Reading - Numeracy and the preschool child

See new joint Inquiry 

Refocussing our inquiry

The team have decided that our original inquiry has run it's course to some degree and we have decided to refocus our inquiry. Our new inquiry question is:

How can the use of memory activities help priority learners make gains in mathematics so that they can more easily transition into stage 5 (use basic facts testing as a measuring tool).

Priority Learners Update

Have had a discussion with all of the parents of my priority learners.

K - Parent is working really hard to do a little bit of practise each night. When working with this child it is evident he is growing in confidence and knowledge of place value. Confident with numbers before and after to 100. 10 more/10 less, getting better.

CD - Mum says child gets very anxious with any practise including games at home. Very reluctant to do anything Maths related. We have decided it would be best not to continue pushing this at home.

CY - Grandma helps with practise most nights. Child counting on well now and able to confidently identify numbers before and after in a range to 100.

Developing Home/School Partnerships for Priority Learners

Using profile sheets to identify needs. Much of content has been taught in class but priority learners need more support with practise. Meet with parents showing them identified needs from profile sheets. Discussion around strategies to help and practise that can be done at home. Provided family with all the equipment they will need to do this. We will meet in 6 weeks time to assess further where the child is at and where to next.

Reflection on Reading

http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2015/03/26/why-kids-need-to-move-touch-and-experience-to-learn/

On reading this article I have reflected on a recent lesson where the children, even with materials, just could not understand what the problem was asking. I was sure it wasn't because it was beyond their abilities but that they could not understand the concept of "each", as discussed in this article. In frustration I stood the children up, we went to a different part of the room and acted the problem out. It was only then that the penny dropped and they were able to gain some understanding and begin to solve the problem. After reading this article this is something that I will try with my unrelenting focus children to see if it helps them to understand and decipher problems more easily.

19.6.16 This week we will be using "real life" contexts. Cutting up sandwiches into halves to introduce the concept of division. Later group sharing jelly beans into equal groups.

Link to Inquiry Document

Rotations now more purposeful.

The rotations I have set up are working well. Children are working in small mixed ability groups for rotations and I am happy with the way they are going. Children are engaged with these learning activities. When I have parent help I get them to rove and ensure games and activities are being done correctly.

Reading with Team at Team Meeting

Questions from the team.

What sort of creative activities/hands on activities could we have for Maths?

Everyone to come with something creative around Number for next meeting.

Reading link: http://catlintucker.com/2016/05/shake-up-station-rotation/

http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2015/03/26/why-kids-need-to-move-touch-and-experience-to-learn/

During the holidays I made up these boxes. They consist of practise games that the children are familiar with or mostly familiar with. Many are aimed at maintenence of basic facts and patterning, some strand work which we did in the previous term and place value.

Differentiated Learning. Children are partnered in small groups of three. These groups consist of two children working at Stage 4 and one at Stage 2/3. The reason I have done this is to get the upper stages to be able to support the lower stage child. If I placed all the 2/3 children together many of the tasks would be unaccessible independently. My top group who are working at Stage five have their own boxes and these children have games and practise which is appropriate to the stage they are working at. I have tried to included as many "hands on" activities as possible as this age group responds well to these.

Put here to add to my newly developed planning sheets (From Michigan University's Connected Maths Project)

Anticipating

In the Anticipating phase, the teacher predicts during planning how students will respond to a particular mathematic task. He or she considers possible alternative strategies that students may use, as well as potential misconceptions that may surface.

Monitoring

Monitoring occurs as the teacher circulates during the Explore of the lesson in a CMP classroom. He or she listens to student discussions while asking clarifying questions and posing new challenges.

Selecting

This Selecting phase involves choosing the strategies for students that occur during the Explore that will best illustrate and promote the desired understanding of the Focus Question.

Sequencing

In Sequencing, before the Summarize, the teacher plans which students will share their thinking, and in what order, so as to maximize the quality of the discussion.

