Posts Tagged ‘math’
Math Current Events
“Our students live in a world where current events swirl around them unceasingly. . .When current events are included in math instruction, students become aware of the ever-present relationship of math to the world around them.” – Laney Sammons Teaching our children to make mathematical connections to the world around them helps them to build…
Read MoreThe One-Minute Schema Determiner
Schema is all the knowledge that is filed away in your brain. The people you have met, things you have done, books you have read, and discoveries you have made – all those experiences build schema. In Building Mathematical Comprehension, Laney Sammons tells us that “new knowledge must be associated with and linked to the existing…
Read MoreModeling Think-Alouds
“Teaching students how to make connections as they develop an understanding of mathematics concepts or apply their mathematics knowledge to problem solving can improve their comprehension and increase their overall interest in the study of mathematics.” – Laney Sammons Our young mathematicians walk into our classrooms with a variety of experiences and diverse backgrounds. Some…
Read MoreLiterature and Math – A Great Match
“Reading books that weave mathematical ideas into engaging stories helps dispel the myth that math is dry, unimaginative, and inaccessible.” – Marilyn Burns From generation to generation, we have used stories to teach life lessons. Author Jonathan Gottschall reminds us, “We are, as a species, addicted to story.” As educators, we know that a good…
Read MoreMath Word Walls – Making Math More Meaningful
“An understanding of critical mathematical terms is essential for students as they develop an understanding of mathematical concepts.” – Laney Sammons Knowledge of mathematical language is vital for the building of deep conceptual understanding. To develop our students’ math literacy, we must provide meaningful opportunities to talk and write about math concepts and encourage children…
Read MoreParent Involvement in Math
“At the end of the day, the most overwhelming key to a child’s success is the positive involvement of parents.” – Jane D. Hull Studies show that parent involvement has a positive impact on student achievement in mathematics. To make the most of these home-school connections, we must make families aware…
Read MoreLevels of Word Knowledge
“The sequence of learning the meaning of words does not reside in innate human development; that is, our brains are not wired to acquire words in any given sequence. The order of learning words resides in children’s environments and experiences.” – Building Words for Life There is great importance in the meaningful and direct instruction of…
Read MoreComprehension Connection – Strategy Connection
“Both reading and math require purposeful thinking for the construction of meaning.” – Laney Sammons In Building Mathematical Comprehension, Laney Sammons addresses the need for increasing math understanding at all levels and provides us with the tools to build mathematical literacy in our classrooms. She shares the research of Keene and Zimmerman and their model for teaching…
Read MoreBeginning, 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…
Read MoreLaying the Foundation for Critical Thinking in Math
“Environments rich in mathematical opportunities for children are essential if we want our children to develop a thorough understanding of mathematics.” -Laney Sammons Evidence has shown that our nation has been struggling with mathematical literacy. We have many children who just don’t “get it” and it is time to make a change in the instructional…
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