-Multiplication-and-Addition-Comparison-Problems-3751205?utm_source=www.theteacherstudio.com&utm_campaign=more%20than%20a%20math%20center%20post%20multi%20and%20add%20comparison"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSFvHuwS7NFa9Bv1653kIQLj2BGLz-sm_PdYNfklyuuoesWxutZKYhnRnWKQDoaDfBgAsH83KYqo-tQgJ0N720x6oGVv8D0xtn8T5RmUTeyCZwAvnrRMUIBJZaZGJWsYReLqT_FHXXMRc/s200/more+than+a+math+center+comparison+4+OA+A+2+cover.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/More-Than-a-Math-Center-Multistep-Word-Problems-and-Estimation-Strategies-3751217?utm_source=www.theteacherstudio.com&utm_campaign=more%20than%20a%20math%20center%20post%20multistep"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoUrotO8I5w270OnFdxrabNE_tKpLD0wq23WqHL3wIM-jAdY7y91dzvexjMDqcXkE-phymWL595yhizzXFCpPj5hV2I5mMFh6W6dSSbrtlBZfPd33r_Cuu-KLh269Ht1toJ4fTxzwrilY/s200/more+than+a+math+center+multistep+4+OA+A+3+cover.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/More-Than-a-Math-Center-Prime-and-Composite-Numbers-Factors-and-Multiples-3751230?utm_source=www.theteacherstudio.com&utm_campaign=more%20than%20a%20math%20center%20post%20prime%20composite"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq5FcBTZfAf9k3Oix9v8pEOegL159BE1zRbyu_z9zdT4UOPiEIcdEMS1_HxiEf6iiJSz87-mWOd9LnmHkAH-C4a2Gm-aiukFYpRzz3C_zRquPvzYd9txVV_9blOMXmHUqtcxOY90uSCHs/s200/more+than+a+math+center+factors+multiples+prime+composite+4+OA+B+4+cover.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/More-Than-a-Math-Center-Generate-and-Analyze-Patterns-Grade-4-3751313?utm_source=www.theteacherstudio.com&utm_campaign=more%20than%20a%20math%20center%20post%20patterns"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLzd5YWXm85JLpwvC7vqfS_v-e6hENxmRwHFduGxpH1JbltMWg-SFfUZpk2IqnSRNesobQVwm5xc58fB3XDW5KFuwD7qiFA_znxZ-XjkxcPkEnkApid9sGXCJebnYykfSiV1kIixtMbuM/s200/more+than+a+math+center+number+shape+patterns+4+OA+C+5+cover.jpg" width="200" /></a></span><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/More-Than-a-Math-Center-Grade-4-Operations-and-Algebraic-Thinking-Bundle-3751237?utm_source=www.theteacherstudio.com&utm_campaign=more%20than%20a%20math%20center%20post%20bundle"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ZK2SlMFAljou7Gy7P7_Y5sS5AXuxmbviszzDii_zXK-3Wia7lvt-4x6pYV3JfVxqu1fHaeCpTdtpBoq-ERfAQDarVTqxZscT8iDou9-8QnE0F3KN61PrwMY3A36auQoHZE_TQxQg0Pc/s200/bundle+cover+more+than+a+math+center+operations+and+algebraic+thinking+.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Want some more details about some of the components of this <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/More-Than-a-Math-Center-Grade-4-Operations-and-Algebraic-Thinking-Bundle-3751237?utm_source=www.theteacherstudio.com&utm_campaign=more%20than%20a%20math%20center%20post%20bundle">ready-to-use math resource</a>? Read on!</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Student-Friendly Math Targets</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Teachers need to know what the standards really mean—and be able to break them into </span>student-friendly<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> lan</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;">guage. Most of us get so little professional development; I want my resources to help make it easier for teachers to understand the content they are expected to teach. Understanding key elements about each standard AND having a way to share this information with students is so important.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheMOYNa398P4FycFN4qC8159WeCcrxjhibS6S8NSlz0fX4z0k8-7ya_KwAw8omFvkfFPNUcLyQSIXNtB6Mqy_wWhMLuz6VrxQ7B5OSUrHE5qPn3-uF-_DYzakRXHm7gRnHIe-gDOQrUwU/s1600/Slide4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img alt="Teachers need help teaching the standards--math standards are complex and need to be broken into kid-friendly terms! Math centers aren't enough...teachers need assessment, teaching tips, rigorous math problems, task cards, and more! This post helps show how we CAN teach the standards effectively in whole class, math workshop, or intervention groups. Grade 4 math, Common Core math, math station, math center, math printables" border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheMOYNa398P4FycFN4qC8159WeCcrxjhibS6S8NSlz0fX4z0k8-7ya_KwAw8omFvkfFPNUcLyQSIXNtB6Mqy_wWhMLuz6VrxQ7B5OSUrHE5qPn3-uF-_DYzakRXHm7gRnHIe-gDOQrUwU/s640/Slide4.JPG" title="" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Low-Ink Assessments in Two Formats</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px;">Teachers need the ability to assess the standards…and sometimes more than once if we want to pre and post test OR test, intervene with students, and then test again to check for growth. Having a "Form A" and a "Form B" makes that so easy. (Oh yeah...having the answers sure helps too, right?)</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPH8jhMQ90mm7kf6gXTrurMGTbIiGBgw8I9XucbrdGhfis692-qqzDV3_RFRcIn-7Lzh_YkZUMfH3Exddj-pj-hs2CwcgP526RSTznFkeaM_1t2E35DlRzNW_lAHMc5WOsk17Q1T-PRxs/s1600/Slide6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img alt="Teachers need help teaching the standards--math standards are complex and need to be broken into kid-friendly terms! Math centers aren't enough...teachers need assessment, teaching tips, rigorous math problems, task cards, and more! This post helps show how we CAN teach the standards effectively in whole class, math workshop, or intervention groups. Grade 4 math, Common Core math, math station, math center, math printables" border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPH8jhMQ90mm7kf6gXTrurMGTbIiGBgw8I9XucbrdGhfis692-qqzDV3_RFRcIn-7Lzh_YkZUMfH3Exddj-pj-hs2CwcgP526RSTznFkeaM_1t2E35DlRzNW_lAHMc5WOsk17Q1T-PRxs/s640/Slide6.JPG" title="" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Meaningful Math Centers--with Differentiated Cards</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;">Teachers need meaningful, ready-to-go activities that can be used in math centers or for small group instruction. Sometimes we need low-ink versions of them! We need them to be easy to prep! </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;">In addition, teachers need to be able to differentiate for our more capable students as well. Having extension activities built in saves the day! When I see students finishing early, I don't want to stop working with other students to go find more work for them to do. I decided to make task cards to match each standard...with 12 cards that present the standard in different ways and then four MORE cards to enrich those who need it! The cards could be used as math centers...but could be used as intervention or enrichment groups as needed. In color and black and white!</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHVzNqUvzGS1co_oS0Bi20DERBJ_jDSF3dNBOyni7G_GPOYuTFuh_RdPUoaiXxch4GBnFZa1u4eV9dOUd4mkB_9VT9xBozcge3AZs85uFKcqjvkDZzFNybZ0TC9087QGOQAhPRUT1hm4M/s1600/Photo+Apr+28%252C+7+31+13+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img alt="Teachers need help teaching the standards--math standards are complex and need to be broken into kid-friendly terms! Math centers aren't enough...teachers need assessment, teaching tips, rigorous math problems, task cards, and more! This post helps show how we CAN teach the standards effectively in whole class, math workshop, or intervention groups. Grade 4 math, Common Core math, math station, math center, math printables" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHVzNqUvzGS1co_oS0Bi20DERBJ_jDSF3dNBOyni7G_GPOYuTFuh_RdPUoaiXxch4GBnFZa1u4eV9dOUd4mkB_9VT9xBozcge3AZs85uFKcqjvkDZzFNybZ0TC9087QGOQAhPRUT1hm4M/s640/Photo+Apr+28%252C+7+31+13+PM.jpg" title="" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px;">Cards with the scalloped borders are written at one level--and the concave borders take things up a notch and ask students to work with the concept in a different way that is more challenging. Perfect for enrichment or fast finishers.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihKRjm6NiFggBCgM0v8jgYSqqgdVhOmATtos6GFhlAIzhtTYOUVk1J6Yp-HcTcjju09e0fUf65TTT8-5KEZqPvM9Q2Ot6hY1cW5Avh9O2Ve04Om6MDzQqsgrESviMguykLlosTebNVR-s/s1600/Photo+Apr+28%252C+7+30+46+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img alt="Teachers need help teaching the standards--math standards are complex and need to be broken into kid-friendly terms! Math centers aren't enough...teachers need assessment, teaching tips, rigorous math problems, task cards, and more! This post helps show how we CAN teach the standards effectively in whole class, math workshop, or intervention groups. Grade 4 math, Common Core math, math station, math center, math printables" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihKRjm6NiFggBCgM0v8jgYSqqgdVhOmATtos6GFhlAIzhtTYOUVk1J6Yp-HcTcjju09e0fUf65TTT8-5KEZqPvM9Q2Ot6hY1cW5Avh9O2Ve04Om6MDzQqsgrESviMguykLlosTebNVR-s/s640/Photo+Apr+28%252C+7+30+46+PM.jpg" title="" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<h3>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Higher Level Reasoning and Error Analysis Tasks</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px;">Teachers need students to be able to do error analysis and think, critique, and write deeply about math—not just fill in the blanks. So many of the pages in textbooks ask students to fill in charts and answer boxes...and students spend more mental energy figuring out what to do and where to do the work instead of actually doing the math. I KNOW they don't provide enough opportunities for students to think deeply and talk and write about math. Adding a page like this to each resource gives a rigorous problem, the chance for students to write and talk about math, and even an additional challenge makes this super flexible. Use as a partner activity, a whole-class activity, or even an assessment.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/More-Than-a-Math-Center-Grade-4-Operations-and-Algebraic-Thinking-Bundle-3751237?utm_source=www.theteacherstudio.com&utm_campaign=more%20than%20a%20math%20center%20post%20bundle"><img alt="Teachers need help teaching the standards--math standards are complex and need to be broken into kid-friendly terms! Math centers aren't enough...teachers need assessment, teaching tips, rigorous math problems, task cards, and more! This post helps show how we CAN teach the standards effectively in whole class, math workshop, or intervention groups. Grade 4 math, Common Core math, math station, math center, math printables" border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="384" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR5x97EmjnQKU3FX3j3zbZp8C6g8fQQ_UMMKkvNAX-MfQ-G297xu347TjhoRQlPyS67Kk1iVyRaKmkkE5mpsZQUk5AUNDnN3CRDrGg-4JUfUrP1cdTkRVoYlm_EJXpdo8LBK3dpeC6Zu4/s640/it%2527s+more+than+a+math+center+algebraic+thinking+blog+post+pin.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span>The Teacher Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04936657056940797588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072938188438508721.post-21201347044245870772018-04-25T19:45:00.000-05:002018-04-25T20:16:42.164-05:00Improving and Combining Sentences: A Gradual Release of Responsibility Writing LessonI wanted to share today about a twenty minute lesson I did that was super effective--and reviewed two key writing skills we worked on earlier this year.<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Improving-and-Combining-Sentences-Writing-Task-Cards-2271491"><img alt="Short writing lessons where we model writing and use a gradual release of responsibility model to help students learn how to add details to their sentences and combining sentences to make compound sentences. Great for writer's workshop or to review essential writing standards. Third grade writing lessons, fourth grade writing lessons, fifth grade writing lessons, writing activities, writing task cards" border="0" data-original-height="584" data-original-width="1119" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFJWWyv9i_DOOeJoqaSfdOghLM2NR3VdzfW5btPI74ZuYiPwcHm3OzJNMzP9Jdt_I3nsFVElkgE16ID9Q5Y1iUJg3ZFsFyToTeFZ-u14Ilk5LrzZ3MR__F3QOW5-UwPKrmJHtbcgBN8KM/s640/improving+sentences+blog+post+header+image.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a name='more'></a>These are:<br />
<b>1. I can combine two sentences into one improved sentence.</b><br />
<b>2. I can add details to simple sentences to make them more interesting and descriptive.</b><br />
<h3>
Improving and Combining Sentences to Improve Our Writing</h3>
We are starting our social issues book clubs, and each "chunk" of their reading is going to culminate in a writing reflection--and I thought it would be a great time to reinforce some of the writing and convention skills we have worked on all year from capitalization to punctuation to sentence fluency.<br />
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Today I pulled out the <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Improving-and-Combining-Sentences-Writing-Task-Cards-2271491">task cards</a> I used earlier this year and brought out several samples that showcased both of these targets.<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Improving-and-Combining-Sentences-Writing-Task-Cards-2271491"><img alt="Short writing lessons where we model writing and use a gradual release of responsibility model to help students learn how to add details to their sentences and combining sentences to make compound sentences. Great for writer's workshop or to review essential writing standards. Third grade writing lessons, fourth grade writing lessons, fifth grade writing lessons, writing activities, writing task cards" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfINWlJZER8-veKCUNkTm6monv26rmx0qNDzNzaPgl8aha8kpM6Q1eRLn4tkgm0qaA7TuxnqCINj7z7JJOJBegcAShXk-9ee9bFdM54Vl7nLoQDdFqMDCEp2CGl9CE5xHNn14-PJm9pMc/s640/Photo+Apr+25%252C+6+01+26+PM.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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I started off by doing some modeling and "thinking aloud"...I talked about how "The dog begged for food," simply doesn't give us much to visualize or to connect to--so a writer who includes that sentence isn't helping the reader in any way by giving character, setting, feeling, or sensory details.</div>
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Modeling Writing: Gradual Release of Responsibility</h3>
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We then looked at my three examples and how different they each are--but how each paints a different picture for the reader.</div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Improving-and-Combining-Sentences-Writing-Task-Cards-2271491"><img alt="Short writing lessons where we model writing and use a gradual release of responsibility model to help students learn how to add details to their sentences and combining sentences to make compound sentences. Great for writer's workshop or to review essential writing standards. Third grade writing lessons, fourth grade writing lessons, fifth grade writing lessons, writing activities, writing task cards" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqw0r-CE0gKZvxIqwGcEc5jOaiap0p0rpMAuDMrwKulgX8MSAlUrNO-urOiLgxoqr91KbDD8VT2iw8RwRW173xf-A8mPZBeRgxjcWX-7zJ82XL7wkftXujtT_1C1dS1kD9PzzW4x0dcDU/s640/Photo+Apr+25%252C+6+02+41+PM.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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We then looked at the types of words and phrases that really helped us "see" the story in our minds and highlighted them. I sent students off to try some of their own and to then share in partners.</div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Improving-and-Combining-Sentences-Writing-Task-Cards-2271491"><img alt="Short writing lessons where we model writing and use a gradual release of responsibility model to help students learn how to add details to their sentences and combining sentences to make compound sentences. Great for writer's workshop or to review essential writing standards. Third grade writing lessons, fourth grade writing lessons, fifth grade writing lessons, writing activities, writing task cards" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8QfKYyX6YolyYkPnPjS3_vKb8-Qg8xBA6JwrsJ25H-w2SEcKtm2i7K6PiVAd7_20_HlQK5EsNOQkNGCyCPs6jKgx9mwVSyBM7yUtA5djyLqJ4WqyGrRVsH9QSnCipqrUuWNFe9dhrHqI/s640/Photo+Apr+25%252C+6+03+03+PM.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
After that, we started to tackle those tricky compound and complex sentences. I worked to model different ways to "add on" details to sentences and to combine short sentences to help our writing sound more conversational. Again, we used highlighters to find sentences and clauses to help us decide if we needed commas for compound sentences or if we had a clause before our main sentence needed a comma to set it apart.<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Improving-and-Combining-Sentences-Writing-Task-Cards-2271491"><img alt="Short writing lessons where we model writing and use a gradual release of responsibility model to help students learn how to add details to their sentences and combining sentences to make compound sentences. Great for writer's workshop or to review essential writing standards. Third grade writing lessons, fourth grade writing lessons, fifth grade writing lessons, writing activities, writing task cards" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOmAlAyDuHo-YHbxPVXaYLnBdw9KheZtciaCatsYAub9IlMwdllFt0IYs1pHoKvidaTxumJaVkO8mLDCt7lWQkvejJAbOVTEg17lfIascRKEHgRbo5oN6d4lz1oyU2vMDasRd5MsMPYMs/s640/Photo+Apr+25%252C+6+03+34+PM.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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Again...back to some partner writing and sharing to practice this. After only about 25 minutes, I had done two "mini minilessons", modeled writing 6 sentences, highlighted teaching points, and students had written 4-6 sentences of their own. Not a bad kick off to the writing we are about to do with our book clubs!</div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Improving-and-Combining-Sentences-Writing-Task-Cards-2271491"><img alt="Short writing lessons where we model writing and use a gradual release of responsibility model to help students learn how to add details to their sentences and combining sentences to make compound sentences. Great for writer's workshop or to review essential writing standards. Third grade writing lessons, fourth grade writing lessons, fifth grade writing lessons, writing activities, writing task cards" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnAc6eRG89VnjIXDdgQSa6UQvb-HR2g7tZ2TBuvksDvCLXNVUYkt0rYdqBk4XgPVrhfdYH09XCMGaQpyBh0nlZV0CGu3gI4CbxWBDl8bY58QrNG9M5MObOU1RoZWypDCc_XCGTKvOokX4/s640/Photo+Apr+25%252C+6+02+08+PM.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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Want to check out the task cards I use? Just click <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Improving-and-Combining-Sentences-Writing-Task-Cards-2271491">HERE</a> or the image below.</div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Improving-and-Combining-Sentences-Writing-Task-Cards-2271491"><img alt="Short writing lessons where we model writing and use a gradual release of responsibility model to help students learn how to add details to their sentences and combining sentences to make compound sentences. Great for writer's workshop or to review essential writing standards. Third grade writing lessons, fourth grade writing lessons, fifth grade writing lessons, writing activities, writing task cards" border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzoOfUB_Iy2FibdTOVa0IDzHo1GHTakPimKEhlay5t-TEAuYA3Ir-GJSM1dax5gseZyDh1488Rq9TDKyKx2cnp_WOXLklmrizyQuuuKiPuOeeUhi2E37lChzerH7iawFyh97l_0IudjhE/s320/improving+and+combining+sentences+task+cards+cover.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
