Math Info
A quick blurb from an article by Jo Boaler (prof. of math at Stanford):
Mathematics and Mistakes Research has recently shown something stunning--when students make a mistake in math, their brain grows, synapses fire, and connections are made; when they do the work correctly, there is no brain growth (Moser et al. 2011). This finding suggests that we want students to make mistakes in math class and that students should not view mistakes as learning failures but as learning achievements (Boaler 2013a). Students do not, as many assume, need to revisit a mistake and correct it to experience brain growth, although that is always helpful; brain growth comes from the experience of struggle. When students struggle with mathematics, their brains grow; being outside their comfort zone is an extremely important place to be. Mathematics classrooms throughout the U.S. are often set up to make students feel good by giving them lots of questions they can answer.Teachers believe that mistakes and struggle are unproductive and try to shelter students from them. This culture needs to change.
Problem Solving
As students work with problem solving, they need to understand what is known for sure, what they need to find out, and determining a strategy to solve the problem. It entails reading, reasoning, and math. I hope to build a strong base for them to build upon as they get ready for 3rd grade.
Why Is Math Taught So Differently Now
We have heard some concerns and questions from parents regarding how math is being taught in such different ways. Dr. Raj Shah explains why math is taught differently than it was in the past and helps address parents' misconceptions about the "new math." Please take just 8 minutes to watch the video.
Why Is Math Taught Differently
Is “Regrouping” the only way? The most efficient way?
Encourage flexible math thinking and a variety of strategies when teaching addition and subtraction with addends that would traditionally require regrouping. Use a problem solving approach, in which the students develop strategies to solve problems and refine them as they share approaches and adopt more sophisticated strategies.
Students should explore efficient mental strategies, such as extensions of the thinking strategies for basic facts, for addition and subtraction situations in which traditional regrouping would otherwise be employed. For example, the Use Doubles strategies could be used for adding 30 + 40 (double 30 is 60, plus 10 more is 70), or for adding 34 + 35 (double 34 is 68, plus one more is 69).
Adding 98 to a number is equivalent to adding 100 and subtracting 2 (extending the Use 10 strategy to “Use 100”). Adding 27 and 27 could be thought of as 20 + 20 + 7 + 7, or 40 + 14. Adding 26 and 28 could be thought of as 24 + 30, and so forth. All of these sums could be thought of using different efficient thinking strategies.
Students need to develop their own understanding of decomposing and composing two-digit numbers.
RRISD Addition and Subtraction Computation
This document has been developed as a guide to strategies that students use to perform addition and
subtraction: strategies include computing mentally, composing and decomposing numbers, and using invented strategies. The document also outlines a learning sequence for helping students learn other efficient strategies and algorithms, connecting them conceptually to their earlier strategies.
A quick blurb from an article by Jo Boaler (prof. of math at Stanford):
Mathematics and Mistakes Research has recently shown something stunning--when students make a mistake in math, their brain grows, synapses fire, and connections are made; when they do the work correctly, there is no brain growth (Moser et al. 2011). This finding suggests that we want students to make mistakes in math class and that students should not view mistakes as learning failures but as learning achievements (Boaler 2013a). Students do not, as many assume, need to revisit a mistake and correct it to experience brain growth, although that is always helpful; brain growth comes from the experience of struggle. When students struggle with mathematics, their brains grow; being outside their comfort zone is an extremely important place to be. Mathematics classrooms throughout the U.S. are often set up to make students feel good by giving them lots of questions they can answer.Teachers believe that mistakes and struggle are unproductive and try to shelter students from them. This culture needs to change.
Problem Solving
As students work with problem solving, they need to understand what is known for sure, what they need to find out, and determining a strategy to solve the problem. It entails reading, reasoning, and math. I hope to build a strong base for them to build upon as they get ready for 3rd grade.
Why Is Math Taught So Differently Now
We have heard some concerns and questions from parents regarding how math is being taught in such different ways. Dr. Raj Shah explains why math is taught differently than it was in the past and helps address parents' misconceptions about the "new math." Please take just 8 minutes to watch the video.
Why Is Math Taught Differently
Is “Regrouping” the only way? The most efficient way?
Encourage flexible math thinking and a variety of strategies when teaching addition and subtraction with addends that would traditionally require regrouping. Use a problem solving approach, in which the students develop strategies to solve problems and refine them as they share approaches and adopt more sophisticated strategies.
Students should explore efficient mental strategies, such as extensions of the thinking strategies for basic facts, for addition and subtraction situations in which traditional regrouping would otherwise be employed. For example, the Use Doubles strategies could be used for adding 30 + 40 (double 30 is 60, plus 10 more is 70), or for adding 34 + 35 (double 34 is 68, plus one more is 69).
Adding 98 to a number is equivalent to adding 100 and subtracting 2 (extending the Use 10 strategy to “Use 100”). Adding 27 and 27 could be thought of as 20 + 20 + 7 + 7, or 40 + 14. Adding 26 and 28 could be thought of as 24 + 30, and so forth. All of these sums could be thought of using different efficient thinking strategies.
Students need to develop their own understanding of decomposing and composing two-digit numbers.
RRISD Addition and Subtraction Computation
This document has been developed as a guide to strategies that students use to perform addition and
subtraction: strategies include computing mentally, composing and decomposing numbers, and using invented strategies. The document also outlines a learning sequence for helping students learn other efficient strategies and algorithms, connecting them conceptually to their earlier strategies.