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MATH INSTRUCTION

In my role as an English partner teacher in a Spanish immersion program, it is my

primary responsibility to deliver core math instruction to two classes of first grade students.

With a limited amount of time in front of my students each day, I prioritize my instruction to

ensure efficient instruction is joined with meaningful experiences that help students internalize

what they have learned. To this end, my philosophy in teaching mathematics includes an

emphasis on fostering student engagement by creating personal relevance. This is coupled with

direct instruction, visual representation, and tangible problem solving tools (such as

manipulatives) to support my students as they build number sense and problem solving skills.

My project on spatial orientation demonstrates this philosophy in action as my small

group studies a foundational concepts of shape recognition and spatial positions. In this lesson,

we review what has already been learned about shapes, and then introduce the new concept of

describing where shapes are in relation to other objects. I integrate a familiar and engaging

theme of Pirates as the reference point for our lesson. Pirates, after all, need to use terms like

“above the fence” or “under the rock” when finding hidden treasure. This lesson capitalizes on

providing context that is personal and interesting to the small group participants, which has a

positive effect on learning, motivation, and overall student engagement (Cordova & Lepper,

1996). When the lesson practice is presented as a game, students are motivated to employ their

knowledge of the concepts as they either present questions to their peers or try to solve the

problems that their partners have created. The game requires students to manipulate visual

representations of the concept in a context that is personally relevant. This model can enhance

student interest while promoting persistence in student learning (Walkington, 2016).

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It is important, however, to ensure that interest is not the primary objective of the lesson.

I also want to ensure that my students have the opportunity to build an understanding through

their individual, hands-on work in the classroom. I typically utilize manipulatives such as base

10 blocks, counters, and unifix cubes to provide visual representations of math concepts. This

provides the opportunity for students to build their understanding of math through active

manipulation (Boggan, Harper, & Whitmore, 2010).

I couple the use of manipulatives with opportunities to think abstractly about numbers

through word problems, which supports students as they solidify and internalize their

understanding (Furner &Worrell, 2017). In addition to our math curriculum worksheets, I

intentionally pose math problems to current situations so that students see that math is part of our

daily lives. We solve missing addend problems, fact families, and subtraction strategies through

our daily routines such as attendance and lunch count. We compare quantities and present data

through classroom votes. When we work through these problems together, students verbalize

their thinking process in a way that is familiar – we talk about important information that meets a

real and relevant need. These routines provide students the opportunity to practice foundational

skills, such as comparing numbers, understanding quantity, and recognizing how different parts

make up the whole. A solid understanding of these concepts, particularly in early primary years,

supports students as their math instruction progresses through the coming years (deSmedt,

Verschaffel, & Ghesquière, 2009).

In addition to delivering content that engages all learners, it is also imperative to ensure

that students demonstrate their understanding of that content. When formative assessment is

integrated and focused on the combination of content, context, and learning strategies (Good,

2011), I am able to quickly respond to the needs of my students.

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I believe that all students have the potential to learn math, and that it is my job to engage

them in a way that brings that potential into practice. I believe that learning math can be

challenging, engaging, relevant and enjoyable experience for all of my students. Mathematical

concepts taught in elementary school classrooms are foundational for future math instruction,

and I strive to teach math in a way that supports my students in developing skills that will

support them throughout their educational journey.

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REFERENCES

Boggan, M., Harper, S., Whitmore, A. (2010) Using Manipulatives to Teach Elementary

Mathematics. Journal of Instructional Pedagogies, v3 Jun 2010

Cordova, D., & Lepper, M. (1996). Intrinsic motivation and the process of learning: Beneficial

effects of contextualization, personalization, and choice. Journal of Educational

Psychology, 88(4), 715-730.

De Smedt, B., Verchaffel, L., Ghesquière. (2009). The predictive value of numerical magnitude

comparison for individual differences in mathematics achievement. Journal of

Experimental Child Psychology 103(4) 469–479

Furner, J.M., Worrell, N.L., 2017. The importance of using manipulatives in teaching math

today. Transformations. 3(1) Available at:

https://nsuworks.nova.edu/transformations/vol3/iss1/2

Good, R., (2011). Formative Use of Assessment Information: It’s a Process, So Let’s Say What

We Mean. Practical Assessment, Research & Evaluation, 16(3), Pp 1-6.

Walkington, C., Clinton, V., Mingle, L. (2016) Considering Cognitive Factors in Interest

Research: Context Personalization and Illustrations in Math Curricula. In Wood, M.B.,

Turner, E.E., Civil, M., &Eli, J.A. (Eds). (2016) Proceedings of the 38th annual meeting

of the North American Chapter of the International Group for the Psychology of

Mathematics Education (pp.89-96).