My PS is going at the top: Please please support your child in memorizing the addition and subtraction facts, or in some cases the multiplication facts. They all have good strategies for finding the answers, however it is taking a long time and many students are using their figures. They must practice in order to attain fact fluency, thank you!

I ended the last post by mentioning the Apple Investigations. These were followed by The Pumpkin Caper in preparation for our Halloween party. Students were assigned partners and chose a pumpkin. The partners made predictions as to their pumpkin’s weight, circumference, number of lines, number of seeds, and whether or not it would float. They then weighed, measured, and tested and recorded their findings. We used the data to determine a maximum, minimum, range and average for each data set. Students also solved and created Halloween word problems. I love how our school wide celebrations provide an opportunity for hands on learning. Another example of real life math occurred when I shared photos of the scoreboard during my son’s basketball game and we discussed how his coaches’ strategy depends on knowing how much time is left, the difference in the two teams’ scores and what each shot is worth.

Students have been practicing their math facts by completing a facts quiz, solving wrap ups, doing flip overs, and solving task cards and math challenges. They were very enthusiastic in practicing for Family Math Afternoon and enjoyed teaching their games to the community. Some students have begun working in an algebra or geometry book. I have created a math menu for some of the students so they can work independently or in partnerships and have more autonomy and self direction in their learning. Another group is working on activities from the Everyday Math curriculum, currently on patterns in numbers and finding differences. In terms of our social emotional curriculum, we have discussed feeling faces and feelings, practiced using I-statements, and are currently discussing mistakes as opportunities for learning and reading about mistakes that worked.

Apologies. I take very few photos.

math

Fridays are fun-days, too, in Language Arts!

MATH: Settling into a Rhythm