Welcome!!

Welcome to my blog!! Here you will find information on what I learned in a math class that I am taking towards my Elementary Ed Degree. I have learned a lot in this math class. One of the most important things that I have learned is through watching other teachers demonstrate some of these topics (that we learned in class) to their students. It gave me invaluable experience that I can use when I am in the classroom. I hope you enjoy my blog. Check back often for more math topics!! Happy reading:)

Teaching students about fractions

In this post I will be showing you about fractions. Fractions can be a frustrating topic for students at times. With the proper guidance from a teacher fractions can become a math topic that all children can learn to like. The teaching of  fractions will be much easier if using some sort of manipulative, something that the kids can hold and move around so that they can get a clear picture of how fractions work. Video's on the subject are also a great tool as kids are very "techie" these days and they love the inclusion of technology wherever the teacher can fit it in. I found the following video to be a great addition to helping students master the use of fractions.

A "catchy" tune like the video above is a great way to get the kids motivated to learn fractions!! Once the students get a bit older the introduction to adding and subtracting fractions can begin. In order for student to learn to add and subtract fractions the topic needs to be taught at a basic level first and then skills can be added on top of other skills mastered later on. The first set of fractions that I would teach would be the halves and fourths. In order for kids to be successful with this manipulatives should be used to aid in the comprehension of the topic. The following manipulatives would be a great addition to the classroom that will be discussing and learning about fractions.

With the use of interesting and relevant "techie" tools such as video and the use of manipulatives such as those above fractions can become a topic that students have an easier time comprehending. I especially like the use of manipulative for fractions as it is such a concrete way to show kids exactly what fractions mean. If kids are just given a worksheet or told how to do it it will not sink in as well as if the students actually learn it on their own, with teacher guidance, through the use of manipulatives. I really like the pizza manipulative above because I feel that most kids will really jump in and love to use these to make their "whole" pizza.
Fractions are something that kids will love to learn about with these "pizza's"!

Below are 2 links that are fun fraction related games for kids:)
http://www.coolmath4kids.com/fractions/
http://pbskids.org/cyberchase/math-games/melvins-make-match/

Numeration systems

In this blog I will be talking about numeration systems, past and present. The first one that I will show you is the Arabic numeration systems and how they began many years ago. This video gives the story about how the numeration system evolved, including the importance of including the "0" which was an important discovery in mathematics. The following video is a bit slow in the beginning, but stay with it as it has some good info on the Arabic numeration system.

The next video is of the Roman numeral system for use with young elementary students. It is very basic in nature, but it does the job of showing kids the roman numeration system. Along with this video teachers could have other presentations or activities in which the students can learn the roman numeral systems as well. Before using the following video it would be helpful if students had some basic knowledge of the roman numeral system or else they may feel a bit lost as the concept is probably a new one for most of the students. I liked the video because it was rather short and easy to comprehend and it provided a nice visual, which is always appealing to students.

There is a look at a couple of the different numeration systems in the world today. Both numeration systems give children a glimpse into a world of different number systems that few of them have probably have had the chance to discover as we don't use them much in the world today. There are also other numeration systems that can be introduced to children, they are: The Mayan numeration system, the Babylonian system and the Egyptian system to name a few. These are all great topics to teach children because it causes them to focus on systems that are different than what they are normally used to.

The following link is for a fun game with the world of roman numerals!!
 http://www.roman-numerals.org/games.html

Mental Arithmetic and estimation

In this blog post I will be talking about the use of mental arithmetic and estimation in math problems. One of the reason that I am picking this topic is that so often children today do not have the skills needed to do simple problems in their head or to do simple estimations, which is often needed in daily life as the kids get older and head off to college or jobs. Here are some ways to teacher mental math to elementary students.

One way is to have the traditional worksheet designed to help children learn the basics quick and fast. This can be done online quick and easy.

One of the ways to teach mental math is to work on easy combinations of multiples of ten. This is also referred to as adjustment. In this method each number being added is modified to a different number to minimize the mental effort that required by adding zero to the number. For example, if we wanted to add the numbers 33, 35, 37 and 31 and wanted to do it mentally we would adjust the numbers to 30, 40, 40, 30 and then it would be simpler to add, the answer being 140. If we look back at the numbers 33, 35, 37, and 31, it would be difficult to see that the numbers come close to 140 without adjusting them. In the case of the unadjusted numbers they add up to 136, which is really close to the 140 we came up with after the adjustment.

