Beginning, During, & After Strategies

“In the explicit teaching of comprehension strategies, you must help learners know when to use specific strategies.”  – Laney Sammons

Building reading comprehension is an ongoing process and the same is true when building understanding in mathematics.  The research in Building Mathematical Comprehension shows that there are a variety of strategies that are used, beginning, during, and after working with a specific task. When used together, these strategies build upon each other and deepen the learner’s conceptual understanding.

Beginning Strategies –  When students begin a reading or mathematics task, they should consider the purpose and the goals of the task.  Learners should ask questions to monitor their meaning  – “What have they been asked to do?   How will they know if they are successful?  What connections can be made?”  Students make inferences by using their background knowledge and information from the text or task to gain meaning and decide the next steps.

During Strategies – Students should continue to ask questions, make connections, and work to visualize and create representations or act out concepts.  They continue to make inferences, synthesize, monitor and continue to extend meaning.

After Strategies –  Students should talk with each other about their thinking.  “Good thinking requires reflection.” They discuss their findings, strategies, and what was most important in the problem solving process.  Learners will examine how things fit together, what conclusions were reached, and why.

Our students need to see and hear how to use good problem solving strategies, so it is important for teachers to model and “think out loud” to demonstrate how to use the right strategy at the right time.  When learners are ready, allow them the opportunity to use those strategies independently.  Then teachers can assess their students’ understanding and plan the next teaching points.  Through modeling, instruction, and practice – young mathematicians can learn how to select and apply the tools that will help them grow as problem solvers and make mathematics more meaningful.

Here is a great link for more ideas on how to make math more meaningful:  http://www.mathcoachscorner.com/