Presented by Heather Sparks, NBCT 2009 Oklahoma Teacher of the Year

 Lack of prior knowledge  Missing foundational skills  Limited experiences with “doing” math  “One right answer” approach  “Permission” to be “bad” at math  Others?

Every day, provide meaningful math investigations through manipulatives, games, puzzles, and stories. Content example:NIM PIG Color Tile Riddles Two of Everything

Every day, expect students to explain their thinking. Content example: Counting backwards Follow Me Loose caboose

Manipulatives should be available and integrated into every math lesson. Content example: Showing half True Blue Snap cube measurement

Trina wants to win a goldfish at the carnival. In order for her to win, she needs to pick 2 blue tiles out of the “True Blue prize bag,” without looking. If the prize bag contains 3 blue tiles and 3 red tiles, what is the probability of winning the game? Predict the number of wins you will get in 40 trials. Then, conduct the trials and record the outcomes.

Students should be taught specific strategies to improve memory and understanding. Content example: Coin Chants Finger Multiplication

Coin Chants

Students should maintain a math journal to record and store math resources. Content example: Gallon map Big Inch

The BIG Inch Identity Property

This presentation and other resources are available at www. hisparks.com