A nice way to learn to round is to bring real life examples of when rounding would be useful to them. In school when I was young we learned to round but we weren't given any real world experience with it, making it seem useless in some ways. I think that a good way to learn it would be to have kids create a list of some sort, either of food or of items they would like to buy etc. Then have them find the prices of the items (or provide prices to move the activity along). Then show kids how to go about rounding what each item is going to cost. The following video is useful in teaching kids how to round, which will help them learn how to correctly estimate

I hope you found this lesson on metal arithmetic and estimation useful in helping teach young children the necessary tools for lifelong success of these concepts!!

Multiplication of whole numbers

Multiplication can be tricky subjects for some elementary children to learn. In this blog I will show you some of the ways that can help kids be successful in learning to multiply. Math is a skill that children will need for a lifetime so it is important as teachers to both help our kids learn the topics but also to build confident math learners and show relevance to the real world so kids don't tune out math and learn to dislike it. The following ways are some of the ways that multiplication and division can be used successfully with elementary school children.

One of the ways to get kids interested in learning multiplication is from a video:

In addition to this video there are many that are available that also go through the rest of the number 0-12 for multiplication. Another way to teach multiplication is to teach children using the repeated addition method. For this a teacher would start out by having the kids count by 2's, 3's etc. And then showing the kids the relationship between repeated counting and multiplying. This is a useful method for kids just starting to learn multiplication as well as with those that are struggling at any age.

Another way to teach multiplication is to teach using the array model as a guide to learning. In this method there are rows and columns of objects. Such as the one below.

 

These are some of the ways that teachers can teach the concept of multiplication to young children. I think that if these activities are introduced in a positive and fun way, such as the ways I provided here, that children will learn multiplication easily and in the process enjoy learning about math and multiplication in general. Of course there is more ways to learn about multiplication than what I have included here, but these are a few of the ways that I have seen used, and used myself to help children learn multiplication in an easy and fun way.

Addition of whole numbers

One of the best ways to teach young children math is to add a "catchy" tune to go with it. I have seen this used very effectively in the kindergarten classroom that I work in. The kids see the same video over a course of a few days and they have it memorized in no time. One of the popular websites to find video material for the kids is You-Tube. There are many great song to teach kids a number of skills on there.
In the kindergarten class that I work in the teacher uses approximately a song a week to correlate to what the lesson plans will be for the week. She plays the video on the smart board and the kids love it so much that they are automatically engaged.

Another way to teach addition and subtraction to elementary children is the use of manipulative's. Manipulative's are a good technique to use because they are "hands on" activities. Children are able to learn the concept of additions and subtract (as well as other mathematics concepts) because of the use of a tangible item that they can move around to help them understand the concept of adding or subtracting item. I have seen this used well in my classroom. The teacher will discuss the concept of one more or one less and then add a few manipulative's in the activity that follows the introduction of the concept. The children are able to grasp the concept of one more and one less much more easily with the use of manipulative's. I will definitely be using these in my own classroom.

Still another way to teach addition and subtraction to elementary student is through the use of a number line. This is a good visual for students. Number lines are a good tool to use because students can see the affects of adding or subtracting numbers so they don't just see adding or subtracting as an abstract concept. I think I would use the number line method along with other methods and also with kids older than kindergarten. While I think that some kindergarteners could grasp the concept I think it is best for 1st grade and up.

Here are some fun math games online that kids are sure to love!!
http://www.math-play.com/addition-games.html
http://www.coolmath4kids.com/0-number-monster.html
http://www.aasd.k12.wi.us/staff/boldtkatherine/MathResources_Primary.htm

Math help is on the way!!

Do you struggle with math? Would you rather be doing anything other than math? Does the thought of having to take a math class intimidate you? Be afraid no more! There are simple strategies in place to help take the fear out of math and make it easier to understand. Polya's Principle is a problem solving technique to use with any math problems that you may have. How does it work with any problem you ask! Simply look below to find out.

Polya's principal is based on 4 principles to help solve problems.

1.Understand the problem. Reread it if necessary to help clarify the problem. If you are unsure of any mathematical words look them up as well.

2. Devise a plan. Sometimes the trick is getting started. Work on a technique that works for you. Here is a list below of the plans to solve problems.

Guess and check

make an orderly list or table

think of the problem as partially solved already

eliminate possibilities

solve an equivalent problem

use symmetry

use direct reasoning

use the pigeon principle

look for a pattern

draw a picture

use a model

work backwards

Now work on the 3^rd principle which is carry out the plan. Use the plan that you picked and work the problem out.

The 4^th principle is to LOOK BACK. Check to see if your answer is correct or if something was missed in your initial calculations.

That's all there is to solving math problems