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Want to pin these ideas for later? Here you go!</div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Improving-and-Combining-Sentences-Writing-Task-Cards-2271491"><img alt="Short writing lessons where we model writing and use a gradual release of responsibility model to help students learn how to add details to their sentences and combining sentences to make compound sentences. Great for writer's workshop or to review essential writing standards. Third grade writing lessons, fourth grade writing lessons, fifth grade writing lessons, writing activities, writing task cards" border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="384" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfyhkuahRoHhX9aRtEqFHbVYjaBa47UxuCb6RMriXglKyiYbzQLj5pVjXUOaV0SLzahnPq-TAVMhai2A7cfwN-x0TLGVLHGmIqoYBkHa22J74LdbQVK44UBpPQoXnP58zRH_bfEar2ny8/s640/april+25+combining+and+improving+sentences+blog+post+pin.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />The Teacher Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04936657056940797588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072938188438508721.post-69984543291213589662018-04-24T21:56:00.000-05:002018-04-24T21:56:07.289-05:00Meaningful Activities for the End of the School YearAs we move toward the end of the school year, sometimes it's hard to keep focused on the important work we do! I know lots of teachers do end-of-year countdowns and so on...but to be honest, I am a pretty big fan of teaching to the end--but I'm not a fool! I like to incorporate engaging activities where students might not even realize they are working hard and applying everything they learned through the rest of the year!<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Getting-Ready-for-Summer-Last-Days-of-School-activities-696159"><img alt="Finding meaningful and fun end-of-year activities for third grade, fourth grade, and fifth grade can be challenging. This blog post is full of engaging and meaningful activities to do in the last week of school. Low prep activities, easy to prep and fun for students. End of year math, end of year printables, end of year lessons, creativity lessons, STEM activities" border="0" data-original-height="584" data-original-width="1119" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2zB74ENE8y5kqz-g3d-kAQm4alyuz_LcLFv27tTL2HPQyS7ESe5qXXmj8mJhQz3vJAdwJnXGMmPDazru_jEBKMNEWAsLU4yep5bLlFxTZQXeS8ruNow8nQssRtw3gzClpSiiL3TOgL5M/s640/end+of+year+blog+post+header+image.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a name='more'></a><br />
I thought I'd share some ideas with you in case you are looking for meaningful, end-of-year work!<br />
<h3>
Open-Ended Math Tasks and Project Based Learning</h3>
After a full year of math, I love to challenge my students with open-ended math tasks that require them to APPLY their knowledge in unique ways. When students can collaborate and cooperate--the learning becomes even more rich with math talk, problem-solving, and complexity. This <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Project-Based-Learning-Math-Problem-Solving-Amusement-Park-PBL-1379707">Amusement Park Challenge</a> is GREAT for this time of year...but I have used a number of different tasks in the past. Check out the <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Project-Based-Learning-Math-Problem-Solving-BUNDLE-PBL-1843282">bundle of all seven of these challenges here</a>! They are differentiated challenges, easy to print--and students love the real world challenges!<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Project-Based-Learning-Math-Problem-Solving-Amusement-Park-PBL-1379707"><img alt="Finding meaningful and fun end-of-year activities for third grade, fourth grade, and fifth grade can be challenging. This blog post is full of engaging and meaningful activities to do in the last week of school. Low prep activities, easy to prep and fun for students. End of year math, end of year printables, end of year lessons" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-1w0JvCvehoBlf_kHDpTmqpC3NWWAq-PSz7yv0vNgo0PQe0YpauK7l79-GA-ab3Z-8fXZJqLT-dqD25axiSxOjomXAOeEBEH34WXDRTyUxWHa5OMqO_gHq8aqmZIwIqLK1S3av5N6Woc/s640/Photo+Mar+14%252C+6+18+10+AM.jpg" title="" width="480" /></a></div>
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I also like to use some of these smaller open-ended challenges--perfect to fill in between units or to ask students to apply skills in different ways. Here is the most recent set...if you click it, you can see the description of it and the others in the series.<br />
<h3>
Mind Bogging Math Challenges</h3>
I usually use my <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-Enrichment-Activities-Mind-Boggling-Math-Center-Addition-With-Regrouping-854509">Mind Boggling Math Challenge</a> at the beginning of the year to work on perseverance, precision, and cooperation. At THIS time of the year, I kick it up a notch by using my <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-Enrichment-Activities-Mind-Boggling-Math-Center-Money-and-Decimals-872576">decimals/money edition</a>! I love that students can be completely independent, that they are working on adding and subtracting decimals BUT they are doing it in a rigorous way that is steeped in number sense and problem solving! They can work on it in pairs...independently...as a part of a math center...you choose. I love that while students are working, I can pull small groups for reteaching or interventions.<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-Enrichment-Activities-Mind-Boggling-Math-Center-Money-and-Decimals-872576"><img alt="Finding meaningful and fun end-of-year activities for third grade, fourth grade, and fifth grade can be challenging. This blog post is full of engaging and meaningful activities to do in the last week of school. Low prep activities, easy to prep and fun for students. End of year math, end of year printables, end of year lessons" border="0" data-original-height="1258" data-original-width="1600" height="502" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLZvoa88W-ebCIC3wi3GCCNBy5nKqWYyprApR9Z80mFEaKRc5x4lHtm3a2OGNvImMLpElVat9NsaKzmmHCNj6mYe2trYIj_q8c2liTs8OXLolYvouNmwqghFjmWNIL6x4zzOJXjgqBeVg/s640/Photo+Apr+23%252C+7+56+17+PM.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
<h3>
Creativity Challenges</h3>
Let's face it...sometimes we work SO hard at covering our content that we forget that there are other components to student learning. I am a HUGE believer in nurturing creativity--and helping students understand the importance of it. Although I work in some of these activities all year, the end of the school year is a great time to remind students about how important creativity is--and to give them these different explorations to try. From math to art to writing to playing with words...I love that this <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Creativity-Activities-Bundled-Set-Creative-Thinking-Activities-and-Printables-1217847">creativity bundle</a> makes sure that ALL students have a way to shine!<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Creativity-Activities-Bundled-Set-Creative-Thinking-Activities-and-Printables-1217847"><img alt="Finding meaningful and fun end-of-year activities for third grade, fourth grade, and fifth grade can be challenging. This blog post is full of engaging and meaningful activities to do in the last week of school. Low prep activities, easy to prep and fun for students. Teaching creativity, End of year math, end of year printables, end of year lessons" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZU4sS5VzOxe0hSLY6_qURJKg3AYgMG5cV7DyQqsN7lX1-H3AoVGJAVXOKMaiMCNbP6_cs0Hc6fjC1jgHPzyy-YF-NVpqFqV4kGjzAJVKpmWmL_VjdKRhHWEXQwEpdJuncjPYL0NAIvww/s640/Photo+Apr+23%252C+7+50+28+PM.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Creativity-Activities-Bundled-Set-Creative-Thinking-Activities-and-Printables-1217847"><img alt="Finding meaningful and fun end-of-year activities for third grade, fourth grade, and fifth grade can be challenging. This blog post is full of engaging and meaningful activities to do in the last week of school. Low prep activities, easy to prep and fun for students. End of year math, end of year printables, end of year lessons, teaching creativity" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcGHViR8O2XI4fGCkXkrbvZLMOtfhg1l4A40q8h-hNVRYPCdvzNOEyboKLFo3bHIP5BX7HLk9zoHT04Kn6s7awqbTc6ox-54PTKfSHGTYom3FSr2OwjPVAP43HLrcSI9TOaabp9aUKG8Q/s640/creativity+image+2.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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Cooperative Learning, STEM Challenges, and Teamwork</h3>
Getting students ACTIVE in the last weeks of school is so important. Finding easy to prep and set up STEM challenges and other cooperative activities keep students moving and excited about learning! These are perfect--and what I love is that you can do them once and stress the teamwork--or truly work like engineers and try them, make observations, make improvements, retest, and so on. I love just hanging back and watching my students now that they really "get" how to work together! Just click the images below to learn more.<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Hands-On-Science-Investigations-Tower-Teamwork-689266"><img alt="Finding meaningful and fun end-of-year activities for third grade, fourth grade, and fifth grade can be challenging. This blog post is full of engaging and meaningful activities to do in the last week of school. Low prep activities, easy to prep and fun for students. End of year math, end of year printables, end of year lessons, STEM activities" border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEU42D8ex_ZpWzpJkzPaAQb48lZCr4ElCMn-NSJg2JDb8OhnNu1_37Z5Sy6MHTKHHICcVgQZ629x3f5DtJhPzZcmhjhc16kL7Urnz1auwQfEqdSVeMxUz8LhQssjaQTz9AUx_8Ze2oFxY/s320/Slide1.JPG" title="" width="240" /></a><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Hands-On-Science-Investigations-Column-Challenge-699231"><img alt="Finding meaningful and fun end-of-year activities for third grade, fourth grade, and fifth grade can be challenging. This blog post is full of engaging and meaningful activities to do in the last week of school. Low prep activities, easy to prep and fun for students. End of year math, end of year printables, end of year lessons, STEM activities" border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs1EaXFHFJvtW-QUj-qY6MSQpiIYlmv6lhTHOCUKXtRDn-xorXV3fvPvjysVqvuRt5C-nDuJUOk21Bdgbn0r2IQRIn-ATxxqKQXxQJy0aWwJ2uQm-65XIfcNuiZ_9iHIrpcbv_gR7OqkY/s320/Slide1.JPG" title="" width="240" /></a></div>
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Some "Just for Fun" Getting Ready for Summer Activities</h3>
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Sometimes we just need to have a little fun--and these <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/End-of-Year-Common-Core-Word-Problem-Collection-Grade-3-5">word problems</a> and this set of low ink <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Getting-Ready-for-Summer-Last-Days-of-School-activities-696159">"Getting Reading for Summer" activities</a> might be just what the doctor ordered! I print some of these up to have on hand when I have one of those weird gaps in my schedule in those last weeks. The students enjoy them, and I love to have some "fillers" that have some educational merit!</div>
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<a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/End-of-Year-Common-Core-Word-Problem-Collection-Grade-3-5"><img alt="Finding meaningful and fun end-of-year activities for third grade, fourth grade, and fifth grade can be challenging. This blog post is full of engaging and meaningful activities to do in the last week of school. Low prep activities, easy to prep and fun for students. End of year math, end of year printables, end of year lessons, STEM activities" border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_P_aiCOHkYCpvc_fTnMJSsBY2ecq7H9Fo7gQthO6UEPv96ftTnK5BLdqSWR8f5e_ldLEtg3sYOVyx8D4EfBBYS6T9yGCPKpTzSa09QEgJGi1KQSL_FR8xBwhBtufp86yTPNt1aWHPoFI/s320/Slide1.JPG" title="" width="240" /></a> <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Getting-Ready-for-Summer-Last-Days-of-School-activities-696159"><img alt="Finding meaningful and fun end-of-year activities for third grade, fourth grade, and fifth grade can be challenging. This blog post is full of engaging and meaningful activities to do in the last week of school. Low prep activities, easy to prep and fun for students. End of year math, end of year printables, end of year lessons, STEM activities" border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPvIdXCWXv-4Gbcm2XJaq7E8eX28tYdPONnr6iPIPtUbWrTvMvaEF_gsoachn5aTcfnkO4H29E25pK_hrm20exlztGeVEGkWkl408UlMOTYERgZizbwgvx5QHGhyWGXZvPQucoDHueWJQ/s320/Slide1.JPG" title="" width="240" /></a></div>
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Want to pin these ideas for later?</div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Getting-Ready-for-Summer-Last-Days-of-School-activities-696159"><img alt="Finding meaningful and fun end-of-year activities for third grade, fourth grade, and fifth grade can be challenging. This blog post is full of engaging and meaningful activities to do in the last week of school. Low prep activities, easy to prep and fun for students. End of year math, end of year printables, end of year lessons, STEM activities" border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="384" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi95J8KtisdhQcirhXqvW2it4ylpuO0whEmEAaURGX6yruOaOpyzI2T_mf8o2Up7Vsa1CJYqIJOQ-r_XPjL4wzqFcadAmrLu9B4Gr82LjO0ZmvoZ5WHxkaF5qiMapIG5IF3rPrOk0nkgt0/s640/meaningful+end+of+year+activities+blog+post+pin.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
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The Teacher Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04936657056940797588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072938188438508721.post-59767275577773772012018-04-15T13:11:00.001-05:002018-04-15T16:09:55.917-05:00Using Math Sorts to Improve Instruction<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've been getting so many questions about how I use my math concept sorts in my class, so I thought I'd make it easy by sharing some of my thoughts with you here.<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-Sorts-Bundle-Math-Activities-to-Deepen-Understanding-and-Math-Discourse-2550979"><img alt="Using math concept sorts is a great way to incorporate standards for mathematical practice, deep math thinking, math talk, and conceptual understanding. Learn how to use math sorts into your curriculum, learn how to guide instruction, and how to differentiate math instruction. Geometry sorts, algebraic thinking sorts, fraction sorts, angle sorts, multiplication sorts, Grade 3 math activities, grade 4 math, grade 5 math, math activities, math lessons" border="0" data-original-height="584" data-original-width="1119" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbrVvPUSj7lOxE42T6xJKHTIVGi0-69yaikrhSZMDvLQ_epyfdhW7q9TEc4BrXOBDgnGQRRkXwGku0bBUSSN3cyDzTq1GF9xJwhw4JGrKa7nSPkmi9bqNfeFO5LCx1pZdwG0dATIfZBh8/s640/math+concept+sort+question+and+answer+header.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a name='more'></a>"How do you work these sorts into your planning and curriculum?" </h3>
That's easy...I use them in a few main ways.<br />
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1. As a full class warm up BEFORE teaching a skill. This helps me see what they know and what they do not know.<br />
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2. As a full class warm up AFTER teaching a skill. This helps me see what they learned and find any students who may still have misconceptions or superficial understanding.<br />
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3. As a replacement lesson for an overly "computation-based" lesson in our program. When I want students to be constructing their own understanding rather than being TOLD, I will often pull out a math concept sort.<br />
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4. As an "intervention" lesson when I feel students might have misunderstandings that have surfaced.<br />
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"How much coaching do you do when you do these lessons?" </h3>
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That's a fantastic question...because it all depends on what my purpose is in doing the lesson! If I am trying to collect information about my class...I do far more observing than coaching. If I am reteaching or supplementing--I am an active member of their cooperative groups. I think, as teachers, we need to consistently be mindful of our role; we often teach too much and don't listen enough! These lessons are the perfect time to back off a bit and truly listen to students.<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-Sorts-Bundle-Math-Activities-to-Deepen-Understanding-and-Math-Discourse-2550979"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="768" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXy9KZ82FO6NQd3978rnLd4xIW4N4xltaF24CZB9JXr5aD502QHc_iZdWHZ9CkoY_4K0wP90pTFNEifhKqW9KfrPTGxoGs0T_VLpHn34XE87B3J1KT1YzFZNUapuQU6ai9hiiNV6Y1UeY/s640/concept+sort+image+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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"How do these sorts help teach the Standards for Mathematical Practice"?</h3>
This is a HUGE reason why I am in favor of using math sorts...I honestly believe they are the perfect vehicle to tackle each and every one of the 8 math practice standards. From using reasoning to working and explaining precisely, to modeling with math--sorts get students thinking deeply and talking mathematically about important math concepts. What I think I like the best, is all these standards are intertwined--not isolated.<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-Sorts-Bundle-Math-Activities-to-Deepen-Understanding-and-Math-Discourse-2550979"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="768" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZZkVgXTn37ckltltnpTJoSDSDjmftZBvlmoxdzysH5F7M8jCONfeToeYB71ToqGWsPYXDm_CvuuiKM9psYL72a86je43DXP49TA7oGUNoQVt_4Offoad4fbLf8lq4I8BWT6YuziznuL4/s640/concept+sort+image+3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