Connecting

Finally, the Connecting practice which occurs during the Summarize involves posing questions that enable students to understand and use each other’s strategies, and to connect the Problem’s Big Idea to previous learning. Connecting practice may also foreshadow future learning.

Science Daily Reading

In our collaborative group we discussed board games and how these may or may not be helpful in learning to count on. This is an interesting reading which could have an effect on my lower students, however, as the article says it is important for children to be counting in a certain way. I will need to ensure I do the teaching around how to play this game and also maybe get one of my parent helps to ensure they monitor the children while they play.

Charlotte Wilkinson on NZ Teachers Facebook Page

"Teach practice review - the lesson type research has shown the least impact in student learning. I can understand why as the planning component of the numeracy project was ridiculous."

I felt that teachers were basically planning for up to three different maths lessons every day - which should involve considering the learning outcomes. Most plans I have seen, including the plans from NZ Maths are generic plans based on numeracy stages not the actual learning needs of the students. Most are planning for doing and not planning for learning. Some schools have had unit plans but most appeared to be daily planning from a long term coverage plan and generally stated what the students would be doing ie the activity and not what the expected outcome from a lesson or series of lesson would be. Few plans contained reflective comments. All changed after I had been working with them - one lesson plan differentiated with a range of lesson types and a range of grouping dependent on the learning.and the general comments were how much easier the planning became.

Orchestrating Productive Mathematical Discussions

Watching this video has consolidated what we have been doing for our PD for the last 15 months I am co-leading this PD with a colleague and the support of our PD providers. Changing year levels has go me really thinking on how the five practices can be applied to very young children. Much more support is required from the teacher to help children develop their thinking and to be able to verbalise thier ideas at this age. I am working hard to have children listen carefully to one another to help develop their Mathematical ideas. 

An interesting use of Math Talk Moves in a child's book

Maths Centres

http://www.readingrockets.org/article/literacy-centers

On reading this article I believe that the same principles for Literacy Centres can be applied to Mathematics Centres. Activites meeting children's needs with a specific purpose, children being able to work collaboratively be able to complete a task indepedently and for multiple opportunities for children to practise basic mathematical concepts.

It is my intention to get centres for mathematics up and running early next term. I am also keen to incorporate some hand on "strand maths" work as well, as children of this age need and really enjoy building type activites. I have several maths based activites based around build blokcs, lego and multilink cubes. Also prealgebraic thinking around patterning. These are task card type activities which have pictures and should be easy to follow.

How will we go about this inquiry? Beginning action plan

Investigate “Daily 5” type activities.

     Discuss mixed ability grouping independent tasks with Maths advisors.

     Share effective resources and ideas.

     Discuss regularly at team meeting, what has been effective and not so and why?

     Discuss with Maths advisors professional readings (research) material around managing purposeful activities in Maths.

     Share pinterest resources  

Our Collaborative Enquiry Question

How can the addition of more purposeful, independent knowledge tasks to daily maths programme improve achievement and focus during maths time in the classroom?

Beginning our Collaborative Inquiry

This year as a school we are looking at trends across the school and within teams and have come up with some "wonderings" to help guide what out team inquiry will be.

Data shows needs are:

• Counting 0-100  100-0 = ordering numbers
• Subtraction, Mult/div
• Interpreting the problem
• Attention deficit - hard to stay on task, independent

Wonderings

• How can more practice in counting be used to strengthen strategy
• How do we make the link between number story and written/oral problem
• How do we let our kids know what they know and when to use it?
• How do we deal with focus issues/ independent groups AND teach.
• Daily five with literacy in Annie’s class has been working quite well.  5 things to do 15 minutes each (picture prompts).  All 5 must be completed in the timeframe: self, buddy, write, listening post, eggs.  
• Perhaps a maths daily 3 might also work?  

          1. Counting,             2. Problem solving and or writing      3. Basic facts

          What activities can we come up with that encourage these?