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1. Make it hands-on
Elementary math can be difficult because it involves learning new, abstract
concepts that can be tricky for children to visualize.
Try to imagine what it's like for a five-year-old to see an addition problem for
the very first time. Since it's a totally new concept to them, it can be hard for
them to visualize a scenario where one quantity is added to another.
Manipulatives are hands-on tools that make math a lot easier for young
children to understand. Tools like Lego, clay, and wooden blocks can all be
used in the classroom to demonstrate how math ideas work.
Mastery learning is about giving students as much time as they need to grasp
a specific skill or concept. It involves varying the time you give each student to
succeed.
This process can be carried out at every stage of problem solving when
teaching elementary math. Once students have offered an answer, ask them
to verbalize step-by-step how they got that answer.
Incorporate story problems into your classroom lessons allow students to see
how certain math concepts can apply to real life. Story problems are also a
good way to help students understand how to use math in everyday life, and
see the relevance of math.
The Mathseeds online math program uses animated story problems to help students apply new
math skills to real-world situations. Free trial.
These days, teachers can really kick 'show and tell' up a notch with an
interactive whiteboard, using animations, and videos to clearly show and tell
specific math concepts in an engaging and interesting way.
7. Let your students regularly know
how they're doing
Feedback is an important part of teaching elementary math and improving
students' results.
Let your students know how they have performed on a specific task, along
with helpful ways that they can further improve and extend their skills.
“The growth mindset was intended to help close achievement gaps, not hide
them. It is about telling the truth about a student's current achievement and
then, together, doing something about it, helping him or her become
smarter.”
Do you teach elementary math? Mathseeds is the research-based online
math program specifically designed for students in grades K–2. Created
by a highly experienced team of elementary teachers, Mathseeds
provides self-paced lessons, automated reporting, and a range of
teaching tools to help your elementary math students succeed. Sign up
for a free trial today.
1. Raise the bar for all.
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Walk through your classroom as students work on problems and observe the dynamics.
Talk with students individually and include “hinge questions” in your lessons plans to
gauge understanding before continuing, suggests Fennell. In response, make decisions to
go faster or slower or put students in groups.
5. Personalize and offer choice.
When students are given the opportunity to choose how they learn and demonstrate their
understanding of a concept, their buy-in and motivation increase. It gives them the
chance to understand how they learn best, agency over their own learning, and the space
to practice different approaches to solving math problems. Give students a variety of
options, such as timed exercises, projects, or different materials, to show that
they’ve mastered foundational skills. As students show what they’ve learned, teachers
can track understanding, figure out where students need additional scaffolding or other
assistance, and tailor lessons accordingly.
6. Encourage math talk.
Engage students during conversations about their work and have them describe why they
solved a problem in a certain way. “My goal is to get information about what students are
thinking and use that to guide my instruction, as opposed to just telling them information
and asking them to parrot things back,” says Delise Andrews, who taught math (K–8) and
is now a 3–5 grade math coordinator in the Lincoln Public Schools in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Instead of seeking a specific answer, Andrews wants to have deeper discussions to figure
out what a student knows and understands. “True learning happens a lot around talking
and doing math—not just drilling,” she says.
When giving students an authentic problem, ask a big question and let them struggle to
figure out several ways to solve it, suggests Andrews. “Your job, as a teacher, is to make
it engaging by asking the right questions at the right time. So you don’t take away their
thinking, but you help them move forward to a solution,” she says. Provide as little
information as possible but enough so students can be productive. Effective math
teaching supports students as they grapple with mathematical ideas and relationships.
Allow them to discover what works and experience setbacks along the way.
Collaborate with other teachers to improve your math instruction skills. Start by
discussing the goal for the math lesson, what it will look like, and plan as a team to be
most effective. “Together, think through the tasks and possible student responses you
might encounter,” says Andrews. Reflect on what did and didn’t work to improve your
practice.
We’d love to hear what you feel are the most important
strategies in teaching mathematics. Share your
ideas in our WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook.
Plus, check out why it’s important to honor all math
strategies.