Math Their Way November 8, 2016

Growth Mindset It used to be believed that the brains people were born with couldn’t really be changed, but this idea has now been resoundingly disproved. Study after study has shown the incredible capacity of brains to grow and change within a really short period (Abiola & Dhindsa 2011; Maguire, Woollett, & Spiers, 2006; Wollett & Maguire, 2011)

Brain Research These researchers have documented that when we learn something deeply, the synaptic activity will create lasting connections in your brain, forming structural pathways, but if you visit an idea only once or in a superficial way, the synaptic connections can “wash away” like pathways made in the sand.

Mistakes are Valuable Please take one sheet of white paper and crumble it up into a ball. I would like each of you to throw it against this board and describe how you felt about making mistakes in math when you where in school. Then ask participants to retrieve a paper ball and smooth it out. Take a marker and trace all the crumpled lines on the paper. These lines represent the brain growth that happens every time you make a mistake.

The Power of Mistakes and Struggle Every time a student makes a mistake in math, they grow a synapse*. A junction between two nerve cells a small gap at the end of a neuron that allows a signal to pass from one neuron to the next.

Table Discussion How can we change the ways students view mistakes? In your groups list ways we could encourage young students to embrace mistakes instead of fearing them.

Number Jigsaw Puzzle Set this puzzle on a table for students to return to and work as a class. Or place a few of the pieces and allow students to work with them then add new pieces to add to the puzzle.

Five Stinky Socks

Monster Feet Materials: Monster feet template 5 clothes pins 1 Large foam sheet Use small foam sheets to decorate your monster feet or markers. Activity: Give each child a number card. Students will add (toes) clothes pins to their monster feet that match the quantity on their cards. Then students will find “like” monsters who have the same number of toes as theirs.

Sock Match Up Materials:

Story Sheet Use for story problems. How many stinky socks do you see? There are 3 stinky socks on the monster’s bed and 1 stinky sock on the floor. How many stinky socks are there in all?