1. Director of Mathematics & Science
Math In Focus
Overview of Program
Presented by R. Nieves
Director of Mathematics & Science
District 75

2. Agenda Lesson from Singapore What does the TIMSS report show?
Mathematical Standards and Practice enables us to:
Challenges?
Why Math in Focus?
Focused and Coherent
Visual and Balances
Less is More
Researched in Common Core

3. Agenda Gallery Walk through the program What is C-P-A?
What is I-D-E-A?
Visual Models (Strand Trace)
What is Model Drawing?
Activity: What are Number Bonds?
Activity: What is the Bar Model?
Activity: What is subitizing?
Activity: Practice lesson and question techniques (working backwards)

4. What is TIMSS?
TIMSS (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study - the earlier acronym was Third International Mathematics and Science Study) is designed to measure trends in students’ mathematics and science achievement in four-year cycles.
What is the purpose of these studies?
Please visit TIMSS web site at for detailed information 
Please also visit IEA web site at for more information.
Who conduct these studies?
These studies are conducted by the International Association for Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA). IEA is an independent, international cooperative of national research institutions and governmental research agencies. They are based in Boston, USA.

5. How many TIMSS are there so far?
Conducted on a four-year cycle, the first round of TIMSS was in 1995, the second in 1999 and the third in 2003.
General Information on TIMSS:  TIMSS 2003
What have TIMSS to do with Singapore Math?
Singapore's 4th and 8th grade students scored top place for Mathematics in 1995, 1999 and 2003.  

6. What are the key findings of TIMSS pertaining to Singapore's good performance in mathematics?
Please see the following press releases by the Ministry of Education, Singapore:
   (for TIMSS 2003)
   (for TIMSS 1999)
   (for TIMSS 1995)

7. Why Math in Focus?
Authentic Singapore math pedagogy with fewer topics taught in greater depth at each grade level.
Visual representations and modeling strategies to solve complex problems;
A consistent concrete-pictorial-abstract progression;
A strong development of both conceptual understanding, place value, and computational fluency so students that understand the “how” as well as the “why.” And
More time to fewer topics, to ensure that children master the material through detailed instruction, questions, problem solving, and visual and hands-on aids like blocks, cards and bar charts.

8. Mathematical: Standards and Practice
Able:
To Make sense of problems and persevere
To reason
To construct viable arguments
To model with mathematics
To use tools appropriately
To look for and make use of structure
To think flexibly and be reflective

9. Math in Focus (MIF)
MIF has also been shown to have positive effects in US classrooms.  The Singapore math framework was one of the 15 national curriculums examined by the Common Core State Standards committee and had a particularly important impact on the Common Core writers and contributors.  Math in Focus is aligned to the Common Core State Standards and offers point-of-use correlations in the Teacher’s Editions, allowing teachers to make a seamless transition into the new standards.

10. Challenges
Students struggle with number facts, operational sense, and abstract notation
Students lack number sense, flexibility, and knowledge of number relationships
Academic vocabulary may inhibit understanding
Students struggle with abstract ideas outside of concrete examples
The understanding of learning disabilities in math is not nearly as well understood as in reading *note IEPs
Special education teachers are not generally trained in mathematics.

11. Gallery Walk

12. C-P-A?
I.D.E.A.
Investigate
Develop
Explore
Apply

13. Model Drawing
Puts problem solving at the heart of the curriculum Model drawing is a systematic method of representing word problems and number relationships that is explicitly taught beginning in second grade and extending all the way to algebra.

14. Activities What are number bonds? What are ten frames?
What are bar models?
Are there other visual models ex. place value?
What is subitizing?

15. Supporting with Good Questioning Techniques
Method 1 (Adapted from Good Questions for Math Teaching-Why Ask Them and What to Ask (K-6)) by Sullivan and Lilburn
Working Backward
Step 1-Identify a topic
Step 2-Think of a closed question and write down the answer
Step 3- Make up a question that includes (or addresses) the answer.
Method 2
Adapting a Standard Question
Step 2-Think of a standard question
Step 3-Adapt it to make a good question.

16. Practice Questioning Sessions
Identify a topic
Think of an answer
Make up a question that includes the answer
Weight
An eraser
What can you find that is lighter than this book?