I also love that there are "fuzzy" answers in my sorts...students SO often are looking for "The. Right. Answer."...and these sorts give students the freedom to say, "maybe..." or even, "I'm just not sure." This is how math discourse, critiquing reasoning, and great math talk happen!<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-Sorts-Bundle-Math-Activities-to-Deepen-Understanding-and-Math-Discourse-2550979"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="768" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5s20rQmoWZ8LgxCR4jidnML_aYZqnVkV04tVH-ISaGOuuuXuZUEheTD_HMH1xOWR4MT_vl8SREgKkPsOaG0LDuwM0O3vx3at42jyjRT983SsQmqzM7To-ddztQbyU0L6GS_3eqrkbbVw/s640/concept+sort+image+5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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"How can these be used for differentiating math instruction?"</h3>
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Another question people ask centers around differentiation. As I noted at the beginning, I use these sorts for different purposes--but even when I use these "whole class", there are ways to differentiate and meet the needs of all learners. Here are a few.</div>
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<li>Blank cards for students to create their own representations of the concepts</li>
<li>Ability to group students selectively--by ability, in mixed-ability groups, or for other strategic reasons (perfect to help provide students with the support and modeling they need)</li>
<li>Use in intervention groups...either use sorts that haven't been used in the past OR re-do a sort and really help coach</li>
<li>Remove some of the more challenging cards to make the sort a little bit easier</li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-Sorts-Bundle-Math-Activities-to-Deepen-Understanding-and-Math-Discourse-2550979"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="768" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuTGI5GOIQxr_WzILCoN45hAMubixocw1mut8emWiSMIO26ZgIcq0h5AUeZi_Eqbba0biGStK39mmvQNnY7LDAiRIrw3H-IX0egphrDqJfnxnK2a7ny-cBzrl2RTImXOAGjy1IM4zGooI/s640/concept+sort+image+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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"What changes have you seen in your students after using math sorts?"</h3>
I feel I've blogged about the benefits of using sorts a bunch of times...so I thought I'd link to a few of them here. I also thought I'd share some of the "truths" I believe about using them--and a little bit of feedback from some others who have dug in and used them too!<br />
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<a href="http://www.theteacherstudio.com/2016/12/using-our-fractional-reasoning.html">Click here to read a post about fraction sorts.</a><br />
<a href="http://www.theteacherstudio.com/2014/10/a-new-concept-sort-multiplication-sorts.html">Click here to read a post about multiplication sorts.</a><br />
<a href="http://www.theteacherstudio.com/2014/06/its-new-concept-sort-algebra-thinking.html">Click here to read a post about algebraic thinking sorts.</a><br />
<a href="http://www.theteacherstudio.com/2014/04/geometry-sortsbuilding-math-thinking.html">Click here to read a post about geometry sorts.</a><br />
<a href="http://www.theteacherstudio.com/2016/05/teaching-tips-for-concept-sorts.html">Click here to read a great "HOW TO" post about using sorts.</a><br />
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Now...here are a few other things I have found to be true about using concept sorts.<br />
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<b>We want students thinking about math and being curious about math--filling in the blank is so limiting.</b><br />
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So many math programs present problems in the same way over and over...and simply want students to fill in the blank (literally and figuratively). Often the problems that get students thinking STILL only have one correct answer. Students begin to see math as a quest to get all the right answers and don't see the creativity and wonder of math.</div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-Sorts-Bundle-Math-Activities-to-Deepen-Understanding-and-Math-Discourse-2550979"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT7ssAvYp2EjVqZ2HbrjVsVbglPJIsNJj2I9JPosWxrWYMP_HvBbcKiK5T6spqkeqe_yuKKtOGkZM_jkaL7CqcmPuO5g0ZgoYMu9xIPXGnKCHo-LEkHEwU5_VeutltoLnNSf_eupOZRvA/s320/Slide8.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>We want students talking about math. Using math discourse can accomplish a few things...</b><br />
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<li>It gets students thinking deeply as they have to explain ideas to others.</li>
<li>It helps students who are not understanding hear explanations in new ways.</li>
<li>It helps me--as a coach--hear what students are thinking, how deeply they are understanding, and where they may have misunderstandings and math misconceptions.</li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-Sorts-Bundle-Math-Activities-to-Deepen-Understanding-and-Math-Discourse-2550979"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJAkfGdSZ_hf5qV2kXWsKCS2ckIUdPbz5j5mPWvUPt-q-vM_phcpqd2SYXdTSwqsIVAkcdDnYkZjnPB4bMBPS37LDy5lgVaBwKP8h05aJgXWRhDtYKPEl2RTfPyYqKVrMe1WOn4W7kJIU/s320/Slide3.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>We want students "doing" math and being able to interact with manipulatives, diagrams, and models.</b><br />
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I love that when students are working on their sorts they often jump up to look for other resources to help them...the corner of a sticky note to "prove" something is a right angle...a handful of counters to work on an algebra thinking problem...their notebook to check their notes about geometric shapes. Students write all over the cards and fold them and highlight things...they INTERACT and explore.</div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-Sorts-Bundle-Math-Activities-to-Deepen-Understanding-and-Math-Discourse-2550979"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgevYIwuCKOnIn2m5vt1qJtHGf76GwYJ3YIfHspwnfSYl-ImiyjQL1ynSK1lRc9Oqzu44cN-u-7OWgqJlG4qS0MUtM6YRzaKSquBFQJvMYmowzjqKMJsOF6sTkxwoXj1IPK7xacgj5Zs1c/s320/Slide6.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>We want students to encounter productive struggle.</b><br />
By giving students challenging work, we carve out opportunities for assessment, intervention, critiquing reasoning, and feedback.<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-Sorts-Bundle-Math-Activities-to-Deepen-Understanding-and-Math-Discourse-2550979"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3AHrD26p8dfctn8HtL53y8-ZVEorjteYXQ5krt2pJ-Bom3yGFJ-VfGllCmnkJJmofAkxG7C47fkkhA64wGykEksPpyQjTjlLLFBPA0dWuPuFret7xdPQzUhfAKbi9sspgyqLVJUrAdfc/s320/Slide7.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<b><br /></b> <b>Our textbooks and resources typically don't provide enough of this kind of learning--and our limited professional development tells us we NEED to be doing more...but we don't have the tools or support.</b><br />
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One thing I always try to do is find ways to help teachers find new and interesting ways to engage students...so I hope the photos and directions I give in the resources help and inspire you. </div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-Sorts-Bundle-Math-Activities-to-Deepen-Understanding-and-Math-Discourse-2550979" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYdgJfr4SG7OI0-K7r7AOF3lWHqxnOIX_34snQfGtrqxuVxCEHR4T596v2mf-R7bwpKJmGWH1O9XEoslYA158wBuVB0L7abfVys6yXaSl-Hmmi0PSKy2acMl_hjGGO5nKS2IQSXCN-Thk/s320/Slide5.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Hope this gives you a little background--and maybe a little curiosity about using math sorts in YOUR classroom! I have included the links below to the main sort sets in my store. I have a few "single sorts" as well on different topics--but each of these resources is a set of FIVE sorts on one topic. Just click on any image below to see more!</div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-Concept-Sorts-5-Angle-Sorts-for-Fourth-Grade-and-Fifth-Grade-1085001"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaiV3hdxA87rvAl4ZOcYLBeinjxXmI306-PeMmCxHFy9tup2uGrFADPh9kZOABDKnmmG8KV0c4dIp2F1Ge1OuR-vg760K_V5-ZvX3lZRhIyA3ewuerdb2398RLfu_eFUKJ55lzUabiqGc/s200/math+sort+angle+button+image.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-Concept-Sorts-5-Algebra-Thinking-Sorts-for-Fourth-Grade-and-Fifth-Grade-1282487"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Zd6KCciwm_hVb6UZJ-5m8GVt4g17AZbsZ0KpdxwZTXyOQ2QF4DIbdRIPgRBrOKsQY3hDE5s91Mar2BlA5xnbEhzdosTCiBThRy727X2J5-I_etgwuYVdak6jo5qspCVr70ZZvrPonSM/s200/math+sort+algebra+button+image.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-Sorts-5-Fraction-Activities-for-Fourth-Grade-and-Fifth-Grade-1036755"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-NjQw_8VT6ogDoLHq7E37ZUZMjPyc4JpNze6_CQUrQH_uRJ0aJw5VkZu2_kL6x1doFTQAtogv3nNXV4Yg101RidVyzr9Wx1uQSrB18_7QgPqP4QaG_dQAhjMFfmc55eJ8C9IhyvBumiw/s200/math+sort+fraction+button+image.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-Concept-Sorts-A-Set-of-5-Multiplication-Sorts-for-Grades-4-and-5-1519691"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdzmF4y60_VQBYVNZKSjjbQ1TOSxdF4ate3IvG3ykvjf9gkCAJQVCW7VEZNE70c5xXxxTd9Xkob2gQS-1RQAKN_CdxSihDcyB_zs1HNKvwiAvHW-m3uaVoktGSPJ4krzjPyHtOd2dznKM/s200/math+sort+multiplication+button+image.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-Sorts-Bundle-Math-Activities-to-Deepen-Understanding-and-Math-Discourse-2550979"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj4oJNSayZfe5AHPVbcmGghnww-2FMtfQrp72HIpLbIFDlGLDHb9PvpaMHFhMskBowVFtCFO0n0IqrCoavo0k_hMr3-VTk-bhyiVasnitOH8BjDpWFWjEr-BhWQuFu2ZhSfV3BN8_kmFo/s200/math+sort+bundle+button+image.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-Concept-Sorts-5-Geometry-Sorts-for-Third-Grade-Fourth-Grade-Fifth-Grade-1221841"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBGlBVAc5Do0fL4Lz4GyNOF56KvPSUIFQGmtDndWOfvHhBDsfuLbvZCLz8VP4hRwQW1z_ijPQt6WhYrYzKIc4qhyphenhyphenkTbFrkQ0J9ops6jA6K4Un8WR5mQGpIQlsAkoHyDilktg2MI-WtDgw/s200/math+sort+geometry+button+image.jpg" /></a><br />
Rather pin this for later? Here you go!<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Math-Sorts-Bundle-Math-Activities-to-Deepen-Understanding-and-Math-Discourse-2550979"><img alt="Using math concept sorts is a great way to incorporate standards for mathematical practice, deep math thinking, math talk, and conceptual understanding. Learn how to use math sorts into your curriculum, learn how to guide instruction, and how to differentiate math instruction. Geometry sorts, algebraic thinking sorts, fraction sorts, angle sorts, multiplication sorts, Grade 3 math activities, grade 4 math, grade 5 math, math activities, math lessons" border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="384" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP7-pbIVwnd7-cOqvkX6xWKZ6eh-d2_QEN59JKq-kxkFBPiNNGesc2de5dncj_IJvc2XduCD9FTNf2V3fPFQ3tYZgFyJ2-k_Gw9BbQZXqNiDNg7pXeGBLuYQod7ISrW_3uvu5IVGLMrx4/s640/math+sort+question+and+answer+pin.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
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The Teacher Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04936657056940797588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072938188438508721.post-48529803047455617972018-04-03T21:09:00.000-05:002018-04-05T17:46:50.632-05:00Responding to Reading Prompts: Gradual Release Model I often hear teachers stressing out about how they can get everything they need ready for all their book groups, standards-based grading, and so on. Sometimes I think we work WAY too hard--and I always work to try to do best quality instruction without driving myself into the ground. The easiest way I do this is that I have a bank of resources ready to go--and I use the gradual release of responsibility to do so.<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Common-Core-Pausing-Points-Response-to-Reading-Prompts-Character-Studies-595833"><img alt="Learning to write about characters is important and is a part of the Common Core and other state standards. Using a gradual release model helps show students how to think deeply about texts and how to write effectively. It helps students know what is expected as well. Third grade reading, fourth grade reading, fifth grade reading" border="0" data-original-height="584" data-original-width="1119" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN7MqYVVsb1sDcPFyF4_XOnm9fJKf_ILM5OHHGk2Kq6UUDv-OGdPgHeVCPJPQiAsmTqtsSSanTvXOLSOOXp9f-UhKn6bq4yLisTKV8G86hnZp-MteRIiE8jjlEsURTbBfi_vRoJud8720/s640/pausing+point+character+thinking+deeply+post+header.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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Writing about characters as we read</h3>
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One of the topics we cover throughout the year involves studying "character". This is a part of the Common Core and other state standards...and it's such a great way to kick off the year because we can find SO many texts where characters are relatable. Picture books with strong characters, amazing read alouds, book groups where books are chosen because of their strong characters...all are super easy ways to get the discussions going.<br />
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I spend a HUGE amount of time modeling my thinking about characters, introducing character traits, tracing our thinking on anchor charts, and--eventually--modeling writing about characters. I think by doing all this legwork ahead of time makes it so much easier for students to understand what "deep thinking" really looks like and helps push them beyond those "just right" ideas. It's also a great way to model that "evidence from the text" that is such an important part of helping students write about characters.<br />
<b><br /></b> <b>In a nutshell:</b><br />
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<li>I model thinking and writing about books with picture books and read alouds.</li>
<li>I have students write about these shared texts as well--before they write about their own texts.</li>
<li>I have students share their writing with each other and practice giving feedback.</li>
<li>The "gradual release" is critical so students see what to do, how to do it, and the level of depth I expect in their reflections.</li>
<li>I keep writing samples from earlier in the year for students to look back at later to check for improvement.</li>
<li>We "study" samples of student writing to get better at our own.</li>
<li>I collect samples as part of our assessment process.</li>
<li>As the year goes on, students start to write about characters for the books they are reading in book clubs or independently.</li>
<li>We look at all elements of "character"...from traits, to how they change, to their quotations, and more. </li>
<li>Sometimes we write in our notebooks and sometimes on separate sheets that I can keep to use as data points.</li>
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If you are interested in seeing some of the prompts I use, just CLICK BELOW!<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Common-Core-Pausing-Points-Response-to-Reading-Prompts-Character-Studies-595833"><img alt="Learning to write about characters is important and is a part of the Common Core and other state standards. Using a gradual release model helps show students how to think deeply about texts and how to write effectively. It helps students know what is expected as well. Third grade reading, fourth grade reading, fifth grade reading" border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="384" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSkJXtDcxbzdosHfJdidJe9hT2enH-Pr661g51Elfahj2faiCAT_jn3qa4pNblg2hyphenhyphenAIZ_mo6EIUKrW5ZUQQa0KGCRrbtEEl5hIdAIuca4F4_81EqrTOJxfNjGQoDxmBBLFCOc5u-A-90/s640/pausing+point+character+studies+pin.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
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I use the same type of prompts as we study theme, events, and informational text as well. Here is a link to the prompts I use to help with that!<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Common-Core-Pausing-Points-Response-to-Reading-Prompts-Bundled-Set-739927"><img alt="Learning to write about characters is important and is a part of the Common Core and other state standards. Using a gradual release model helps show students how to think deeply about texts and how to write effectively. It helps students know what is expected as well. Third grade reading, fourth grade reading, fifth grade reading" border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="384" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjh787xitrUnd-b_6K2Js6Pc9AsJ2EuLk1Jny9MbcQBiwx4y40-Dyy32WC1jBToOtX6tNWoBdgowmOoi0BUGy19B2zLoR705DCNmJpjbF44V51a17rH_BzAmoIsmhtDW2XX8EUw0FUomM/s400/pausing+point+bundle+pin.jpg" title="" width="200" /></a></div>
