Fun Fluency Frenzy

Who doesn't like an addicting, fast-paced game?  Put it in the form of a puzzle, add points to earn medals, and presto...kids are hooked!

Here are two interactive games that can be put on the top of the list of ways to support addition and multiplication fluency:  Fluency Games.  They can be played on both the computer and tablets.

These games are perfect for those students well on their way to knowing their basic facts and ready for a new challenge.  Each game is a puzzle of blocks.  Both the addition and the multiplication versions include options to vary the speed and difficulty.  The best part is that they are truly addictive! (Yes, I even got hooked.)

Once children know their basic addition facts to ten, they are ready for Addition Blocks .  The object of the game is to destroy the target sum block falling from the right side of the screen.  You must connect digit blocks to equal the target sum.

 As the level moves up, the sums become slightly larger (12, 15, and 20).  This promotes opportunities to add three or more digits to create the targeted sum, which earns even more points. Additionally, as the player knocks out all of the blocks in the puzzle, the game moves to another level.

Multiplication Blocks  is perfect for those that know their multiplication facts and are ready for the challenge of fast-paced puzzle action.  The object of the game is to destroy the target product falling on the right side of the screen.  Like the addition game, the blocks must be connected to equal the targeted product.

 As the levels move up, more challenging facts are woven into the game and more point are earns for finding three or more digits that can be multiplied together to equal the targeted product.

So if you have some kiddos that want to have fun keeping their facts fresh and automatic, check out these games.  And for those that like the addition game, stay tuned because the subtraction version is in the works.

What are some of your fun-favorite ways to promote math fact fluency?  Share your ideas.  We all learn from each other.

Family Math is Fun!

In my school district, we are all about reading.  Now, don't get me wrong.  I, too, truly value reading and have always loved reading to my kids.  However, in my last few years as a math coach, I find myself constantly thinking, "What about math?"  So one of my goals this year is to foster making math more visible in our schools and in our community.

My colleagues and I brainstormed ways to reach out to our parent community.  Research shows that if we want our children to grow a love of math, then we need to make math fun at home.  We decided to start by creating monthly math challenges for families to tackle together.

We shared this PBS article - Instill a Love of Math - with parents.  Then we announced that each month we would offer some themed math questions for four grade bands:  Kindergarten, 1-2, 3-4, and 5-6.  We challenged families to do the math together and then double challenged them to notice math in a typical day and make it come alive for their children.

When brainstorming the first round of questions, sports instantly came to mind.  It was important that the questions be open ended with multiple solutions.  I found myself not only thinking hard about sports scenarios for each developmental level, but for the Grade 5-6 band I even did some research on current ticket prices to make this math truly real life.

Here are our sports related math challenges for families.

This is just one of our ideas to promote the love of math with families.  I am so excited to hear feedback from parents and students.  It's all about the little things we do to make a difference in our learners' lives.

What do you do to foster the love of math?  Share your ideas.  We all learn from each other.

The Power of Words - in Math

This post continues the series on building a math community.  I remember one of my first experiences with geometry as a child.  For weeks I felt like the teacher was talking in a foreign language.  Then finally I made a connection and thought, "Oh!  That's what a plane is."  Math vocabulary is an instrumental part of strengthening our math learning.

Our math students hear "math words" for maybe an hour each day, that isolated time of math instruction.  It's no secret that we need to hear a new word many times before we start to make it part of our own vocabulary.  So how can we help learners make meaning of these words and better yet, make these words become part of our learners' math discussions?  It's this natural use of math vocabulary that strengthens students' ability to communicate their thinking and speak with precision.

Ideas to build mathematicians' vocabulary:

• Model vocabulary and highlight it in your math anchor charts.  The anchor chart serves as a visual scaffold for learners.
  
• Math discussions -
• Model using math words that connect to the lesson.
• Pose questions using math vocabulary.
• When a learner shares an idea, ask, "Who can restate this idea using a math word?"
• Use multiple representations:  Frayer Models, word banks, or have students build models in their math notebooks.
• When students write about math, encourage them to revise adding math words.

