 Jillian had 15 cookies to bring in and share with the class and Mike had 17. If their class has 35 students, will there be enough cookies for everyone in the class to have one?

 Basic Addition problem and then comparing the value of two numbers  = 32 < 35 › There are not enough cookies for everyone in the class to have one. How did you do the actual addition in this problem?

 Adding across the columns and carrying  Partial Product  Visual representation  Using a number grid  Mental Math How do we decide which is the best way for students to solve this problem?

 Working primarily in 3 rd and 4 th grade at Harrington Elementary and Hughes Elementary  A majority of my students struggle with their basic math facts (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division)  In 4 th grade the previous problem would be an example of a review question in their workbook  However, why are students struggling with it? What curriculum will be the best for me to use in my classroom?

 Debate on which math curriculum to use in schools stems from the spiral vs. mastery debate  Both have showed success/failure in the classroom  The idea of spiral and mastery slightly changed my topic because I was not aware of these two distinct curriculum types before doing research

 Main idea is that if students do not learn a concept the first time around they will see it in several other lessons and have a chance to master it then  Covers numerous topics in a short period of time  Continual review of material  Example: Everyday Mathematics

 Sequential learning  Students must master a concept before moving onto the next one  Fewer lessons with longer instruction period  Not a lot of repetition among the lessons because students are expected to learn it the first time  Example: Singapore Math

 Developed by the University of Chicago School Mathematics Project, which was founded in 1983  A team of mathematicians, classroom teachers, textbook editors worked on writing the curriculum  Currently being used in 185,000 classrooms across the country  Based on three primary principals

 Integration into other subjects and real life situations  Variety of instruction  Encourage students to explain what they are thinking and how they solve problems  Give students multiple strategies to solve problems  Disconnect between home and school  Not enough emphasis on basic facts  Dubbed “Fuzzy Math”  A lot of word problems which may be hard for students who are not strong readers

 Curriculum by the CDIS  When first developed it was focused on content and computation, until 1992 when it was updated to include more problem solving  “Singapore has a world-class mathematics system with quality components aligned to produce students who learn mathematics to mastery.”  It is now being integrated into school districts in the United States  used in Singapore since 1982  Developed

 The main focus is on basic math skills, “mental math”  Very structured  Teach students step-by-step procedures to solve abstract problems  Lacks representation and reasoning skills  Does not have the students communicate what they are thinking  Very little is taught on applied mathematics

 Student Achievement Studies of Everyday Mathematics  Students in Singapore scored first place in mathematics on the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study in 1995, 1999, and 2003  Students who have adopted Singapore Math in the US have out performed students that have kept with US math curriculums

 Required to use the math curriculum that is determined by the school district  Use Everyday Mathematics, but definitely incorporate aspects of Singapore Math  I like the variety of instruction on Everyday Math and the emphasis on communication  Emphasis on basic math facts especially in early grades  Hope to do additional research in my own classroom during Student Teaching

 Winners Education Group – US Sold On Singapore Math Teaching Techniques  An Introduction to Singapore Math  American Institutes for Research  The Pros and Cons of the Chicago Math Approach for Elementary Students  Spiral Vs. Mastery  Singapore Math Website  Everyday Mathematics Website  The K-12 Mathematics Curriculum Center