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Want to pin this for later? Here you go!</div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Common-Core-Pausing-Points-Response-to-Reading-Prompts-Character-Studies-595833"><img alt="Learning to write about characters is important and is a part of the Common Core and other state standards. Using a gradual release model helps show students how to think deeply about texts and how to write effectively. It helps students know what is expected as well. Third grade reading, fourth grade reading, fifth grade reading" border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="384" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlcLvmyIWvIeee8w790DSI2_LifdfxXiwYV9QLOML2QM-yonIOQvJAluQR4OA_JeT3bG8o1IBJqnrg4cvdIfQbnQGiFHFxzh_ZbehPTQKLm0iravqeJJ9n5QcY9cILkbTS_n9BPcOSkVs/s640/thinking+deeply+character+pausing+point+post+pin.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />The Teacher Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04936657056940797588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072938188438508721.post-70041984416715061212018-03-31T10:58:00.000-05:002018-03-31T10:58:01.946-05:00Spring Bulletin Board Project: Writing, Culture Building, Creativity<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Every year I try to break us out of our long Wisconsin winters by taking an hour or so of class time to create a spring bulletin board that brightens our spirits! Today I thought I'd share a little bit about what we do--and why we do it! I so often hear people say, "We don't have time for cute projects anymore." I certainly agree that I do LESS than I used to--but I definitely believe that fitting in meaningful projects can be an important part of our students' learning experience.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">You CAN address standards when doing projects! </span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">One thing we have worked on ALL YEAR is defending our thinking and proving our ideas. Whether we are writing about a text and need to support our ideas with evidence from the book or supporting opinions with clear reasons--this is, indeed, a huge part of our standards. To piggyback on that, this project asks students to pick a book they truly love and state one or two reasons WHY. As my students drafted, they had to check with a partner to see if, indeed, their reason was convincing others to read that book. It was fun to see how they made suggestions to each other to improve word choice and so on. Success! We also made drafts first, then revised--another one of our standards. It is ALWAYS good to work on that writing process...and it is so nice to easily be able to get to each student to do a "teacher edit" since the amount of writing is so small.</span><br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Spring-Bulletin-Board-Ideas-Book-Bulletin-Board-Spring-Activities-604715"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyP7cHdXz8zVr5dagnaRUnD27vRRatTzozgibmGepVJ5uTcq4IUD4nTUmT-er7jz8dkFYpAA7ummTidJjRBT5HJOYZEUsR1Y2uKqHI_xbxv4wOlU406z1QoVkAOwruqSsb_5zoaHm3r7o/s640/Photo+Mar+31%252C+10+07+02+AM.jpg" title="Creating a spring bulletin board can be fun--but when you can practice writing, stating opinions, and revising--it's a great use of time! This book review bulletin project is perfect for spring! Let students get creative!" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> Easy grass...take 12 x 18 paper, cut into four inch tall strips, then slice grass blades into them. I gently curved every 2 or 3 blades to give it a little texture. I made grass while the students grew flowers!</span><br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Spring-Bulletin-Board-Ideas-Book-Bulletin-Board-Spring-Activities-604715"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img alt="Creating a spring bulletin board can be fun--but when you can practice writing, stating opinions, and revising--it's a great use of time! This book review bulletin project is perfect for spring! Let students get creative!" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCjaBxy1EyiDml4UKgDIOJCkQAFJutwg5xuoPxYeOvWd6t3WNLg8GLAo3BViWzjxBWTVl2TTpLIVIjY4SW7IZ6hv8xH50QIvaZshOB0HWpZ76kCKpxqh-RNyAt6qVbRBtXhG2gDasrLaU/s640/Photo+Mar+31%252C+10+07+24+AM.jpg" title="Creating a spring bulletin board can be fun--but when you can practice writing, stating opinions, and revising--it's a great use of time! This book review bulletin project is perfect for spring! Let students get creative!" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Projects build classroom culture, creativity, and community</span></h3>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It has been a long winter, and our little family is ready for a spring break. Doing projects like this can help remind students that learning is fun and that they can each contribute to something really beautiful. I did make tracers available for students who wanted them for their petals--but hardly anyone used them. The creativity was flowing! As we worked, I loved hearing students ask each other for help, compliment each other, and work collaboratively on their designs. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"Can you help me with my petals?"</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"Do you think these colors work together?"</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"I love how you did your leaves! Can you show me how?"</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I also loved the BOOK discussions that were happening! Students were checking out what books everyone selected and were having informal book talks WHILE they worked! I loved it!</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Spring-Bulletin-Board-Ideas-Book-Bulletin-Board-Spring-Activities-604715"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img alt="Creating a spring bulletin board can be fun--but when you can practice writing, stating opinions, and revising--it's a great use of time! This book review bulletin project is perfect for spring! Let students get creative!" border="0" data-original-height="1142" data-original-width="1600" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghGv0AbTUK4NlJuRVoQoUu4KKPjf6sXHitG6oBiZN0fgIjonl7Is1tRPvdJu4wo-Ek-3n7UTugqzVXTklHlmqDyLBEY9SFB4UjcyluG6wgaujE3bBSCMofWrNBPmAVq8nX4T0pgMDDBrc/s640/Photo+Mar+31%252C+10+07+48+AM.jpg" title="Creating a spring bulletin board can be fun--but when you can practice writing, stating opinions, and revising--it's a great use of time! This book review bulletin project is perfect for spring! Let students get creative!" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Projects can help students shine</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We all have those students who struggle academically--whether it be in one subject or many. By giving students a variety of opportunities at school...in the sciences, in technology--AND IN ART, it allows students who might not get many opportunities to really shine to showcase talents they have. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This year, one of my most struggling readers created the most beautiful flower and got SO many compliment from her classmates. She almost floated out the door after school. What a reminder to ALWAYS be looking for ways to help students to feel successful--inside our curriculum and outside.</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Spring-Bulletin-Board-Ideas-Book-Bulletin-Board-Spring-Activities-604715"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img alt="Creating a spring bulletin board can be fun--but when you can practice writing, stating opinions, and revising--it's a great use of time! This book review bulletin project is perfect for spring! Let students get creative!" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSQTIlnecHjDSLYkT2cdWt4EVsZvO3ayHxw0tvAeK5x7kK9wIWMPfgVQ-d2f3WuoVibGoUkECbhx2HeR21k9iWmeyxQYuUKgLmrT0BTowC5GqpAiK9PxzyaWuiyX4_skKXGiOup_32WEI/s640/Photo+Mar+31%252C+10+08+14+AM.jpg" title="Creating a spring bulletin board can be fun--but when you can practice writing, stating opinions, and revising--it's a great use of time! This book review bulletin project is perfect for spring! Let students get creative!" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> So much creativity!</span><br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Spring-Bulletin-Board-Ideas-Book-Bulletin-Board-Spring-Activities-604715"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img alt="Creating a spring bulletin board can be fun--but when you can practice writing, stating opinions, and revising--it's a great use of time! This book review bulletin project is perfect for spring! Let students get creative!" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjynRq2F-TcSnDgjQQkZMkS4UuPN4LVnq4uZ9sHYCf2PjKIJ4RyWfkTg6h7Rll-v3O4SxbkQ5bzTre0SYTpungx_YqDrSHmtGMi8YmQjjb3oMToinNM7gthEg7myuXVdpsoIuoujwb2IO8/s640/Photo+Mar+31%252C+10+08+33+AM.jpg" title="Creating a spring bulletin board can be fun--but when you can practice writing, stating opinions, and revising--it's a great use of time! This book review bulletin project is perfect for spring! Let students get creative!" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Are you interested in this project? I have a resource that has petal templates, the book review template and drafting page PLUS all the bulletin board letters for you to use--so it's seriously a print and go project. Just CLICK BELOW to see more.</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Spring-Bulletin-Board-Ideas-Book-Bulletin-Board-Spring-Activities-604715"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img alt="Creating a spring bulletin board can be fun--but when you can practice writing, stating opinions, and revising--it's a great use of time! This book review bulletin project is perfect for spring! Let students get creative!" border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8PKkemZZt-YejTmW27PuJaEpWFrrTO19ux9LkCe7Ie6DH8nsj9lS1OteuCxeZZBFeFoAno_RpX8waW8a7FD4mtJ50gNxE9hdS7hc9RSQqYa81q7QbP44iL3m2tzTC56i9918BVHe5m7w/s320/spring+into+a+new+book+bulletin+board+cover.jpg" title="Creating a spring bulletin board can be fun--but when you can practice writing, stating opinions, and revising--it's a great use of time! This book review bulletin project is perfect for spring! Let students get creative!" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> Want to pin this for later? Here you go!</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Spring-Bulletin-Board-Ideas-Book-Bulletin-Board-Spring-Activities-604715"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img alt="Creating a spring bulletin board can be fun--but when you can practice writing, stating opinions, and revising--it's a great use of time! This book review bulletin project is perfect for spring! Let students get creative!" border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="384" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtBA4_f4OIZzIDPNmRRpQ-3oFHd16gWCgzTTCse5QTPZMFi4h2Gr1V44fI-h3fjwYlGa78OaUPdMXEyJgvhSdU_2cayocEmsaSjEWsaYr6lNmPfaXFD_pNdSjMmnYivu1k1zeZXYm1eUY/s640/spring+into+a+good+book+bulletin+board+pin.jpg" title="Creating a spring bulletin board can be fun--but when you can practice writing, stating opinions, and revising--it's a great use of time! This book review bulletin project is perfect for spring! Let students get creative!" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<br />The Teacher Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04936657056940797588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072938188438508721.post-1071988600445508112018-03-24T14:30:00.001-05:002018-03-30T12:58:29.609-05:00Helping Students Fall In Love With Books: A Reading InterventionOne group of students who I think we often ignore is those students who are solid readers, are compliant--but aren't "engaged readers". We know that students learn to read by READING, so if they aren't reading at home and aren't challenging themselves at school, their progress will be impacted.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhufUybAY1XQbKZJ00_Mhzu7sMEadrLoD542eviZVSDJLR-ENwjH1QkhBUU64cSJeTv_i4tV5sZNHqnHAg_L29kMzmAusHEPF10pQqoaj3AOgK3NFV1NI804NRTcdOxManS6PbZ3TiWg-8/s1600/helping+student+learn+to+love+books+post+march+24+2018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Helping students find "just right" books and working to build reading habits, set reading goals, and build reading stamina are an important part of our literacy instruction. This blog post shows how I did a reading intervention with a child who was struggling to pick and stick with books she loved. Teaching reading, reading lessons, reading interventions, classroom library, just right books, third grade reading, fourth grade reading, second grade reading, fifth grade reading" border="0" data-original-height="584" data-original-width="1119" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhufUybAY1XQbKZJ00_Mhzu7sMEadrLoD542eviZVSDJLR-ENwjH1QkhBUU64cSJeTv_i4tV5sZNHqnHAg_L29kMzmAusHEPF10pQqoaj3AOgK3NFV1NI804NRTcdOxManS6PbZ3TiWg-8/s640/helping+student+learn+to+love+books+post+march+24+2018.jpg" title="Helping students find "just right" books and working to build reading habits, set reading goals, and build reading stamina are an important part of our literacy instruction. This blog post shows how I did a reading intervention with a child who was struggling to pick and stick with books she loved. Teaching reading, reading lessons, reading interventions, classroom library, just right books, third grade reading, fourth grade reading, second grade reading, fifth grade reading" width="640" /></a></div>
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Getting Students Talking About Books</h3>
This is exactly what I have been going through with one of my students. She is "at grade level" in reading as measured in a number of ways, but I've noticed all year that she does the absolute minimum. She doesn't read at home despite her parents badgering her. She loses focus at school as she reads. She abandons books often. She CAN read. She just DOESN'T read.<br />
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Because I think it's vital that we are creating readers, not just "test passers", I am not willing to accept that she is holding her own--because she is being held back by her reading behaviors and habits. If I want her to reach her potential, I need to step in.<br />
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Here's what I do with reluctant, capable readers like her!<br />
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I first ask some questions...<br />
<b><br /></b> <b>Do you know what you like? Do you know what you don't?</b><br />
<b><br /></b> <b>Where do you like to read? Where don't you?</b><br />
<b><br /></b> <b>Which books that I have read TO you have you enjoyed? Why?</b><br />
<b><br /></b> And then we begin. We move to my classroom library and we sit together. I start pulling books off my shelf and heaping them in front of her. Her job? To sort them into three piles...<br />
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I am very interested in this book!</div>
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I might be interested in this book.</div>
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I don't think this book is a good match for me.</div>
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(Let me tell you...if you don't have a classroom library, start. If you don't know your collection, start. The success of "matching students to books" depends on it!)<br />
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As she was looking, I reminded her of all that we have learned about previewing books...so she read the back of each. She opened them up and read a page...she looked at the length and even asked me questions to help her make her decisions.</div>
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Finding "Just Right" Books</h3>
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As she worked, the piles began to emerge. Every few books she placed, I asked her, "Why?" and she would tell me what had caught her eye or turned her off. We learned that she likes characters that are "real" but quirky. She likes books where these characters face interesting struggles and overcome them. She likes books that have a little "magic" to them without being "fantasy".</div>
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As she sorted, I started a list for her on the computer. When she finished (I had given her about thirty books to preview), I asked her to take her "definitely" books and put them in the order she wanted to read them. She did, and I handed her the first two books to keep in her desk and get started. Within the first two days, she had read the same number of pages she had read in the previous two weeks--and was grinning ear to ear! Was it worth the half hour of my time? I believe so...<br />
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Setting Reading Goals with Students</h3>
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I am a firm believer in helping students realize that reading is complex--and that realizing that reading is far more than just "reading the words". Today, I helped one student realize how important it is to find books you love and to READ, READ, READ! This is one of my goal posters from my Reading Goals resource...because it's so important to understand that reading IS multi-dimensional and we, as teachers, need to help students grow in all areas of their literacy understanding.</div>
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<br />The Teacher Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04936657056940797588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072938188438508721.post-22508793677193965062018-03-17T11:23:00.003-05:002018-04-04T10:12:57.459-05:00Reading interventions, "Ready Freddy", and chapter book strategies!Fourth grade reading is tough. Many students have "unlocked" the key to reading...they can read most of the words and can track ever-increasing storylines. As teachers, we can provide countless texts for them, coach them, model for them, and know that they will continue to become more sophisticated as readers. Unfortunately, there are still some students who haven't made this jump. It hasn't happened naturally--and the texts we want and need them to read are simply out of reach.<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Ready-Freddy-A-Reading-Response-Resource-for-ANY-Ready-Freddy-Book-966465"><img alt="Reading chapter books can be a challenge for struggling readers. Using Ready Freddy books as a reading intervention tool has been so suuccessful for my below grade level readers! Reading interention lesson plans, reading intervention activities, second grade reading, third grade reading, fourth grade reading" border="0" data-original-height="584" data-original-width="1119" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMFr7FbYuResHg4pCmr9uxidx_dzbYsTPmIYZSTPLYj6xEfc5ZtAyxR6QlK2ijuJVQKt00jHoTaFg1daWZdFW4ike7roih8hn_NBO_Q7Xzgb3n3SfWDOxIsPN1FsPsB_Vkg5J2zMtIu-E/s640/helping+students+bridge+to+chapter+books+ready+freddy+post+header.jpg" title="Reading chapter books can be a challenge for struggling readers. Using Ready Freddy books as a reading intervention tool has been so suuccessful for my below grade level readers! Reading interention lesson plans, reading intervention activities, second grade reading, third grade reading, fourth grade reading" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a name='more'></a>What makes reading chapter books challenging?</h3>
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I have spent a great deal of time reflecting on all the different components of reading--and all the barriers that can interfere with student success (more on THAT another day!), and today I wanted to focus on one that I think really holds back a lot of struggling readers.<br />
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It goes without saying that when students begin to become readers, we present them with texts that have only a few characters and settings and tend to have one, clear storyline. This can be found in "readers" and even in some short chapter books. Students can usually read these texts in one or two sittings and the story is relatively easy to follow. I have noticed that there isn't much of a "bridge" between this type of text and chapter books--and that many of my most struggling readers had a hard time making the jump. I have noticed the following stumbling blocks (among many others, of course!)<br />