Granite School District has created math vocabulary cards that offer a comprehensive way to foster the growth of math vocabulary. The cards are available Kindergarten through Grade 6 with an additional secondary section of word cards. Plus, there are sets in Spanish, French, and Chinese. They are perfect for a Math Word Wall.  Each card consists of three sections:

• Section 1 is only the word.
• Section 2 is the word with a visual representation.
• Section 3 is the word, the visual representation, and the definition.

Some other resources to support the development of math vocabulary include the following:

• Have a math dictionary available for learners.  Math Dictionary: Homework Help for Families is very user friendly for students with clear examples to connect to.
  

• An interactive math dictionary:   http://www.amathsdictionaryforkids.com/dictionary.html  This site not only models the math term, but also gives the user the opportunity to test out its meaning.

What are some strategies you use to promote the growth of your mathematicans' math vocabulary? Share your ideas.  We all learn from each other.

Talk with Your Hands

This post continues the series on building a math community.  As the saying goes, "Actions speak louder than words." Hand signals are powerful tools in the math classroom.  Students can all share their thinking at the same time without hearing a sound.  Amazing!  Learners are engaged and actively listening.  Lastly, these motions serve as real time formative assessment for the teacher. Such power!

Here are some favorites that I use.

• Thumb up right in front of your chest - This says, "I've had time to think and I have an idea."
• When students agree with the speaker, they hold up their thumb and pinky, folding down their three middle fingers, waving them to say, "I agree with you."  A student mathematican has a boost of confidence as peers make this motion, agreeing with the speaker's strategy or comment.
  
• After an idea has been shared, many times I ask students if they agree, disagree, or are still thinking, simply using their thumbs.  This same signal also works well when I ask student to self-assess their comfort level with a new strategy:  thumb up if they feel comfy; thumb down if they feel confused; and thumb sideways if they are starting to feel comfy.  It's a quick and effective way to take a pulse of the class.
  

  Agree	Disagree	Still thinking about it

Interested in how other teachers use hand signals.  Check out these Teaching Channel video clips: 

• https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/student-silent-signals
• https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/classroom-silent-communication-signals

As the school year starts, it's a perfect time to model hand signals and weave them into your math discussions.  They can actually be used throughout the day, too.  What are some ways you use hand signals to strengthen the math discussions in your classroom? Share your ideas.  We all learn from each other.

Supporting Students' Math Talk

This post continues the series centering on building a math community.  When starting a new school year with a new group of math students, as you start to have math discussions, it's the perfect time to introduce prompts to support student conversations.

In reading, students regularly turn and talk.  They learn to use sentence stems to grow a reading conversation.  Some favorites that I hear the students use include: "I can add on...", "This connects with...", "A different idea I have is...".  Why do we use these in reading?  They offer the students an entry point, a way to get started on their conversation.

This same structure is essential in math.  It's not easy for many young mathematicians to verbalize their thinking.  The use of prompts gives students a way to start or respond.

During the early days in math, introducing math talk prompts requires continuous modeling.  Then students need to practice using them.  It takes time, but it's time well spent.  As the prompts are introduced they can be displayed on a class chart and even taped onto students' math notebooks as tools for their conversations.  Like all new routines. with time the prompts become a natural part of the class' math conversations.  And the reward is deeper math discussions!

When students start to use the prompts freely, compliment them.  This will inspire others to use them more, too.  Some students may create their own sentence starters.  Add their ideas to the list.

What are some strategies you use to grow math conversations in your classroom?  Share your ideas.  We all learn from each other.

Hearing ALL Answers + ALL Voices

This post is part of a series centering on building a math community.  When starting the school year with a new group of students, it is key to grow a community where all answers are welcome and emphasize that it is essential to hear all voices.

It's math - why not focus on the answers that are accurate?  Honestly, some of the most powerful student-centered math discussions I've facilitated or observed stem from the idea of sharing all student answers.  When an answer is shared, many teacher ask for other solutions that students have come up with.  Another strategy I regularly use, is to circle around observing student work and noting all the possible answers and then post them for students to ponder. Sometimes I include an answer from a common misconception, even if I have not noticed it on the student work for that day. This fosters student reflection before the math discussion begins.

