MATH

Four Main Ways to Make Math More Engaging… 1. Real-life examples 2. Hands-On Materials 1. Math Literature 2. Games & On-Line Websites

Focus on elementary grade subjects: ◦ Addition ◦ Subtraction ◦ Shapes ◦ Fractions ◦ Measurement ◦ Time ◦ Numbers ◦ Patterns ◦ Multiplication ◦ Division ◦ Money

Incorporate Real-Life Examples Must make the content relevant for students “Students who feel that their out of school experiences are valued and integrated with their formal schooling have greater potential to see school as relevant and are better positioned to see mathematics, in particular, as an powerful tool in their lives” (Turner, Gutiérrez, Simic-Muller, and Díez-Palomar ) Example: “Community Knowledge” Project

Use Hands-On Materials Let the child investigate the concepts ◦ Find curriculum that supports an investigative approach, such as the “Connected Mathematics 2” Examples: ◦ Time-Sequencing Activity ◦ Tangram Picture Matching Cards with the Plastic Pattern Blocks

Examples of Math Manipulatives Plastic coins/bills Pattern blocks Base 10 blocks Plastic clocks Magnetic numbers Measuring cups Scales Geoboards Counters Folding geometric shapes Place value pocket charts 3-D fraction shapes Dice …AND SO MANY MORE!!!

Math Literature Whether you go to your school library or a public library, or a book store, you will never find a shortage of children’s books! You can find books on almost any mathematical concept for children! Books can be as entry points into a lesson or concept OR they can be used to work on a specific problem or activity within the context of the book

Examples of Math Literature by Subject 4. Shapes: “The Greedy Triangle” by Marilyn Burns “Cubes, Cones, Cylinders, and Spheres” by Tana Hoban 5. Angles: ◦ “ What’s your Angle, Pythagoras?” by Julie Ellis 6. Graphs: ◦ The Great Graph Contest” by Loreen Leedy …AND SO MANY MORE!!! 1. Money: “How the Second Grade got $8, to Visit the Statue of Liberty” by Nathan Zimelman “The Penny Pot” by Stuart J. Murphy “If You Made a Million” by David M. Schwartz 2. Fractions: “Working with Fractions” by David A. Adler “One Riddle, One Answer” by Lauren Thompson 3. Percents: “Twizzlers: Percentage Book” by Jerry Pallotta

Math Games Pizza Fraction Fun Dice Game Board games: ◦ “Pay Day” ◦ “Math Noodlers” …AND SO MANY MORE!!!

On-Line Math Websites  Coffee Shop  Lemonade Stand  Shapezoid  Fraceton

Remember: There are SO many ways to incorporate real-life examples, hands-on materials, literature and games and on-line websites in order to make math more engaging for children! MATH DOESN’T HAVE TO BE BORING FOR CHILDREN… & WE CAN HELP!

Bibliography KDP Workshop. “Making Math Fun”. Nees, Diane. Lessons Using Learning Bags for Math: Grades 1-2. Westminster: Teacher Created Resources, Inc., Print. South Brunswick Public Library. Turner, Erin, Maura Varley-Gutierrez, Ksenija Simic-Muller, and Javier Diez Palomar. “Everything is Math in the Whole World”: Integrating Critical and Community Knowledge in Authentic Mathematical Investigations with Elementary Latina/o Students.” Mathematical Thinking and Learning. 11 (2009): Print.