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<li>Longer sentences in different formats</li>
<li>More inferential language (figures of speech, and so on)</li>
<li>More dialogue where important information is conveyed</li>
<li>More characters who are integral to the story</li>
<li>Setting changes (both time and place)</li>
<li>Often more than one storyline</li>
<li>More words per page--and more embedded vocabulary that cannot be deciphered through context</li>
<li>More pages which require readers to retain story information over multiple days</li>
<li>More descriptive language that makes visualization important</li>
<li>Failure to understand "how chapter books work"</li>
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Again, there are MANY more stumbling blocks than these, but I have found some success with using this as my bank of lesson ideas for these strugglers.</div>
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Reading interventions for struggling readers</h3>
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This year, I have a small group who really has not been able to make the transition to simple chapters books, and I started digging in and realized that they really and truly do not understand how chapter books work. I decided to really dig in and tackle that using the "Ready Freddy" series. I liked that there is a clear format that each follows, that there are lots to choose from, and that there are topics that are appealing to a wide range of readers.</div>
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As I started with this group, I wanted to make sure they understood a few key lessons...so I decided to tackle one per chapter. My lesson plans ended up looking a little like this!</div>
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<span style="font-family: "kg what the teacher wants";">Chapter 1: </span><span style="font-family: "shadows into light";">First chapters often teach us about characters, important settings, and problems. Read chapter 1 carefully and track what you have learned about these important parts of a book.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "shadows into light";"> </span><span style="font-family: "kg what the teacher wants";">Chapter 2: </span><span style="font-family: "shadows into light";">“Events” are “happenings” in a book. Sometimes it’s hard to know the difference between “events” and other cool information in a text. Try to imagine events as if you were watching them happen. As you read chapter 2, find FOUR </span><u><span style="font-family: "shadows into light";">events</span></u><span style="font-family: "shadows into light";"> that you think are important to the story.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "shadows into light";"> </span><span style="font-family: "kg what the teacher wants";">Chapter 3: </span><span style="font-family: "shadows into light";">As you read chapters, you might notice that each one is like a little story within the big story! It can help you keep track of the events of the story in your mind if you always can retell the beginning, middle, and end of each chapter. Try it for chapter 3! You may need to reread it to help—and remember to explain in your own words!</span></div>
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As I moved through the book. I just kept adding one key lesson per chapter that I thought would help my readers not only understand the story--but see how there are things to know about reading chapter books that make them vastly different than shorter texts.</div>
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My students had no idea how important chapter 1 is--that it sets the stage for the rest of the book and that we need to know the characters, setting, and other key information before we move on! We may even need to read it twice! They didn't "see" that each chapter is a story within a story--with a beginning, middle, and end. They didn't realize that before picking up the book each day, they should reflect back (and maybe even LOOK back) at what they had read the day before to keep that story flowing smoothly in their minds. </div>
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By giving them these strategies and modeling with them, it was like the book was "unlocked". Here's essentially what I did for these students for 8 days (8 chapters in a Ready Freddy book!)</div>
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1. I read the book quickly and identified some vocabulary and word patterns I thought they might struggle with. I jotted these down on post it notes and stuck them in my copy of the book.</div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Ready-Freddy-A-Reading-Response-Resource-for-ANY-Ready-Freddy-Book-966465"><img alt="Reading chapter books can be a challenge for struggling readers. Using Ready Freddy books as a reading intervention tool has been so suuccessful for my below grade level readers! Reading interention lesson plans, reading intervention activities, second grade reading, third grade reading, fourth grade reading" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju6EdsM5OoDa6GsQDsMGiBJTPEVUlFc6RdMn3zCKehhW6nak6ZJZrK9Ij9XE-VjEpIDh0kMp-hEYJ0AOtB80NkSSaoxOEEYpY1AWeivU0r3zFGW0bj145eLGZu9T8XaLiXhh0GzRHzqD4/s640/Photo+Mar+16%252C+11+29+44+PM.jpg" title="Reading chapter books can be a challenge for struggling readers. Using Ready Freddy books as a reading intervention tool has been so suuccessful for my below grade level readers! Reading interention lesson plans, reading intervention activities, second grade reading, third grade reading, fourth grade reading" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Ready-Freddy-A-Reading-Response-Resource-for-ANY-Ready-Freddy-Book-966465"><img alt="Reading chapter books can be a challenge for struggling readers. Using Ready Freddy books as a reading intervention tool has been so suuccessful for my below grade level readers! Reading interention lesson plans, reading intervention activities, second grade reading, third grade reading, fourth grade reading" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1580" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX-yxl1yv5AF9HyYP24JTVyfuBfD_Hj1jfDQH8UZjFIlNTsoD2XMlZ0ShQzByamR8IMvnVxOXUeRwYPj2toSNaaZpEo-9n_97-RKu5uqsE614gqjOPfM50tyKLKNshLK4TeoVLPoIfHro/s640/Photo+Mar+16%252C+11+30+08+PM.jpg" title="Reading chapter books can be a challenge for struggling readers. Using Ready Freddy books as a reading intervention tool has been so suuccessful for my below grade level readers! Reading interention lesson plans, reading intervention activities, second grade reading, third grade reading, fourth grade reading" width="632" /></a></div>
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To start each intervention group meeting, we did a little bit of word work on white boards and I pretaught them any words I thought might trip them up. The goal here was to learn to read a chapter book, so I wanted to take that decoding part out as much as I could.</div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Ready-Freddy-A-Reading-Response-Resource-for-ANY-Ready-Freddy-Book-966465"><img alt="Reading chapter books can be a challenge for struggling readers. Using Ready Freddy books as a reading intervention tool has been so suuccessful for my below grade level readers! Reading interention lesson plans, reading intervention activities, second grade reading, third grade reading, fourth grade reading" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1362" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHbldqEELLHba-8aH9f8EHa-jiSXPtyl2EN0IOJFPKzx9d9h2hZl5d9a8-23JWqW-Iyb9yMpX7R0btUqDvIZVunEVriNjwTvR5IhShIzDRdYvmEFKYk6mIWhFUscDwGjG1XbK3_Yg0XfQ/s640/Photo+Mar+16%252C+11+29+14+PM.jpg" title="Reading chapter books can be a challenge for struggling readers. Using Ready Freddy books as a reading intervention tool has been so suuccessful for my below grade level readers! Reading interention lesson plans, reading intervention activities, second grade reading, third grade reading, fourth grade reading" width="544" /></a></div>
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After that, I taught them the "lesson du jour" which I also printed on top of the page we were working on. I wanted them to SEE the lesson (like a learning target) and we revisited it at the end of our group time as I sent them off to work.</div>
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We then read the first part of the chapter together practicing fluency and finding some of those pretaught words and word patterns. Then, we filled out part of the written response part together so that I could model my thinking for them. This lesson was about the idea of what an "event" is...we pretended we were there at Freddy's house and were trying to find things that happened that we could have taken video of...that seemed to help my students understand that events are things that HAPPEN.</div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Ready-Freddy-A-Reading-Response-Resource-for-ANY-Ready-Freddy-Book-966465"><img alt="Reading chapter books can be a challenge for struggling readers. Using Ready Freddy books as a reading intervention tool has been so suuccessful for my below grade level readers! Reading interention lesson plans, reading intervention activities, second grade reading, third grade reading, fourth grade reading" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTRgdlJDlf3FkEQam_SXvVqMnsbwCnxGqLcTApCnrcJK4Qsqc-kvChpWDZ9HPYAxWIYu-T2ak6lbE84p0_Io1Ejiudpddw6pPpL4-nTpszCwClXJnrPRorMo1CooAvchLQiItuXCZrwJk/s640/Photo+Mar+16%252C+11+28+49+PM.jpg" title="Reading chapter books can be a challenge for struggling readers. Using Ready Freddy books as a reading intervention tool has been so suuccessful for my below grade level readers! Reading interention lesson plans, reading intervention activities, second grade reading, third grade reading, fourth grade reading" width="640" /></a></div>
As a part of this, I really wanted to stress that whole "text evidence" piece, so we kept our books handy and looked back to PROVE our ideas.<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Ready-Freddy-A-Reading-Response-Resource-for-ANY-Ready-Freddy-Book-966465"><img alt="Reading chapter books can be a challenge for struggling readers. Using Ready Freddy books as a reading intervention tool has been so suuccessful for my below grade level readers! Reading interention lesson plans, reading intervention activities, second grade reading, third grade reading, fourth grade reading" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Z6lwPc8sn1_7nTCttDera03o93w58oOBrU8-7ETyoJXDvXwaIA1bPRkUdp1-ZpfZrwajYueoX9hWeGjFnvaX1c7pM9AMZhi869TEmdARqYzfL9HY9d26I0mLuzgEEwG8F9zJqaeTr6Q/s640/Photo+Mar+16%252C+11+30+36+PM.jpg" title="Reading chapter books can be a challenge for struggling readers. Using Ready Freddy books as a reading intervention tool has been so suuccessful for my below grade level readers! Reading interention lesson plans, reading intervention activities, second grade reading, third grade reading, fourth grade reading" width="640" /></a></div>
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Gradual Release of Responsibility</h3>
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So...we worked ourselves through all 8 chapters of the book following this format, and the students LOVED it. They learned a lot and felt so much success. We are set to tackle our next Ready Freddy book using the exact same format--but with me stepping back a little bit and putting more of the workload on them. I still plan to do the word work and read the first part of each chapter with them (It is helping me to see what other struggles they are having and helping me coach them better), but they are going to have to do more independent thinking and partner work rather than rely on me. </div>
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Now of course--this is a great reading INTERVENTION for my fourth graders...but these lessons are great universal instruction lessons for younger students! After all, if we can help our second and third graders understand how chapter books "work", we will need less reading intervention in the upper grades!</div>
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Anyhoo..I thought you might be interested in some of these strategies and perhaps I have given you something new to think about. This kind of work can be done with any easier chapter book, of course--but I love the fact that Ready Freddy lends itself perfectly to some of these lessons--and the lessons work for ANY of the books because they all follow the same format. The books are easy to find and reasonably priced. If you want to see how I put all the pieces together, you can click the cover image below to see more.</div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Ready-Freddy-A-Reading-Response-Resource-for-ANY-Ready-Freddy-Book-966465"><img alt="Reading chapter books can be a challenge for struggling readers. Using Ready Freddy books as a reading intervention tool has been so suuccessful for my below grade level readers! Reading interention lesson plans, reading intervention activities, second grade reading, third grade reading, fourth grade reading" border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkij5ZOixvfRS1FdcUf88vvHVpw2PaRc525-BUNRvGX-oreUYqKB8ciYSukq-5xCKj_Xb-3LhEQPQE-X9bVwYIV4eh_cXgfzRD7WShCLcWKBTkw0oqr53hGB5EiNlqRNA97vjl3TgFaZ4/s320/ready+freddy+new+cover+.jpg" title="Reading chapter books can be a challenge for struggling readers. Using Ready Freddy books as a reading intervention tool has been so suuccessful for my below grade level readers! Reading interention lesson plans, reading intervention activities, second grade reading, third grade reading, fourth grade reading" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />The Teacher Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04936657056940797588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072938188438508721.post-10645552767435813822018-03-04T14:13:00.002-06:002018-03-04T14:13:28.623-06:00Tips and Ideas for Teaching Narrative WritingToday is my day to blog over at Upper Elementary Snapshots!<br />
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Check out my ideas about teaching leads, reviewing other skills, a quick writing revision idea--and more! Here's a sneak peek at part of it...<br />
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<a href="http://www.upperelementarysnapshots.com/2018/02/writing-leads-planning-stories-and.html"><img alt="Helping students with narrative writing is so much fun! Using prewriting and planning strategies paired with teacher modeling and writing activites and lessons that stress description, writing dialogue, and story elements can help create great narratives. We also need to teach revision strategies to help writers improve their writing. Perfect for grade 3 writing, grade 4 writing, grade 5 writing, teaching narrative writing, writing lessons, writing anchor charts, third grade writing, fourth grade writing, fifth grade writing," border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1187" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmuU0UuzVFlHbpfE8rsgpw5JzFtQ2oGBDul4CIVJ5k-_PA3hPQpPrZjRA8C6hRSwEuM-dU0D6leNDS4IpFlJ28slunlyKhBq0d0apWl8fBkpV5BgiJ5sTDL49Qr0dVFsnHmqQZxJYFk_U/s640/Photo+Mar+04%252C+10+54+41+AM.jpg" title="Helping students with narrative writing is so much fun! Using prewriting and planning strategies paired with teacher modeling and writing activites and lessons that stress description, writing dialogue, and story elements can help create great narratives. We also need to teach revision strategies to help writers improve their writing. Perfect for grade 3 writing, grade 4 writing, grade 5 writing, teaching narrative writing, writing lessons, writing anchor charts, third grade writing, fourth grade writing, fifth grade writing," width="474" /></a></div>
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Stop by if you want to check out what I did with our second narrative writing unit of the year. This is really one of my favorite writing activities because it is SO accessible to all students and is a great review of previously taught narrative writing skills. If you want to read more--just click <a href="http://www.upperelementarysnapshots.com/2018/02/writing-leads-planning-stories-and.html">HERE</a> to take you to the post.<br />
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<a href="http://www.upperelementarysnapshots.com/2018/02/writing-leads-planning-stories-and.html"><img alt="Helping students with narrative writing is so much fun! Using prewriting and planning strategies paired with teacher modeling and writing activites and lessons that stress description, writing dialogue, and story elements can help create great narratives. We also need to teach revision strategies to help writers improve their writing. Perfect for grade 3 writing, grade 4 writing, grade 5 writing, teaching narrative writing, writing lessons, writing anchor charts, third grade writing, fourth grade writing, fifth grade writing," border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv7A0HnrwH9pDztrhUB_AOp-GMUtfqgm3wOfUsIqpa6-N5537C_YpBXwD8SQ0jkagcHro7V8H0zgasoEqq8an0xp3ThPWCaA_UKvtzS8gH5wtWcFhI8_3JHZYy3bGfn1D2_oM48WIoSic/s640/narrative+writing+post+UES+february+2018+pin+2.jpg" title="Helping students with narrative writing is so much fun! Using prewriting and planning strategies paired with teacher modeling and writing activites and lessons that stress description, writing dialogue, and story elements can help create great narratives. We also need to teach revision strategies to help writers improve their writing. Perfect for grade 3 writing, grade 4 writing, grade 5 writing, teaching narrative writing, writing lessons, writing anchor charts, third grade writing, fourth grade writing, fifth grade writing," width="320" /></a></div>