Having multiple answers centers the discussion on student reasoning and justification.  It aids in revealing both understanding and misunderstanding.  Further, through the discussion, students construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others - CCSS.MATH.PRACTICE.MP3.

Throughout math discussions, all voices need to be heard.  This is not only instrumental in building community, but it's a key part of student engagement.  Several classroom teachers I know employ the concept of no hand raising, unless you have a question. For more on this, check out my post:  Do NOT Raise Your Hand. Now as a learner, this idea can initially be a bit terrifying.  "What if I can't answer the question I'm asked?"  The structure of not hand raising includes options for the student - phone a friend, pass, or the student can answer with a question to help better understand.  All voices can also be heard by using turn and talk partner strategies.  It's less intimidating to share the ideas of your partnership.  You can even ask a more reserved student to share what his or her partner was thinking.

Another way to encourage all voices is to ask a question of one student and then ask another student what he or she thinks about the original student's response.  Dylan William's call it Pose, Pause, Bounce, Bounce!  He compares sharing student voices with the game of basketball, where a team of voices can be heard.  This counters the traditional questioning approach of teacher-student, teacher-student, which William's connects with the game of tennis.  

As the students start a new school year with a new teacher, taking the time to build the math community by emphasizing that all answers are welcome and all voices are important sends the message to students that their ideas are valued.  It is a foundational step in creating a risk-free environment, one where all children are open to learning and trying new things.

What are some of your strategies for sharing all answers and having all voices heard?  Share your ideas.  We all learn from each other.

Building a Math Community

During these restful summer days, I have been reflecting on how the math classroom is both similar and different from the other subjects taught throughout the day.  When school starts, how do teachers purposefully set the stage to build a math community for learning?

Back to School 101 is to foster a classroom environment of respect and inclusiveness.  All voices matter.  It needs to be a risk-free zone, where students feel comfortable sharing their ideas and trying something new.  It is a growth mindset culture.  

Now let's zero in on the math community.   In a student-centered classroom, the goal is for the students to learn from each other.  Hence, math discussions are at the heart of a math lesson.  In order to have productive math discussions, math talk expectations need to be established.  This is the essence of building a math community.

So what are the expectations for a math discussion?  Like other subjects, respecting each other's ideas and sharing ideas are key.  Students may think that sharing the "right" answer is a math expectation, but that is so not true.  All answers are welcome and all voices need to be heard.

If I had to list the expectations that I want to specifically highlight in my math class as school starts, they would focus on the following:

• All answers are welcome.
• It is essential to hear all voices.
• Use prompts to support student conversations.
• Use hand signals to strengthen the math discussion.
• Use math vocabulary.
• Be open to new strategies.
• Mistakes are a tool to help us learn.  

Over the next couple weeks, as I prepare to build my math community, I will share posts highlighting ideas on how to make these math discussion expectations come alive in the classroom - building a math community.

Meanwhile, what are some of your "must have" goals in building a math community?  Share your ideas.  We all learn from each other.

Pump Up Your Math Muscles

My daughter is an athlete.  When she decided she wanted to compete at the next level, she knew she needed to get stronger.  For well over two years, she rolled out of bed at 5:45 AM three mornings a week to be in the weight room lifting with her coach.  Her muscles got stronger and her performance soared.

I tell many students this same story because we have all kinds of muscles - even math muscles.  Like working in the weight room, the more we "work out these muscles", the stronger they get.

Take a long break and those muscles become weak.  All that hard work is lost.  Yes, as an educator I am describing the "Summer Slide", when students regress over the several month vacation.

How do we help our kids have fun with "math exercise" during the summer?  Math is everywhere!  Embrace it as a family.  Help children discover every day math.

1.  Grocery store - When you are at the store, solicit your youngster's help.

• As you pick up an item, talk about rounding the cost of each item to the nearest dollar and then estimate the total cost of the grocery bill. 
• Point out the weight of non-perishable items.  If you buy 3 cans of diced tomatoes and each can is 12 ounces, how many ounces do you have?  If you pick up a quart of juice, work together to figure out how many one cup servings it has.
• Are you a coupon clipper?  Have your child help you figure out the total savings. 
• If you buy two dozen eggs, how many eggs do you have?

