Math Mania

                      Learning Progression: Counting and Beginning Number Sense  Learning to count seems so easy, right? You begin by singing number songs and counting objects. However, did you know there is a learning progression to counting? Success in mathematics begins with developing a sense of number through counting and quantity? Often, I have TK-K teachers or parents tell me that their child can count to 20, and they can, which is excellent. They think that because the student can count to 20 that they understand what 20 means. This is not always true. They need to develop the understanding that 20 has a value. Counting from 1 to 10 or even 100 is helpful, but this skill alone is not the same as learning how to count. Students are great about saying number names. For example, you show the child a dice,  and the  student will say, “six,” but then we ask them to count the dots to prove  that there are six d...

  The Importance of Math Vocabulary Reference  How-To  Make A  Math Vocabulary Reference  Book I have worked with many students who are really great at computation but have difficulty  understanding what math questions are asking. Therefore, they get the problem incorrect.  Math is its own language. Sometimes that language looks like a written word and sometimes it looks like symbols. Regardless of its form, we must understand the language or it can cause difficulty with math fluency and competency. Some people have a great memory and remember everything the first time they see it...I am not one of those people.  If I don't use it, I lose it.  I find that a lot of people are just like me. One strategy that helps my students with math is creating a math vocabulary book. And that's what I wanted to show you how to do today. Every math book has a key vocabulary section or a glossary that you can use to help guide you. Most students and teachers ...

 The Importance of Math Manipulatives Manipulatives are essential in the early stages of mathematics. I often see children who struggle with math after 4th grade. What I find is that they have not had a lot of experience with the manipulatives or developed a conceptual understanding of mathematics. Conceptual understanding, where children can grasp ideas in a transferable way, can help students take what they learn in class and apply it across domains. Not having these early experiences causes children to struggle to perform even the most basic operations, even after repeated instruction. If children do not develop a conceptual understanding, they tend to struggle even more as they get older. I am here to say that worksheets are okay, but you have to have manipulative to use with them. There is a sequence to learning and a lot of times teachers skip the concrete method and go straight to representational methods (see below for details). If students can see math, move it, they will ...

  Brain and Body Connection & Marsden Ball for Math Facts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ry768O7AqtI I f your child or student is having trouble memorizing their math fact, reading struggles with processing, ADD, or seems to be not as coordinated as other kids. You're in the right place to learn how to help them.  Most people know that physical activity helps children and adults to maintain a healthy body. However, did you know that movement activities help build brain structure and are essential to learning? Research shows that there is a link between cognitive development and movement. This means children need opportunities to move so they can learn. During the first years of a child’s life, they begin to roll, crawl, walk, then jump, and do a variety of other movement activities that build the brain’s connections. During this time, these movements require coordination from both the left and right sides of the brain. They cross the midlines of their body, which builds t...

  Mind-Body Connection and Marsden  Ball  Marsden Ball Math Facts The goal here is to get the mind and body working together. When a student's body is moving, their mind and body are connected, and students can access their working and visual memory, which will help organize their brain and help them memorize their facts. You know the mind and body are connected when: The student has the proper stance. Their head, body, and feet are straight forward, not tilted to the side. If the body part leans or turns to one side, that means one side of the body shuts down, and the brain and body aren't fully connected.  The ball is smooth...not jerky That the timing is correct. If their mind is too fast, they will say the number before the ball hits the pole. If their mind is too slow, they will hit the ball and then say the number. You want the ball and the pole to connect at the exact same time as they say the number.   Before you start hitting the ball:   Write...