<br />The Teacher Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04936657056940797588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072938188438508721.post-22671954583444381482018-02-21T19:39:00.000-06:002018-03-03T16:19:22.967-06:00Grading Writing Made Easy. Really.<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Because I know you do not have enough time to grade writing--or do everything else we need to do!</span><br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Great-Eight-Quick-Score-Writing-Demand-Prompt-BUNDLE-1669124"><img alt="Third grade writing, fourth grade writing, fifth grade writing, writing assessment, writing prompts, writing activities, writing lessons, teaching writing, opinion writing, informational writing" border="0" data-original-height="584" data-original-width="1119" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEGRcLmhIlI5PBucN6kOpbr6M5t3pchyse6MJuNdJvT6xSje5m_YdNheYr0zsBUK1ttHPqolI3n5xas2US_sOnm3AoNTDl5j8_NjM0lYdCmGX9RhwYtjzemYqZap0Klu9XInGf45pvUDc/s640/demand+great+eight+grading+writing+made+easy+header.jpg" title="Third grade writing, fourth grade writing, fifth grade writing, writing assessment, writing prompts, writing activities, writing lessons, teaching writing, opinion writing, informational writing" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">My district requires us to use a pretty substantial rubric to go with our required writing assessments--and we are welcome to use it for others. Here's the problem. It's 2 1/2 pages long! Not only that, it makes a LOT of assumptions about what my students should be doing with their writing--those basic skills like writing using proper conventions, sufficient details, and more. The rubric doesn't "drill down" to that level of detail--and that's what I want to see in order to pull small groups and to plan my instruction. Because I wasn't getting down to that level of detail, I'm afraid I just wasn't collecting enough data.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span> <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Now let's add the "real world" factor in here. Grading and assessing writing takes a LONG time. This is especially true if students are writing full essays and other large projects. I knew I could do some better "quick" assessing if I figured out a way to just capture a small amount of writing.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span> <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I knew I didn't want to add MORE to my plate (our literacy curriculum is daunting enough!)—but I knew I needed something. I decided to try a short (8 minutes!) writing prompt once a week or so. By making it short, I didn't take away from instructional time, I am able to quickly score it (seriously--I spend 2-3 minutes per students TOPS) and give feedback, and I can use it to pull strategy groups while I teach our district curriculum. I wanted the rubric right on the page as a reminder for students…much like my other writing prompt resources. The difference? This is meant to be a <u>quick snapshot</u>—almost like an entrance slip before a writing class. I figure I can give up 8 minutes once each a week if it will help me to help my students, right? </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Collecting Writing Data <u>Sensibly</u>!</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white; background-repeat: no-repeat; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #222222; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">I figure by giving students a starting topic, we wouldn't waste time thinking of topics either—and each topic should be something that students really can write a decent “quick write” about. This isn't meant to be a full essay—just a quick write to check some important skills—and to help even my reluctant writers--to give me a good writing sample. Why eight minutes? Because even ten minutes seems like a long time to some writers--and eight is enough! To be honest...if my students are REALLLLY into a topic, I may extend that time a little. Right?</span><br style="background-color: white; background-repeat: no-repeat; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #222222; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; background-repeat: no-repeat; border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #222222; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Thus <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Great-Eight-Quick-Score-Writing-Demand-Prompt-BUNDLE-1669124">the “Great 8” </a>was born! Just 8 minutes to do…and seriously less than an hour to score…It's worth it! Not only is that initial 8 minutes worth it, but I have found all sorts of other ways to use these prompts. Check these out...</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Revision practice</span></span></h2>
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Sometimes I find it's just what I need to ask students to do their eight-minute writing, I collect it, score it, and decide what to do next. Sometimes, I use that SAME piece of writing to work on revision skills with my students. In this example, students worked to reread their writing the next day and use their red pen to find places to make improvements. I often give them one or two specific things to look for--in this case, we looked at pronouns (something we have been talking about) and I asked them to decide if they had too many, not enough, or just the right amount. We also double checked for punctuation and capital letters. The whole revision experience? 12 minutes.</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Great-Eight-Quick-Score-Writing-Demand-Prompt-BUNDLE-1669124"><img alt="Third grade writing, fourth grade writing, fifth grade writing, writing assessment, writing prompts, writing activities, writing lessons, teaching writing, opinion writing, informational writing" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJi9LtLTbfZSqtumxjG8LbIVlcrZpkb6rJV9F4iEzom3Bpv-c091_4TuMywmBnfwSGjxd2WNBu7vuc7FnA-0IVQ7n_4w8xXDbjHUO2Gx3s9e6HbaHsRe9whcK082u_b1nwJIR03wR4oQY/s640/Photo+Feb+21%252C+6+13+04+PM.jpg" title="Third grade writing, fourth grade writing, fifth grade writing, writing assessment, writing prompts, writing activities, writing lessons, teaching writing, opinion writing, informational writing" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Much like the quick revision lesson above, the same type of writing experience can be done in partners. Sometimes I might ask students to focus on just one element--perhaps "descriptive details" where the partnership works to decide if each person added ENOUGH detail and if all those details were on topic. Sometimes we might look for a place to add more details...or find "everyday" words that could be replaced with something more vivid. Often, two minds can come up with some great ideas...it's very challenging for students to look critically at their own work and make sweeping changes.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Great-Eight-Quick-Score-Writing-Demand-Prompt-BUNDLE-1669124"><img alt="Third grade writing, fourth grade writing, fifth grade writing, writing assessment, writing prompts, writing activities, writing lessons, teaching writing, opinion writing, informational writing" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGTj-7D3i3L9E46Spb3_17b6yjJKF3-MnoZIiDozP7F7Be9uY_2vOHLKnmzGwq4BsTLgDfZ5Xkzpcm-6lQulYyIrQvbNJlfjaulL0dr9aLtsxSgtU-njL9yetrMGUAkmVrz3LP3vBf2qo/s640/Photo+Feb+21%252C+6+13+42+PM.jpg" title="Third grade writing, fourth grade writing, fifth grade writing, writing assessment, writing prompts, writing activities, writing lessons, teaching writing, opinion writing, informational writing" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">Writing Self-Assessment</span></span></h2>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Great-Eight-Quick-Score-Writing-Demand-Prompt-BUNDLE-1669124"><img alt="Teaching writing is hard--but grading and assessing writing is even harder! Check out this blog post with ideas on how to get more writing instruction and assessment into your day--so you can use the data you collect to make sound instructional decisions. Third grade writing, fourth grade writing, fifth grade writing, writing assessment, writing prompts, writing activities, writing lessons, teaching writing, opinion writing, informational writing, homeschool" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1546" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipTbfWM18QDa_X_P5vKuNCAqFQBVk3sK8wEpCIyhcB9P4zU_Z7xGmqKBPDVE56v_aMyLJireDDnsp5v4le-pd_TUPLA0Rd4bww-6LGnMeX4fpClnRBS4Owo0_pw3BvviZIC028GeCbEwQ/s640/Photo+Feb+21%252C+6+14+06+PM+%25281%2529.jpg" title="Teaching writing is hard--but grading and assessing writing is even harder! Check out this blog post with ideas on how to get more writing instruction and assessment into your day--so you can use the data you collect to make sound instructional decisions. Third grade writing, fourth grade writing, fifth grade writing, writing assessment, writing prompts, writing activities, writing lessons, teaching writing, opinion writing, informational writing, homeschool" width="618" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white;">Another use of these demand prompts is to get students reflecting on their own writng. I will often talk through the writing checklist, stressing what our current targets are--and ask students to self-assess before I grade their work. I often have them use a highlighter so I can see what they have picked, but my colored pen easily shows what the "real" score is. If I find a place where there is a huge discrepancy, it helps me confer with the student to help them understand where they may have a misunderstanding about what is expected.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;">Another fun way to use these prompts is to actually have partners work together to write! Either one student can start the piece, then pass it off to another student OR you can have them work together to craft a single piece. This is especially valuable if you are working on something new (like adding transitions or quality "hooks"). They can work together on a practice piece--and then later you can ask them to try another one on a different topic. This can be especially valuable if you have some struggling writers who would benefit from hearing the "think aloud" of a more capable author.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Great-Eight-Quick-Score-Writing-Demand-Prompt-BUNDLE-1669124"><img alt="Third grade writing, fourth grade writing, fifth grade writing, writing assessment, writing prompts, writing activities, writing lessons, teaching writing, opinion writing, informational writing" border="0" data-original-height="1175" data-original-width="1600" height="468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmWWVSnmj2J8b_6Ova4qONOB6Y2uusyG6_rf_C7LGpwFp9c4eMu52gLD_4y8K3MRwzzAwXmCocbR3h3_rb_POVNftbInNS_MwdgZ4OhAPgkRmJnoqt7Sol6t2VkbdQJpkXRKGi3xYRP2k/s640/Photo+Feb+21%252C+6+14+31+PM.jpg" title="Third grade writing, fourth grade writing, fifth grade writing, writing assessment, writing prompts, writing activities, writing lessons, teaching writing, opinion writing, informational writing" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;">Another "lesson" I have learned from using these demand prompts--is that sometimes I notice that my students simply aren't doing something I want them to do. When I see this, I know it's time for me to back up and do some modeling. I can either write a piece ahead of time that I put under the document camera for us to study...I can write "in front" of the students where I model my thinking...or I could ask students to HELP me write by making suggestions that I then discuss with them and then record my final decision.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;">One example is earlier this year when we were doing opinion writing. I was noticing that most students were writing very "formulaic" introductions or "hooks", and I wanted to show my thinking about some different ways to capture my reader's attention. I had one lead prepared to share, and we discussed it as a class. We then worked together to do several different hooks on the same topic--and then I looked specifically at leads the next time I asked them to write independently.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span> I hope you got some ideas for how these "quick writes" can be a really powerful way to impact writing instruction in your class--without having to do the HUGE projects that we so often tackle with our big units. I'd love to hear your success stories!<br />
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If you are interested in these prompts, I have four sets and a <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Great-Eight-Quick-Score-Writing-Demand-Prompt-BUNDLE-1669124">bundled set</a>...I use all of them at different times in the year, and I have blank ones in each set so I can write my own when it makes sense. (You can see that I did that with my immigration prompt.) I have <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Great-Eight-Quick-Score-Demand-Writing-Seasonal-Prompts-1669105">seasonal prompts</a>, <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Great-Eight-Quick-Score-Demand-Writing-Opinion-Prompts-1669099">opinion prompts</a>, <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Great-Eight-Quick-Score-Demand-Writing-High-Interest-Prompts-1669095">high-interest prompts</a> (sleepovers, video games and more!), and "<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Great-Eight-Quick-Score-Demand-Writing-Curriculum-Prompts-1669114">content" prompts</a> which can be used to collect information about different topics you are teaching. Each set has 18 ready-to-print prompts. These would be GREAT for homeschoolers as well!<br />
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Want to pin this for later?<br />
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Want to check out the prompts? Here is the link to the bundle--and all the other sets are linked within the description or are linked individually in the paragraph above.<br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "proxima nova" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span>The Teacher Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04936657056940797588noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072938188438508721.post-76106332011487335692018-01-28T22:12:00.001-06:002018-06-26T09:51:29.264-05:00A Balanced Approach to Fractions: Wholes, Sets, and MeasurementWelcome back! If you have been following this series of blog posts all about fractions and improving our <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Improving-Deep-Fraction-Understanding-A-Fraction-Unit-for-Grades-3-5-625571">fraction instruction</a> and learning, I welcome you to day 3! If you are new to the series, feel free to snoop around at <a href="http://www.theteacherstudio.com/2018/01/what-makes-teaching-fractions-so.html">POST 1</a> and <a href="http://www.theteacherstudio.com/2018/01/getting-students-ready-to-learn.html#more">POST 2</a> when you have time for more foundation information about teaching fractions.<br />
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Today I want to focus on something I briefly touched upon in that first post--the fact that fractions can be so challenging because they appear in so many different formats and contexts. Whether you teach in a Common Core state or any other state/country with rigorous standards, we need to strive for a balanced approach to teaching fractions.<br />
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When we learn whole numbers, three means three. You can have 3 dogs. You can eat 3 chocolates. You can read 3 books. We can count 3 on our fingers. We can pound a drum three times. This makes sense. We can see it and hear it.<br />
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<a href="https://app.convertkit.com/landing_pages/325122?v=6" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="768" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRNz6AVudhds5rThiPuFLYNS7NeaTf8IeVdA8_6NqlQhKdPlSe9taQav6eyHaL6ukSmhZEuuWP61C1wQb7buQXglni7aRhZb-R0N37qBewyF8VqyFzxVw37xeVMq77OsU5Pn0ZdlCVTS8/s320/want+more+fraction+help+button+to+enter+fraction+sequence.jpg" width="320" /></a>When we talk about fractional amounts, the game changes a little bit, especially for students who may struggle with math concepts. As I mentioned in the first post, consider the concept of "1/2". I love to start a math class by sitting back and patting my stomach and telling my students that I ate half a pizza for dinner last night. Inevitably, they laugh and make comments about how much I love pizza, and so on. I play it up a little bit and hope (usually it happens!) that someone finally says...<br />
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"Wait...how big WAS that pizza?"<br />
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And then we begin.<br />
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<h3>
Fractions of Wholes</h3>
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When students are younger, we place a lot of emphasis on fractions of wholes. We talk about whole pizzas. Whole candy bars. Whole pattern blocks. We then work to divide these "wholes" into evenly partitioned shapes that we call "fractions". We typically divide them into reasonable numbers of parts--often 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, and 12. We occasionally throw in fifths or other "odd" numbers but often steer clear as they are much harder to represent. (Probably not the best reason, right?)</div>
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We typically ask students to identify a fraction divided into equal parts with a certain amount shaded...like this--which they quite quickly can learn is "1/4".</div>
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Even something as simple as moving the shaded area is important...this is ALSO 1/4. What about the unshaded area? We need to ask questions about that too. For example, if I always ask, "What fraction of this cake is frosted green?", we train our students to automatically label the shaded area. What if the question was, "How many more fourths need to be shaded to make 3/4 of the cake green?"...haven't we gotten our students thinking more deeply?<br />
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Or what about this. "Here is 1/4 of a cake. What would the entire cake look like?"<br />
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Here is what we might expect to see (with the original fourth shaded)...<br />
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But what about these? Wouldn't these "atypical" examples work as well?<br />
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So, a little food for thought!</div>
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1. Make sure you consider presenting things in atypical ways.</div>
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2. Make sure you use non-standard shapes at times.</div>
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3. Make sure you ask students to represent "wholes" in different ways--not just identify them.</div>
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4. Make sure students see this as a real-world situation...not just pictures in a textbook.</div>
<h3>
Fractions of Sets</h3>
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Many math series address "fractions of a set" in perhaps one or two lessons--and they often skip right to the computational part of the math. Asking students to find "1/4 of 12" or "2/3 of 24" is not nearly as challenging if they have had ample opportunity to make the connection between division and fractions. </div>
