I’ll admit it, and I’ve even said it myself: “Until Little Johnny shows me mastery of this skill….I can’t extend him.” However, I would now like to go back and apologize to Little Johnny and all those students that I didn’t offer extensions to, because I wrongly thought they should show me mastery of a … Continue reading There’s more than one way to skin a cat!
Say Good-bye to Primary!
My oldest son, Rory, is about to start Grade 3! Good-bye primary! Hello elementary! I can’t believe it! Where did the time go??? What does this mean in terms of his math? It means he is now ready to learn the algorithm for addition and subtraction; and I am so grateful to his teachers for … Continue reading Say Good-bye to Primary!
What does it take to become a talented mathematician?
The 21st century has seen some major upheavals in terms of education. Schools have strayed from teaching content and headed towards teaching core competencies, like critical thinking and self-regulation. Teaching for understanding is now favoured over drill and kill, which some say led to mastery in the past. Instruction is no longer directed by the … Continue reading What does it take to become a talented mathematician?
Teen versus Ty numbers
If you're a primary teacher, you'll know what I'm talking about!! Teen numbers are those ending in teen. They are often confused with -ty numbers such as twenty, thirty, etc. Oliver is pretty proud of the fact that he can count to 110 and beyond (we stopped him in the interest of time!)! However, we’d … Continue reading Teen versus Ty numbers
Raising Financially Literate Children
I was so shocked this year when I realized that a large portion of students in Grade 4 still couldn’t answer the simple question, “What could you buy for $1.50?” As a result, I felt compelled to write this “Financial Post”. This one, is for you parents! In 2016, the BC Ministry of Education rewrote … Continue reading Raising Financially Literate Children
Fortune-tellers for learning!
Oliver’s teacher e-mailed the other day and said that Oliver needed to practice colouring at home. We had known for a while that Oliver had trouble with penmanship and so we had spent the summer getting him to practice holding a writing utensil. Our cottage was flooded with connect the dots sheets, mazes, and pre-school … Continue reading Fortune-tellers for learning!
The After-MATH of Halloween!
So Halloween is over. The pumpkins are rotting. The decorations are dripping wet. The costumes are dirty. The kids are tired and you are stuck with a bucket load of candy that no-one with any sense could eat through by the new year! What to do... Why not take advantage of all that motivating candy … Continue reading The After-MATH of Halloween!
Double Digit Addition: Delaying the Algorithm
This summer, Rory and I spent our rest hour at the cottage doing a few school-related activities: Reading, Writing and Arithmetic! When we had guests, they were always intrigued by the ‘weird way’ Rory was doing his addition and so I spent my summer convincing my friends and family that, delaying the algorithm is actually a … Continue reading Double Digit Addition: Delaying the Algorithm
Mastering the Pre-K Milestones
THE WHAT: If you are an early years teacher or parent, there are four milestones that you should be eagerly waiting for: Counting rotely The ability to recite an ordered number list, and not necessarily with any understanding! (See here for more: Learning to count…baby steps.) One to one correspondence The ability to pair an object in … Continue reading Mastering the Pre-K Milestones
Making Multiplication Meaningful…in primary!
Although Rory is only in Grade One, he has shown an interest in multiplication and has even recognized situations where multiplication would apply; but before I teach him more, I need to see if he is ready. Here’s a little check: Is he interested? YES! Can he skip count? YES! Can he add? YES! Does … Continue reading Making Multiplication Meaningful…in primary!
Math Milestones with my little men 