As it was stated earlier in the book, number sense routines provide opportunities for students to build on existing number sense and helps students make connections to big ideas in mathematics (Shumway, 2011, p17). This can happen even later than 3rd grade and, quite frankly, many students need this continued support long after elementary school!
I have to say that I LOVE the Organic Number line. It was my favorite routine in chapter 4. I'm not currently in my own classroom but if and when I ever am again, I am going to develop this with my students. What a great way to track continued growth of student understanding throughout the year! How amazing to see coherence between concepts such as time and fractions! Exciting stuff, I tell ya!
Discussion Questions:
Q1 - Name one thing you will start and/or continue doing after reading this chapter.
Q2 - Name one thing you will stop doing after reading this far in the book.
Q3 - Choose a routine from chapter 4 and list 2-3 questions you could ask your students of different levels.
Additional Resources:
Q1- I will stop using counting routines randomly without purpose. I think I have been guilty about "spray and pray" lately because I've been so overwhelmed.
ReplyDeleteQ2- I will start making a short list of concepts I want to review and design routines specifically around that goal.
Q3- Choral counting for my first graders, counting by tens starting at something like 12. What do you notice? How do you know what is going to come next? What observations can you make? What patterns did you see?
I agree with you totally about what you will start and stop. I like the idea of making a list of concepts that you want to review and design routines around them. What a great idea!
DeleteDiscussion Questions:
ReplyDeleteQ1 - Name one thing you will start and/or continue doing after reading this chapter. I will start incorporating math warm-ups into the beginning of my math block.
Q2 - Name one thing you will stop doing after reading this far in the book. I will stop skipping over math number sense routines that I could be doing in the math block. Too often we think that we need more time for our math lesson that we skip over things. I will make sure not to do that anymore.
Q3 - Choose a routine from chapter 4 and list 2-3 questions you could ask your students of different levels. Count Around the Circle- What do you notice about the numbers you are saying? Do you see any patterns? What would happen if we went around the circle a second time? What number would we end on?
~Cathy~
What do you think of asking the kids to, once they get the hang of "Count Around the Circle", count backwards from a given number? I wonder if they would make a connection to subtraction.
DeleteFunny you should mention that! We started the routine this week and I was just playing around- counting by 1's forwards and backwards and counting by 10's forwards and backwards (from 0). Today I broke out this awesome 100 chart that you can switch the number you are working with from red to black (or vice versa). We started counting by 10's from other numbers and looking for those patterns.
DeleteCathy are you still using Count Around the Circle? If so, how are your students liking it? Have you noticed improvement?
DeleteQ1 - Name one thing you will start and/or continue doing after reading this chapter.
ReplyDeleteI have already begun the "Counting Circle" routine. On day 1 we choral counted from 1-20, then counted around the circle 3 times from 1 -20. As we finished with one student, we started number 1 with the very next student. the following 2 days we also did the counting circle, each day adding 5 more (counting to 25, then 30). I plan to keep adding 5 each day until we get to 100. I also want to vary the beginning number (once the routine is set).
Q2 - Name one thing you will stop doing after reading this far in the book.
I'd like to say I will stop rushing through various activities in math each day, but the reality is, I do not think I will ever feel "not rushed" again :( So much to do, never seems like enough time.
Q3 - Choose a routine from chapter 4 and list 2-3 questions you could ask your students of different levels.
I really like the idea of an organic number line - and I can see the benefit of making it with kinders. Next year, at the beginning of the year, as we are learning numbers 1-5, ask kids how they could show the number. Drawings, ten frames, numerals, number words, dice face, etc. As we continue to learn about numbers 6-10, and later 11-20, we could continue to add our visualizations for each number. As a few numbers are completed/added to, I could ask if they notice anything (ex: each amount has 1 more on the ten frame) and see if they are able to discuss the importance of understanding the amount/value of any given number.
Connie, I think it'll be interesting to see how your students do once you start varying the beginning number. If you think of it, can you share how they do back on the blog?
ReplyDeleteSandy - response questions from week of 1-28-16
ReplyDeleteQuestion 1 - I was already using the Count Around the Circle routine (didn't realize that I was until I started reading this book),so I will continue to use it but more frequently. We have been counting from a number other than 1. After reading this book, when kids get stuck, I will write the counting sequence on the board so they can actually see the numbers.
Question 2 - I will stop starting and stopping routines so quickly. I get bored with a routine and I am quick to change it so my students stay engaged. I realized from reading this chapter, if I focus in on a specific skill or concept for a consistent period of time (through a particular routine), the students mathematical thinking will really grow.
Q3 - I liked the idea of Math Boxes for Small Group Math with materials to "warm up" or minilessions. I could have ten frame cards for my struggling students and have them mix them up and sequence them each time we meet. How did you know which card would come next? I could also have number cards that they mix up and sequence. I could add unifix cubes there and have them move the cubes when we are counting to help with their 1 to 1 correspondence. If we are choral counting during this math box time, I could ask, what number will we say when we go all around our circle (my small group table is a circle)?
I love that you're asking your students "How did you know what number would come next?". Those are my favorite types of questions because they are open ended and give insight into student thinking!
Delete#1. Funny that you posted the link about counting around the circle with fractions. That is something that I have done in my own 5th grade classroom with a small group. So I guess that is something that I would continue to do when I go back into the classroom.
ReplyDelete#2. I will make sure that my teachers are not starting and stopping the number senses routines so quickly. Especially when they are trying something new. They need to give it time to try it out.
#3.- I really want to try the organic number line with the younger grades. If 1/2 was listed what is a way we could show that with money? What would 1/2 of a 1/2 look like?
Yes! At least two weeks on a routine (with a specific focus!) is needed for routines to take effect. Learning doesn't happen overnight!
ReplyDelete