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Knowing that 1/4 of 12 means that there are 12 objects (or even more abstract concept like minutes or correct answers!) and that we need to count ONE out of FOUR equal groups is much more manageable if they have first used 12 counters, made the fourths, and then physically SEE the groups. We can then even count the groups...1/4 of the twelve would be 3. 2/4 of the twelve would be 6...and so on. So often we teach algorithms that aren't rooted in understanding; tell students to divide 12 by 4 and multiply by one is far more meaningful when they have built it and seen it for themselves!<br />
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Providing these constructivist experiences builds so much more understanding than merely teaching students the algorithm. Does the algorithm work? You bet--but it will make so much more sense after they have seen WHY it works. Eventually, we can tie those counters to more abstract things...1/4 of 12 counters could REPRESENT 1/4 of 12 math problems on a test.<br />
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I love the Skittles activity I do with students that really gets them thinking about how fractions can be parts of sets. It's one of the activities in <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Improving-Deep-Fraction-Understanding-A-Fraction-Unit-for-Grades-3-5-625571">my fraction unit</a> if you are interested in checking that out.</div>
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As I hinted at above--we can certainly grab math counters and model this type of math. I also feel it's critical to help students see how it's true in the real world. When WOULD we need to find fractions of a set? Can your students brainstorm examples? It's essential that we do everything we can to help our students understand that we teach fractions for a reason--not because it's the next unit in a textbook! If 1/3 of the oranges are moldy...or 3/4 of the class joined the band...you get the picture!</div>
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One more point. We can certainly find fractions of sets of OBJECTS, but in the "real world", we also find fractions of sets of less "visible" things. We can talk about counting 2/3 of a crowd...about getting 9/10 of the problems right on a test...or "feeling 9/10 better". All of these are more abstract concepts that we can tie to fractions of sets.</div>
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<h3>
Fractions with Units of Measure</h3>
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Another area of fraction instruction that is often overlooked--or taught briefly during measurement units--is the idea that we use fractions with measurement concepts as well. Again, this is a much more abstract concept for some...less tangible than half of a pizza, for sure.</div>
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Because measurement is such an important real-life skill, it is important that we DO address fractions with respect to measurement. There are many ways to tackle this, but let's just consider a length model. What does a ruler look like? A number line! It's really a perfect tool to explore "wholes" and "parts". Helping students recognize that there are numbers between the whole inches (or cm) is a perfect tie to fraction studies. After all, there is no way everything in the world could be measured in whole inches, right? We need those fractional parts. Many students struggle to located fractions on a ruler, so it's a great time to tie in some fraction work. </div>
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Consider putting a ruler under the document camera and studying it. Do some paper strip folding where you measure inches, fold halves, and so on. It's also a great way to do some equivalent fraction work...1/2 inch is the same as 2/4 which is the same length as 4/8. It isn't just length, however.</div>
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What is a 1/2 hour? 1/4 hour? How about the 3 1/4 cups of flour you need for a recipe? Making these connections is a logical extension of fractional reasoning--and one that is often overlooked. Quality <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Fraction-Common-Core-Word-Problem-Collection-Grade-4-5-679270">fraction word problems</a> can help make these real-world connections!</div>
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<h3>
Students Need to "DO" Fractions!</h3>
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So...my final thought for today is that we need to have students DOING fractions...they need to be looking at rulers and folding paper and making connections to the real world. If we invest in that type of work, the computation will follow.<br />
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I hope I've given you a little to think about as you do your fraction planning. We so often rely on what our math series provide us--but sometimes we need to think past what is given to us and make our students' math experience more diverse and rich.<br />
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Interested in my fraction unit?<br />
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How about a bundle of 10 quality fraction resources at a discounted price? Here you go!</div>
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The Teacher Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04936657056940797588noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072938188438508721.post-3439493067170684242018-01-15T13:10:00.000-06:002018-02-10T18:23:51.308-06:00Getting Students Ready to Learn Fractions: Gradual Release and MoreIn my earlier post, I talked about the many factors that make fractions challenging for students. If you missed it, you can read it by clicking <a href="http://www.theteacherstudio.com/2018/01/what-makes-teaching-fractions-so.html">RIGHT HERE</a>. Before my next few posts where I tackle some "in the trenches" ideas about fractions, I want to talk about an instructional strategy that is true in good math instruction across ALL topics.<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Hands-On-Fraction-Bundle-10-Hands-On-Fraction-Resources-for-Grades-3-5-3280070"><img alt="Teaching fractions is challenging--but if we use a gradual release of instruction method we have the best chance of deep fraction understanding. Perfect for third grade fractions, fourth grade fractions, fifth grade fractions, fraction unit, fraction lessons, fraction activities" border="0" data-original-height="584" data-original-width="1119" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjISDAR7aS-zWgZB6o9T-y1cGqYvFaGpzNFL4tjdCpYJITFfBEAklvHTmJNxFT_PMekUsaKAa7YXBFLjj5v6ZnGo7qm0Iw8Q4cYz25mxpkK2nUXGE1mXOkFqHeX1o4i_BQ_ihwlkWMoVNE/s640/gradual+release+post+fraction+header.jpg" title="Teaching fractions is challenging--but if we use a gradual release of instruction method we have the best chance of deep fraction understanding. Perfect for third grade fractions, fourth grade fractions, fifth grade fractions, fraction unit, fraction lessons, fraction activities" width="640" /></a></div>
<h3>
<a name='more'></a>What is "Gradual Release" of Instruction?</h3>
So although I want to continue to address some of these foundation fraction concepts that can be so difficult, I want to stress something that is true in math instruction overall--not just for fractions. When we want to utilize a gradual release of instruction model, we often think of the following:<br />
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<b>I show the students.</b></div>
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<b>We do it together.</b></div>
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<b>They try it alone.</b></div>
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Now, I'm not going to lie. I feel this is a very over-simplified model of what a true gradual release of instruction plan should involve. A true gradual release is NOT linear; it is recursive and cycles around and around as we layer our instruction. That's for another day! But what I see happening oftentimes is that we teach, we practice, and then we assess--and the results of the assessment don't always make us so happy.<br />
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I'm going to propose a SECOND type of gradual release that is particularly pertinent in math instruction. It looks a little something like this.<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Hands-On-Fraction-Bundle-10-Hands-On-Fraction-Resources-for-Grades-3-5-3280070"><img alt="Teaching fractions is challenging--but if we use a gradual release of instruction method we have the best chance of deep fraction understanding. Perfect for third grade fractions, fourth grade fractions, fifth grade fractions, fraction unit, fraction lessons, fraction activities" border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvYdGZGN2z5HQ3JA2RbPY1PmctBkBQV8GJZVgoJ05w61usye_p-EzMi-8rjfLK7B_tZlemJSpgFhc0YA3IRvJ71jiqfLo_lYL65JeAaSDEEQLhozZhwyRY5rhEQSJ6zXtKhAvn7j2GTkA/s640/concrete+to+abstract+arrow+image.jpg" title="Teaching fractions is challenging--but if we use a gradual release of instruction method we have the best chance of deep fraction understanding. Perfect for third grade fractions, fourth grade fractions, fifth grade fractions, fraction unit, fraction lessons, fraction activities" width="640" /></a></div>
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Now, what this arrow represents is that when we introduce a concept like fractions, it is absolutely critical that we provide our students with the opportunity to spend time--lots of time--in the world of the concrete. Whether this means paper folding, using pre-made fraction manipulatives, base ten blocks, actual pans of brownies, paper pizzas--WHATEVER--we must immerse students in experiences where they see, feel, and move objects to make discoveries.</div>
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As we do this, it is important that we help students start to make connections between these "objects" and the real world. This is where stories, real-world examples, and meaningful problem solving come in to play.</div>
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Here's an example. A student with very little fractional understanding or experience can perhaps start to make connections when we present a problem like this.</div>
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<b>"Sue walked into a bakery to buy some cookies for her family. She noticed that each tray held 24 cookies. If half of the cookies on one of the trays had sprinkles, how many would that be? What if half of the cookies with sprinkles also had chocolate chips--how many would that be?"</b></div>
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The problem we have shared is essentially this: "What is 1/4 of 24?", a problem that surfaces in most fraction units later on...and usually with a page full of similar problems. By telling the story in context, helping students visualize ("Can you imagine what that tray of cookies might look like?"), perhaps even sketch or model it--this more advanced skill is very accessible to even the most beginning student. </div>
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Only after spending time building, folding, exploring, playing, and "seeing" how fractions make sense in the world should we move to these "bare number" tasks...tasks like:</div>
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<b>3/4 + 4/4 = ?</b></div>
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<b>5 x 3/8 = ?</b></div>
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<b>Generate a list of 3 fractions equivalent to 4/5.</b></div>
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These are all the types of questions that we find rampant in our textbooks and teaching resources--and they DO have value. The question is WHEN. WHEN does it make sense to do these? In my view, the correct timing is when the understanding is there and students need simply to work on the fluency and accuracy of the tasks. Students do not learn best by doing tasks like this; they learn to get more fluent and adept at tasks like this if the foundations have been clearly set.</div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Hands-On-Fraction-Bundle-10-Hands-On-Fraction-Resources-for-Grades-3-5-3280070"><img alt="Teaching fractions is challenging--but if we use a gradual release of instruction method we have the best chance of deep fraction understanding. Perfect for third grade fractions, fourth grade fractions, fifth grade fractions, fraction unit, fraction lessons, fraction activities" border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiApWUHm_yU0eFnckcbd_FL6t28rIlWITrzT_ECVGr6CPF5i2Y9F0fD_vaIko6PLSXTAoT-FzR_YU8To_-Ui7TUQNZCtdN8fpsX8H5GbsJTD1rcRAN5hyVty6Z8BYh0J4BtG23_FCLat7I/s640/concrete+to+abstract+arrow+with+description.jpg" title="Teaching fractions is challenging--but if we use a gradual release of instruction method we have the best chance of deep fraction understanding. Perfect for third grade fractions, fourth grade fractions, fifth grade fractions, fraction unit, fraction lessons, fraction activities" width="640" /></a></div>
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<h3>
I really thought they were understanding...</h3>
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<a href="https://app.convertkit.com/landing_pages/325122?v=6" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="768" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSLu7ZbUaPyRSmemUc7__DhiOlCiLjfljqEhyphenhypheny0PzqQOKraYECP8W4eas4S-N4JkztXVCMu9ceDFHyz5i974I6iCWYznYTrWtsYZwBex_kPREkBhhWhyphenhyphenibQDrPkArmXWHFo650Tys-Qds/s320/want+more+fraction+help+button+to+enter+fraction+sequence.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
One thing I have found--especially for the more beginning levels of fractions, is that students may seem to be understanding. They fill in the answers correctly on their practice sheets. They can identify a given fraction. They may even be able to do the bare number tasks listed above...but do any of these show a TRUE understanding of fractions and their real-world application? That takes us, as teachers, getting in trenches with them watching, listening, and asking questions.</div>
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Provide students with open-ended tasks and challenges that give them time to explore, discuss, and for YOU to observe. If your math series is full of computation--that's fine! Just WAIT to do that work until students have demonstrated readiness. Unfortunately, many series don't give us enough of these experiences, which is what led to the unit I created to use with my own students and many of the other fraction resources in my store. I simply didn't feel as though we spent enough time on the left side of the arrow. If you want to see more, here are the links to a few resources. See you soon for more fraction thinking!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Want to check out the fraction unit I use?</div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Improving-Deep-Fraction-Understanding-A-Fraction-Unit-for-Grades-3-5-625571"><img alt="Teaching fractions is challenging--but if we use a gradual release of instruction method we have the best chance of deep fraction understanding. Perfect for third grade fractions, fourth grade fractions, fifth grade fractions, fraction unit, fraction lessons, fraction activities" border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirmSHbhZjZhfqXaXZv1nqSne0KaVT3mrWcFwhKcxbSj3FtCiU_Y0maKxAeD0d5bPnsQQij3LQraB6XGfikz4ITh0ttRKTw5iUYG2LZw7j7jQGLK0N8aBVRjMwIaCWsYUvjBov5RSq8Njw/s320/fraction+unit+new+cover.jpg" title="Teaching fractions is challenging--but if we use a gradual release of instruction method we have the best chance of deep fraction understanding. Perfect for third grade fractions, fourth grade fractions, fifth grade fractions, fraction unit, fraction lessons, fraction activities" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: center;">How about a bundled set of TEN fraction resources that support best practices?</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Hands-On-Fraction-Bundle-10-Hands-On-Fraction-Resources-for-Grades-3-5-3280070"><img alt="Teaching fractions is challenging--but if we use a gradual release of instruction method we have the best chance of deep fraction understanding. Perfect for third grade fractions, fourth grade fractions, fifth grade fractions, fraction unit, fraction lessons, fraction activities" border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEDBaeISTGYoOvLD54Fi4F8Fl5bxjJHatTdJ7ZrRnGBdB2NITDVA51na0XTOMh1YuxEtNA9RxxhOcKqcMWyXzNA2d99Szn-LaIqd7SOFb7kuDLFpfuChXZHgfRIbH0RNbBIkRZwKVkXWU/s320/fraction+bundle+toolkit+new+cover.jpg" title="Teaching fractions is challenging--but if we use a gradual release of instruction method we have the best chance of deep fraction understanding. Perfect for third grade fractions, fourth grade fractions, fifth grade fractions, fraction unit, fraction lessons, fraction activities" width="320" /></a></div>
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The Teacher Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04936657056940797588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072938188438508721.post-91314280809200480272018-01-09T18:33:00.000-06:002018-04-25T20:16:23.721-05:00What makes teaching fractions so challenging?If you have followed me or seen any of my webinars, you know that I wholeheartedly believe that all students can learn math at a high level--and we, as teachers, need to constantly strive to refine our teaching strategies and methods so that we reach ALL students...no matter their starting point. This is especially true for fractions which can be one of the most challenging things we teach. This post begins a series about fraction instruction that I hope you find helpful and meaningful.<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Improving-Deep-Fraction-Understanding-A-Fraction-Unit-for-Grades-3-5-625571"><img alt="Teaching fractions, fraction lessons, fraction lesson plans, fraction activities, common core fractions, common core math, third grade common core, fourth grade common core, equivalent fractions, fraction unit, fraction resources grade 3, grade 4, grade 5, fifth grade, fourth grade, third grade, third grade math, fourth grade math, fifth grade math" border="0" data-original-height="584" data-original-width="1119" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwnmtwzv0dujpWCgp_u1BzNQroh2JyQzgZx9ideFXHNdVHUQh0Ab8TK4lVepK6Dsik5fWzWNFXPStrkQdk0c7z9c533hNG6TB82DxJLbGumjPLSucOQyQxvHL01xQz30S2znW8k80Iheo/s640/what+makes+fractions+challenging+header+.jpg" title="Teaching fractions, fraction lessons, fraction lesson plans, fraction activities, common core fractions, common core math, third grade common core, fourth grade common core, equivalent fractions, fraction unit, fraction resources grade 3, grade 4, grade 5, fifth grade, fourth grade, third grade, third grade math, fourth grade math, fifth grade math" width="640" /></a></div>