2.  Going out to dinner - Keep the wee ones busy while the food cooks.

• What will the total bill be?  How much of a tip should you leave?
• While your food is being prepared, use the menu to figure out the cost difference between one meal and another.
• If you only had $20 to spend, what could you order for two people? Will you have any money left over?
• How many items on the menu are priced between $7.95 and $12.95?

3.  Planning a trip - Battle the "Are we there yet?" blues.

• Make a budget for expenses - transportation, lodging, food, and don't forget the souvenirs.  Maybe even give your resident travel guide the actual money to pay some of the bills.
• Compare costs - what's the better deal?
• How far will you travel?  Measure the distance from one stop to the next and keep track of the total miles traveled.

4.  Plant a garden and watch your child's pride grow.

• Plan the garden design.  How many inches will there be between each plant?  
• Measure the dimensions of the garden and figure out the perimeter for fencing.
• Keep track of how high the plant is growing and graph it.
• How much time do you spend in the garden?  Log your time.  Total it up and convert it to hours and minutes.

5.  Cooking - The yummiest way to have fun with math! 

• Embark on a culinary venture and use fractions.  Double the recipe and do the math.  Figure out how many quarter cups you need if the one cup measure is missing.
• Planning a party, how many servings do you need?
• Measure, measure, measure. 
• If you have 22 baby carrots and four family members, how many should each person get?  What will you do with the extra?

6.  Summer Olympics - August 5 - August 21 - Mark your calendar.

• Who will win the most metals?  Graph it by country.
• Who swam faster?  Is there a new world record?  By how much?
• Create our own Olympic races in the yard.  Keep track of time.  Measure the distances run or the number of jumping jacks done in sixty seconds. 

7. Have a Lemonade Stand and spark entrepreneurship.

• How many quarts of water is needed to make a gallon of lemonade?  How many cups can you sell?
• If the lemonade mix costs $3.49 and you pay with $10, how much change will you get?
• A customer buys a cup of lemonade and needs change.  Figure it out together.
• Count the coins you earned.
• If you sell all the lemonade, how much will you earn?  Learn about a profit.  

So embrace math this summer.  Make it come alive and keep those math muscles strong because if you don't use it, you lose it.  The possibilities are endless. What are your family favorite math challenges? Share your ideas.  We all learn from each other.

Kids Need Mojo

As I visit classrooms, I continue to hear the same message.  Students can't persevere.  They want instant success. They give up too easily.  How do we help our children embrace a productive struggle?  This all boils down to a growth mindset.  Teachers need to model for students.  Parents need to model for their children.  Children learn what they live.  If they see adults working hard, learning from mistakes, and not giving up, they will follow in our footsteps.  

Class DoJo recently released videos, A Big Ideas video series, that help our wee ones connect with the power of the growth mindset.  "When you try challenging things, like those math problems, you're giving your brain the exercise it needs to get stronger, which makes you smarter."

Mojo loves challenges!!!

This series includes five, kid friendly videos.  Each two and a half minute segment sends a powerful message about growing as a learner by tackling challenges.

Here are the episode highlights:

Episode 1:  A Secret about the Brain - Exercise your brain and you will get smarter.

Episode 2:  The Magic of Mistakes - "Mistakes are no big deal.  They even make you smarter."

Episode 3:  The Power of "Yet" - When you get stuck, just remember that "I can't do it yet."

Episode 4:  The World of Neurons - You have the power to grow if you learn challenging things.

Episode 5:  Mojo Puts It All Together - Learn to love challenges and you will always be growing.

Additionally, a free, downloadable discussion guide is offered with each episode. 

These clips can fit perfectly into the classroom environment.  They are equally as powerful to watch as a family and discuss.  The Mojo character is so relatable to kids that the episodes can be watched multiple times.  What a great way to remind children about Mojo when they get stuck or find something - anything - hard.

Check out the clips!  I'm sure you will be hooked and want to share them.  Heck, Mojo even reminded me as an adult how to be a role model of growth mindset for my own kiddos.

What other strategies do you use to foster a growth mindset with children?  Share your ideas.  We all learn from each other.

