Math Makes Sense Parent Night

Overview What do you like/don’t like/unsure of? What is numeracy and what skills are necessary? What does the research say? How is it different from rote math? What should it look like? Using strategies and reading and oral thinking Questions?

Numerate people... can use what they know to figure out what they don’t know can use reasoning and evidence to prove a point can explain what they are doing as they work with numbers, symbols, and geometric objects know which processes to use to solve problems and can tell why can talk about their ideas and show their thinking

Math: It Doesn’t Have To be a Four- Letter Word “Ask anyone what their least favourite subject was in school and chances are they’ll tell you it was math. The anxiety around finding the one right answer and doing it quickly disenfranchised so many learners that people simply believed themselves incapable of understanding mathematics. Rigid teaching methods – a quick demo of the procedure of the day, followed by pages of practice – made math incomprehensible to most children, or at best boring and irrelevant…We are learning to re-imagine math classrooms as places where students of all abilities work together on the same problem: a rich task focused on a concept worth revisiting over time.” - Carole Saundry, “Student Diversity” 2006

What does the research say? the shift is away from just memorizing facts and ‘rules’ to understanding the whole meaning children must create meaning themselves Classroom instruction relates new materials to old by using oral and written activities “All young Canadians must learn to think mathematically, and they must think mathematically to learn.”

How is this approach different? “The bottom line is that research has shown that things our brain does not understand are more likely to be forgotten. It is part of our makeup.” -John Marshall, p. 362 Phi Delta Kappan “When we simply learn the rules, they can be easily forgotten- or misused.” – John Van de Walle Now, create a story problem to go with your equation. 1¾ ÷ ½ = ?

Fractions in the Math Makes Sense Classroom Many children & adults can solve this using a ‘rule’ (invert & multiply) quickly – the intent of an algorithm But most people can’t explain how or why it works. We teach children the concept of division in fractions so they can apply it in a context: Algorithms can be useful, but can also steer us away from simple solutions! You have 1¾ meters of ribbon – how many ½ meter lengths can you get from it?

“…rules…can be easily forgotten – or misused.” “There’s an enormous difference between memorizing a few key facts and having an authentic grasp of the material…The emphasis on memorizing trivia, names, facts and formulas must stop. It’s poor use of precious educational time.” from Brain-Based Learning, p. 185 by Eric Jensen

What does it look like? Two key strategies:  First, they operate out of the context that learners have to learn to create meaning for themselves in what they learn.  Second, this is done through problems, questions and projects that challenge the learners. Once again, the genius of this process is that the presenter gets out of the way of the learner so that the learner can creates, from scratch, real meaning in the learning.” - Eric Jensen, Brain- Based Learning, p. 196 Investigate Connect Practice Reflect & Share Discuss the Ideas

There’s more than one right way….. “If we ask ‘What is 380 ÷15?’ there is only one right answer – 25 remainder 5, or – and one assumed right method. Some students will find the answer effortlessly and be ready for another question quickly, while some will struggle with the algorithm, perhaps arriving at the right answer even without fully understanding the question or the processes involved. If we instead ask, ‘How can you show 380 divided into 15 groups? How many different ways can you find?’ What will you do with the remainder that makes sense? “If disadvantaged student used effective learning strategies to the same extent as students from more advantaged backgrounds do, the performance gap between the two groups would be almost 20% narrower – PISA Infocus

1980’s Approach to Mathematics Teacher Directed Lesson Practise Problem Solving Application 1. Mathematics is associated with certainty 2. Knowing mathematics means being able to “get the right answer… Common Beliefs: QUICKLY!

Teacher Directed Lesson Practise Problem Solving Application Clarify - Refine - Practise - Apply Teacher Facilitated Sharing Fundamental Beliefs: 1.Mathematics is about making sense Sense-Making Approach to Mathematics 2. Students must come to believe that they can make sense of mathematics Problem Solving Scenario Activity & Conversation

Traditional Algorithms It is not that the traditional algorithms cannot be taught with a strong conceptual basis…. The problem is that the traditional algorithms, especially for addition and subtraction, are not natural methods for students. As a result, the explanations generally fall on deaf ears. Far too many students learn them as meaningless procedures, develop error patterns, and require an excessive amount of reteaching or remediation. If you are going to teach them…Delay! The understanding that children gain from working with invented strategies will make it easier for you to teach the traditional methods. - John Van de Walle, p. 162

Benefits of Personal Strategies Base-ten concepts are enhanced. Students make fewer errors. Less reteaching is required. Personal strategies provide the basis for mental computation and estimation.

Why write in Math? When you add language to math concepts, you own them. Students need to ‘read to know’, ‘talk to explain’ and ‘write to communicate’ – not just in writing class! “When reading and writing skills are used in a real world context such as science and math, they become meaningful to the student.”

Why have discussions in Math? So students can: organize and reflect on their own mathematical thinking clarify and resolve misconceptions present their ideas, feel valued and feel safe to express them gain insight from other’s perspectives. develop a mathematics vocabulary

What can you do?

Math is Everywhere! - from Math For Families Play games together like board games, card games or dice games. Talk about what makes the games fun/challenging Talk about Math, encouraging your child to explain his/her thinking, sequence & count, compare, use logical thinking, describe the world. Talk about Math as you show your child how you use math in your life, such as measuring for recipes, estimating amounts of paint or wallpaper, use the clock to plan, read schedules.

More Math Everywhere! Promote Math as Thinking, not Memorization:  Some math needs to become automatic, but right now your child needs time for thinking and reasoning.  Ask your child to explain how he/she figured things out: “How did you know that?” Value their thinking!  Keep in mind memorizing does not always mean understanding and that math is about making sense. Model Positive Attitudes Towards Math:  Have fun together while doing math-related activities such as measuring ingredients, counting dishes for table setting, sorting laundry, building projects.  Model the old saying: “Try, try again!” – say, “Can you think of another way to put the shapes together?”  Spend time talking about your positive math experiences – kids are influenced by the attitudes of the adults around them!

Math Websites for you & Your Child Math games on the computer are most successful when played with a parent present to talk about concepts and verbalize thinking resources/ 20resources/