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To begin, I don't think it would be surprising if I told you that a majority of intermediate grade teachers declare that fractions are one of (or THE) most challenging concept for them to teach--and for their students to learn. So why is this? And more importantly--what can we do about it?! These questions will be the foundation for this series of blog posts. We CAN make a difference in how we reach our students and deepen their fraction knowledge.<br />
<h2>
What makes fractions so challenging to teach?</h2>
I have done some research (formal and informal) by looking at what the experts have said and by asking countless teachers in the trenches, and I think I have some answers as to what makes this topic so overwhelming for many. Why is this important? If we can identify the stumbling blocks, then we can start to chip away at them and begin to learn more about what WILL work and how we can overcome these obstacles. I am constantly on a quest to find ways to "make sense" of fractions for my students (which is what led to me creating a <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Improving-Deep-Fraction-Understanding-A-Fraction-Unit-for-Grades-3-5-625571">full fraction unit</a> to use with my students!)<br />
<h3>
Fractions are not always "concrete".</h3>
<div>
Although we may start our fraction instruction with objects--perhaps paper folding or plastic fraction pieces--we too often move very quickly past these real-world models to paper and pencil computation. I'm going to argue that even <b>drawings</b> of fractions fail to be concrete enough for some students with limited fraction sense. To many, this is just a circle with lines. The physical act of cutting, folding, and manipulating is so important for many.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKIImiHqUcLORQSAqy3pTeO6Vs9_j0P_i2ypZSm6InbQn-90VIhQRRVGQGTrEpePdhqRPdjqDQUBYcNH115vM2NYosY2MvkPTrpNEsW-pLrPrDTFgt-itLrmNaySUndvikyME3zn-Ow8U/s1600/Colorful+Fractions+Circle1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="824" data-original-width="824" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKIImiHqUcLORQSAqy3pTeO6Vs9_j0P_i2ypZSm6InbQn-90VIhQRRVGQGTrEpePdhqRPdjqDQUBYcNH115vM2NYosY2MvkPTrpNEsW-pLrPrDTFgt-itLrmNaySUndvikyME3zn-Ow8U/s200/Colorful+Fractions+Circle1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<div>
To make matters more complicated--this is just the beginning! When we multiply whole numbers, we can make "groups of" objects, right? 3 times 6 can be represented by 3 piles of 6 objects. Do we take the time to really make our more advanced fraction concepts such as multiplying and dividing concrete? Do students really "see" what happens when we multiply fractions (HINT: We can still model 3 groups of 1/4 or 6 groups of 2/3...and it can make a huge difference!). When we move too quickly to "bare numbers", we make a lot of assumptions about what our students truly understand.</div>
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<h3>
Fractions are numbers--really!</h3>
<div>
Here's another statement that seems a little obvious, right? Of course, fractions are numbers! But wait...try to get yourself into the mindset of a struggling student. We show them pictures of pizzas and candy bars cut into little pieces. We talk about the pictures in different ways...and we help students learn to "label" them as representing 1/5 or 3/8 or whatever the picture represents. Do we really help them understand that fractions allow us to represent real numbers--and even parts of numbers? That when we have a drawing of 3/8, it means that we have LESS than a whole object or amount? That fractions allow us to show amounts BETWEEN whole numbers? This is a critical part of fractional understanding; the drawings we use to show fractions are merely representations of numbers from a number line. More to come in upcoming posts.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWrBoH6COhrajc1_BxVsgNtqT-bm8tiloyVAWs5lQ3F5DWgzxlCAt9gOzg5a0AaLG23SIDOz7LrpQhu_c2CuHoUocK-ufzIGbdZ9NJfyr_Nuxy7V6NK0NfgvzU3ElpnUXm1r7OSvdl0KI/s1600/possible+number+line+fraction+ad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Teaching fractions, fraction lessons, fraction lesson plans, fraction activities, common core fractions, common core math, third grade common core, fourth grade common core, equivalent fractions, fraction unit, fraction resources grade 3, grade 4, grade 5, fifth grade, fourth grade, third grade, third grade math, fourth grade math, fifth grade math" border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="816" height="564" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWrBoH6COhrajc1_BxVsgNtqT-bm8tiloyVAWs5lQ3F5DWgzxlCAt9gOzg5a0AaLG23SIDOz7LrpQhu_c2CuHoUocK-ufzIGbdZ9NJfyr_Nuxy7V6NK0NfgvzU3ElpnUXm1r7OSvdl0KI/s640/possible+number+line+fraction+ad.jpg" title="Teaching fractions, fraction lessons, fraction lesson plans, fraction activities, common core fractions, common core math, third grade common core, fourth grade common core, equivalent fractions, fraction unit, fraction resources grade 3, grade 4, grade 5, fifth grade, fourth grade, third grade, third grade math, fourth grade math, fifth grade math" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(These number lines are a part of my fraction number line resource--also part of my 10 resource fraction toolkit)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<h3>
The understanding of "unit fraction" is missing</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDQPd5s7o2v4e9OlGp5rYkxP-9sUouHibfik04Gn0QbiuvjY_TAGFPOTGucdZrvmjJPKYDJymGYRXbmbB0tjhs5Fq1uvdj4OcIYXRzH8hwALLdbIGi3-F8HyE98lyjIH-FzmXSTFnPqL8/s1600/Photo+Jan+09%252C+6+05+15+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Teaching fractions, fraction lessons, fraction lesson plans, fraction activities, common core fractions, common core math, third grade common core, fourth grade common core, equivalent fractions, fraction unit, fraction resources grade 3, grade 4, grade 5, fifth grade, fourth grade, third grade, third grade math, fourth grade math, fifth grade math" border="0" data-original-height="1421" data-original-width="1600" height="568" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDQPd5s7o2v4e9OlGp5rYkxP-9sUouHibfik04Gn0QbiuvjY_TAGFPOTGucdZrvmjJPKYDJymGYRXbmbB0tjhs5Fq1uvdj4OcIYXRzH8hwALLdbIGi3-F8HyE98lyjIH-FzmXSTFnPqL8/s640/Photo+Jan+09%252C+6+05+15+PM.jpg" title="Teaching fractions, fraction lessons, fraction lesson plans, fraction activities, common core fractions, common core math, third grade common core, fourth grade common core, equivalent fractions, fraction unit, fraction resources grade 3, grade 4, grade 5, fifth grade, fourth grade, third grade, third grade math, fourth grade math, fifth grade math" width="640" /></a></div>
<div>
This leads me directly to this concept. The term "unit fraction" refers to a fraction with a </div>
<div>
"1" in the numerator...such as 1/4, 1/7, or even 1/500. Understanding that this is "unit" of measure or amount is so critical. I like to interchange the terms "unit fraction" and "counting fraction" with my students because I really want them to understand that, just like whole numbers, unit fractions can be counted, added, subtracted, composed and decomposed--and more.</div>
<div>
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<div>
In the primary years, a great deal of time is spent counting whole numbers in different ways--by ones. By 5's. By 10's. We even practice counting backward which helps develop subtraction understanding. The same is true for fractions--and we really cannot make assumptions that all our students can do this automatically.<br />
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<a href="https://app.convertkit.com/landing_pages/325122?v=6" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="768" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWFTnJY7DJci_kW4ByT1_OkaJZaiKKG3P2fbPsBgi-susPcpfWDeYBrf7fsLic-gW9sc3Il6kzUAd8Pt_VHCVSFXt0qcOI1cJBYioZLCmAvDEj1L3hmcD25Tx2GP-XA4zh3mO9qHe2BEg/s320/want+more+fraction+help+button+to+enter+fraction+sequence.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div>
When we count fractional parts ("unit fractions") using manipulatives, on number lines, and even orally, it helps build that understanding that fractions are numbers. It helps students begin to develop their sense of the relative size of fractions. It helps lead to a greater understanding of what happens when we count and get the same numerator and denominator (a new "whole") and then count past that to make improper fractions and mixed numbers. When we can count fractions we start to see the additive nature of them...I have 2/5 and I count up one more fifth and get 3/5--and this is something that can often be missing in student understanding if time isn't spent working on this. It really forms the foundation for addition and subtraction of fractions--and is truly an essential skill.</div>
<div>
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<div>
In fact, this is one of the first interventions I do with students who are struggling. I get out a manipulative of some type (I linked to some of my favorites...note, these are affiliate links) and we practice counting. We notice what happens when we reach a "whole" and then beyond. We essentially "play" with these counting fractions and then begin to record our findings on paper and pencil. I will often pull these back out when reteaching is needed.<br />
<br />
Also, consider when you look for manipulatives that some have the fractional part written on them and others are blank--both are great, but make your decisions based on what you want to accomplish. Similarly, if you ONLY use circles or ONLY use fraction bars, students may struggle to generalize the learning. Even using tools like pattern blocks can be really helpful as you study basic fraction concepts.</div>
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<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=theteastu0e-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B0017D9NJI&asins=B0017D9NJI&linkId=152803a49b4861369d4e4db5571411a3&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=theteastu0e-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B001604R1G&asins=B001604R1G&linkId=ff0e114960289576c651fc9fc2e0be61&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=theteastu0e-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B00009XNTF&asins=B00009XNTF&linkId=67a643f76caa0011697ffa176b795216&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=theteastu0e-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B002JF26PQ&asins=B002JF26PQ&linkId=174687a7552be79a324bea06f882ef42&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>
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<h3>
Fraction notation and terminology can be challenging</h3>
<div>
So, when talking about playing with unit fractions and counting fractions, I mentioned that I work to connect the physical fractions (fraction circles, folded paper, etc) to the written symbols--and this leads me to yet another challenge associated with fractions--notation and terminology. We throw around words like "numerator" and "denominator" and sometimes forget that students may not have internalized those terms and have most likely never heard them. Words like "equivalence" and "improper" and "reduce" can also add to the confusion. If you see my other posts from the past (or other lessons from <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Improving-Deep-Fraction-Understanding-A-Fraction-Unit-for-Grades-3-5-625571">my fraction unit</a>)<br />
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To make it worse? We can write fractions in different ways! Check out the image below--and then think through the lens of a struggling mathematician. Both of the green fractions represent the same thing--but they are written in two different ways. One, if written carelessly, could end up looking like 2,110--the other is easy to read but difficult to make using technology. How about the purple ones? Students need to understand that both of those are the same value--written in two different ways. Even understanding that the "1" is a "whole" and the 7/8 represents part of another whole can be confusing for many. We need to be constantly assessing for this type of misunderstanding. Finally, with a tie back to unit fractions, students need to understand that one "whole" is the same as when it is notated with the same numerator and denominator. We cannot make assumptions that this understanding is in place. Dig in and find out--and fix any misconceptions along the way.<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Improving-Deep-Fraction-Understanding-A-Fraction-Unit-for-Grades-3-5-625571"><img alt="Teaching fractions, fraction lessons, fraction lesson plans, fraction activities, common core fractions, common core math, third grade common core, fourth grade common core, equivalent fractions, fraction unit, fraction resources grade 3, grade 4, grade 5, fifth grade, fourth grade, third grade, third grade math, fourth grade math, fifth grade math" border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="768" height="375" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTuGpb-27ouMrlYNF3SRyOuqSQamJ-r6Q-0B-5N81_80mZgg-fOJAaqHoTkfUxUpqfE2cU2Q3V5pdLJnaKh63MlmudeURNa5_7yH9kXdlmPHnaLtgZwBlmM4H9v0dbto29PT8_dh9ODec/s400/what+makes+fractions+so+challenging+image+confusing+notation.jpg" title="Teaching fractions, fraction lessons, fraction lesson plans, fraction activities, common core fractions, common core math, third grade common core, fourth grade common core, equivalent fractions, fraction unit, fraction resources grade 3, grade 4, grade 5, fifth grade, fourth grade, third grade, third grade math, fourth grade math, fifth grade math" width="400" /></a></div>
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<h3>
Fractions appear in multiple contexts</h3>
<div>
I'm almost finished--I promise! I know so many of these things seem trivial--but if we don't catch them in our strugglers, we just keep moving them forward with an unstable foundation--and we KNOW that really understanding fractions is the key to success in algebra and other upper math classes. We can't fail our students!<br />
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Another frustration for students is that fractions appear in so many contexts. We can divide a pizza in fourths. We can divide SETS of things (like bags of jelly beans or baseballs) into groups. We need to learn how to use fractions of more abstract things like units of measure--like fractions of an inch or a pound. It's no wonder students get confused--1/2 can mean so many different things! Even thinking about 1/2 of a pizza...is it a 7 inch pizza? A 16 inch pizza? Are those halves the same? What about 1/2 of the pizzas in the restaurant? Or half of a slice?<br />
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Because 1/2 can VARY, this is extremely confusing to many students. In fact, this challenge forms the foundation of a great deal of the fraction work I do in my class--to really help students grasp how fluid fractions are. You can see lots of examples of this in my complete fraction unit that has been such a game changer for me and literally thousands of teachers who have used it.</div>
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<h3>
A <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Growth-Mindset-Activities-Lessons-Posters-and-More-2021181">growth mindset</a> is missing!</h3>
<div>
This is perhaps the hardest to overcome. Students aren't born thinking fractions are hard--somewhere along the way, they have gotten this message. Whether it be from their families ("I was terrible at fractions, too!") or the way we, as teachers, present the information--somehow we are sending messages that fractions are our nemesis, something only to be understood by the lucky ones. We have to think about our own biases and make sure we are NOT sending those fixed mindset messages to our students. Fractions ARE accessible to everyone...but we do need to make sure that we build and nurture a strong foundation of understanding and a <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Growth-Mindset-Activities-Lessons-Posters-and-More-2021181">mindset of growth and perseverance</a>.</div>
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<div>
I hope I gave you some things to think about today--and stay tuned for more fractions posts coming soon!</div>
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Want to check out the unit I was referring to?<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Improving-Deep-Fraction-Understanding-A-Fraction-Unit-for-Grades-3-5-625571"><img alt="Teaching fractions, fraction lessons, fraction lesson plans, fraction activities, common core fractions, common core math, third grade common core, fourth grade common core, equivalent fractions, fraction unit, fraction resources grade 3, grade 4, grade 5, fifth grade, fourth grade, third grade, third grade math, fourth grade math, fifth grade math" border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEtHpuynWrmdQUVUU9qhXZFjsWjc4cMHoHn7DxR_MawIbyGySvfI3dkMGUi-E4NZMV3c9jXmXOFbItbpu5NJ4ZTGjWd7KKlcYvXxrO7fGpJe7YwrQ1BQmA-cuRYOUIh8N6ApMroWWlT3s/s640/why+are+fractions+so+challenging+post+image+.jpg" title="Teaching fractions, fraction lessons, fraction lesson plans, fraction activities, common core fractions, common core math, third grade common core, fourth grade common core, equivalent fractions, fraction unit, fraction resources grade 3, grade 4, grade 5, fifth grade, fourth grade, third grade, third grade math, fourth grade math, fifth grade math" width="320" /></a></div>
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The Teacher Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04936657056940797588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8072938188438508721.post-56080484629933385642017-12-31T18:05:00.000-06:002017-12-31T18:05:02.822-06:00Teaching Comparison Problems It's my day to blog over at Upper Elementary Snapshots! Check out today's post all about teaching COMPARISON PROBLEMS...and how important it is to help students really dig deeply into their problem solving. I hope you get some helpful tips! Whether you call them comparison problems, tape diagrams, or strip diagrams--these problems can really helps students "make sense" of problems.<br />
<br />
Just click the image to take you there...<br />
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<br />The Teacher Studiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04936657056940797588noreply@blogger.com1