Do NOT Raise Your Hand

The teacher asks students a question and in a perfect world classroom, all hands go up.  Now, honestly, how often does that happen?

There is a direct connection between high-engagement classroom environments and student achievement, but how can we strengthen the level of engagement?  

I recently tried out a strategy that I read about in Dylan William's Embedded Formative Assessment - no hand raising allowed, unless you have a question.  The premise is that if teachers call on those students that raise their hands, other students may choose not to participate.  Some may even opt to zone out.  Yikes!  What does that mean for engagement and more importantly, student understanding?  When the students do not know who will be called on, they all need to be engaged and ready to answer.

As I tried this with a few classes, focus on the lesson seemed to grow before my very eyes.  Now keep in mind that wait time is an essential component of this strategy.  Students need time to process. Additionally, if a student is randomly called on and does not have a response after adequate wait time, I've given him or her the opportunity to "phone a friend" and then circled back to original student, asking this child to restate the answer given.  

Traditionally, teachers that employ this engagement strategy have used Popsicle sticks or names on ping pong balls.  William even suggests having "a student 'selector' for the day."  Of course, now in the age of technology, there's an app for that.  Android has Names in a Hat; iTunes has Shuffle Names and Student Callout.  

To make this instructional move more welcoming to students, William suggests asking "two students at random for responses to a questions, but for the third answer, ask the remainder of the class if anyone has anything else to contribute."  When the child does not have an answer, William also suggests letting other students respond and coming "back to the original student and say, 'Now, which of those answers do you like best?'"  What power this offers the student, all within the realm of being both engaged and accountable.  It all boils down to classroom expectations.

As teachers we have many tools in our tool box to keep our students focused and on task.  Hopefully, this is another tool for you to draw on.  What other moves do you make to maximize student engagement?  Share your ideas.  We all learn from each other.

A Jingle in Your Pocket - Not!

When I was a little girl, my dad always had a pocketful of coins.  At night he'd empty his pocket and the bureau would be filled with his change.  My mom would then steal all his quarters for her secret stash.  Sometimes I'd sort his coins or roll the coins to cash in at the bank.  Plus there was always a supply for the gumball machine!  Those were the days.

I have recently been working in second grade classrooms and am astounded that coin recognition is a real challenge. This has made me reflect on how that jingle of coins has faded away. I pay for everything with my credit card and then write one check at the end of the month.  My young adult children are teaching me how to transfer money to them using an app.  The world of money and especially coins has completely changed.  (No pun intended.)  No wonder these second graders can't distinguish a nickle from a quarter.  And don't even ask them the value of the coin if the back side of the coin is displayed.

So how do we help these little guys with an important life skill?  Despite the world of apps, electronic transfers, and online banking, our future adults need to know the true value of coins.

Of course, the easiest way for them to learn is to purposefully and repeatedly expose them to it.  I bet there are lots of parents that don't have a clue that their use of credit cards and electronic transfers is hindering their children's basic understanding of money.  Shoot, I had not even considered it until now.

Teachers all know that background knowledge is such a vital component to learning.  Parents need to be reminded that the value of that jingle in your pocket is much more than monetary value of a handful of coins. Let kids play with coins at home - sort them, count them, play grocery store, maybe even let your child earn a few coins.

Additionally, here are a few web sites that offer fun and engaging ways to learn coin recognition.

My favorite is Learning Coins by abcya.com .  It gives you the option of learning about each coin or sorting coins.  The learning option has audio.  A coin shaped guy teaches you the value to the coin, how to write its value, shows you the front and back of the coin, and compares the value to one dollar.

The sorting option is for practice.  Plus it offers hints for those that get confused by which coin is which.

Another site, EZ School - Recognize and Learn the Value of Coins, lets you drag and drop coins to match the corresponding value.  There's also a cute little "sloth" critter there to cheer you on.

Lastly, there's IXL - Coin Names, which gives the option of hearing the name of the coin, as you choose the written name of the coin from three possible answers.

So let's get some coins, real or virtual, in the hand of the wee ones.  Do you have ideas on how to grow coin recognition with little people?  Share your ideas.  We learn from each other.