The Early Math Project Newsletter
September 2024 - Volume 16
Early Math Fall Forum
Join us for this FREE virtual event
A Curious Thing Happened…
Exploring STEAM in Everyday Play
Tuesday, October 29, 2024
6:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. PACIFIC Time
Register here: https://bit.ly/47u7O4F
The forum will focus on the powerful role of play in children’s growth and development.
All are invited. Please share.
Standards of Mathematical Practice - Continued
The Standards for Mathematical Practice describe habits of mind and approaches intended to support children’s mathematical success. The standards encourage children to experiment and adapt when they encounter new and non-routine problems.
This month we’ll concentrate on the second and third standards and how we can support children’s success.
Practice 2 - Reason abstractly and quantitatively
To help children make sense of quantities and their relationships in problem situations encourage them to:
Analyze problem situations and consider what needs to be done with the amounts in the problem
Visualize what needs to be done
Reinforce the idea that large problems can often be broken into smaller steps
Use what they know from prior problem solving
Explore how a problem can be approached in more than one way
Consider how the amounts and numbers in a problem are related to each other
Make representations of what needs to be done which might include pictures, symbols, objects, words, or numbers (strong conceptual understanding supports children’s abstract reasoning)
Develop a plan to solve the problem
Develop different ways of representing the same situation which might include charts, drawings, and acting out a situation
Talk about how they began tackling the problems and share their mathematical thinking
Apply what they’ve learned to new problem situations
Practice 3 - Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others
You can support children’s ability to explain their strategies and evaluate their own thinking and the thinking of others by encouraging them to:
Remember that there are multiple ways to arrive at a correct answer
Ask themself if a solution makes sense
Look for evidence that supports a solution
Discuss alternative explanations and strategies
Explain why their thinking makes sense and be able to support or explain the reasoning of others
Learn from the ideas and strategies of other people
Determine why a given approach failed and learn from it
Ask questions
Communicate their understanding to others
You can read more about the Standards of Mathematical Practice here: https://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/mathpractices.asp
Mathical Books Readathon
How many times can you and your students read Mathical books in a year?
You want to be part of this FREE math & reading journey!
Receive fun, all-ages activities delivered in a mini-newsletter monthly to your inbox
Join anytime in 2024-2025 - For teachers in grades PreK - 8
To find out more visit:
Readathon homepage:
https://www.mathicalbooks.org/readathon/
Toolkit for schools:
https://www.mathicalbooks.org/2024/08/mathical-readathon-toolkit/
Check out the Mathical Booklist here:
https://www.mathicalbooks.org/books/
Offered by Mathical Books, a program of the Simons Laufer Mathematical Sciences Institute (SLMath), a nonprofit research organization dedicated to developing mathematical talent, cultivating a sense of belonging and engagement in the mathematical sciences, and inspiring an appreciation of the power, beauty, and joy of mathematics for all.
If you have questions about this program, please contact Kirsten Bohl at kbohl@slmath.org.
Mathical Books is generously sponsored by the Firedoll Foundation, the Guru Krupa Foundation, and the Luce-Fahey Family Foundation. To become a Mathical sponsor and help distribute math-inspiring children's literature to Title I schools nationwide, contact Annie Averitt, Director of Advancement and External Relations, at aaveritt@slmath.org.
Make the Most of Math in Everyday Routines
There’s plenty of math involved in what we’re already doing. These Early Math Project favorites showcase the math involved in:
In Banana for Two, a mom and toddler go to the grocery store and explore the idea of one and two - one roll of paper towels, one box of cereal, two containers of yogurt, and one banana to share as a snack for two.
In Up to My Knees, Mei plants a sunflower seed. With water, sun, and time the little sunflower plant grows and grows.
In Clean Up, Up, Up!, Daddy and his little one clean up before dinner. Daddy describes what they do, using spatial relationship words and phrases like: up, down, inside, outside, next to, and under.
In Soup Day, a young girl and her mother shop for vegetables and make soup together for their family meal.
In 10 Minutes till Bedtime, a group of traveling hamsters arrive as a boy is getting ready for bed. With all of the distractions will the boy make it to bed on time?
Click on the links above to find book guides and activities for these five special books.
Enjoy!
To Think About
