Upper Grade
Focus Wall Guidelines
Dawn Smith
Instructional Services Specialist
K-6 Mathematics
National Mathematics Advisory Panel:
Final Report
-U.S. Department of Education, March 2008
(We should use) what is clearly known from
rigorous research about how children learn,
especially recognizing
A) the mutually reinforcing benefits of
conceptual understanding, procedural
fluency, and automatic (quick and effortless)
recall of facts; and
B) that effort, not just inherent talent, counts
in mathematical achievement.
Should you use a
Math Focus Wall
in your classroom?
• Put your walls to work for you. Most students
are visual learners and need many repetitions of
a concept before achieving mastery. Every time
your students look around the room, your walls
should be teaching for you (even when you are
not.) Enlist student help in maintaining them.
This will foster ownership and increase their use.
Motivate- create an incentive!
Use Data Director or EasyGradePro to set whole
class achievement goals for Topic or Benchmark
Tests, Problem Solving, or Writing to Explain.
• All grade levels have a label
for the focus wall with the
animal character that matches
the textbook.
Large size; laminate and use a dry
erase to quickly (and easily) change
the topic and lesson on a daily
basis.
• Vocabulary cards are available in the pouches
or online. Large cards on cardstock can also be
used, but think about how students can generate
these cards and the accompanying visual aidsFrayer model- etc.
• Use a pocket chart! Keep it simple. Display
word for the entire topic at a time. Leave them
up if the strand is continued into the next topic
• Students can use the reproducibles for flash
cards, foldable booklets, illustrate them, etc.
• Develop consistent vocabulary throughout the
grades.
• Make your objectives kid-friendly. Instead of
“Students will” try “We are learning to….” This is
easy when you begin with the stated objective
from the TE.
• TIP: Laminate this on a piece of bright 12 x 18
construction paper and write the objective
with a dry erase marker.
Objective: Part 2
What will you expect to see that will
satisfy you that all students have
met the objective? (Put this on
laminated paper as well.)
Standards cards will
accompany your materials.
• On this section of your board, keep reteach pages or
examples of previous concepts in the topic. Hang them
on rings in page protectors. When students are
struggling and need a quick “re-teach” just pull the page
off the board. Pull a small group or partner with a
student who can help. Use a dry-erase to write on the
page protector – no need to “remember” to run
something off at a later time.
• Hanging them in a row (on push or T-pins) allows
students to see the mathematical progression and how
concepts build. After a topic or two, put them all together
on one ring and hang to the side.
Model and/or Visual Representation
Students can create models that demonstrate their
thinking- many examples can be pulled from the
Interactive Learning component. Act out, construct,
or manipulate objects and also create a visual
construction of the concept. This lays the foundation
for conceptual understanding and provides a forum
for student work. Visual representations create the
bridge from the concrete to the abstract.
• Write: Use mathematical expressions or
equations to express the idea
And…
Write using written sentences to explain
mathematical ideas. Discussion and
writing should always be part of activities
to deepen understanding between stages.
Ask questions to encourage conceptual
understanding. Excellent questions are
found in the Quick Checks.
• Landmarks are the grade level memorization
component. For the topic students are learning, what
needs to be memorized or done with automaticity in
order for students to more easily facilitate the new
material?
• For example, in fifth grade students need to know
fraction decimal equivalents, such as ¼ = 25% = .25, as
well the rules for divisibility.
• Make sure the current Landmark is tied to the current
Topic(s). Encourage memorization of landmarks in small
chunks; additionally, students should be able to explain
and demonstrate their meaning and how the new skill is
related.
• This is another opportunity to showcase
mathematical thinking. Students should
be problem solving daily as well as solving
computation-in-context problems. This
program directly instructs methods of
problem solving that are widely applicable.
Students should refer to the Problem
Solving handbook in the front of their texts
for assistance when necessary.
• This can go on a legal size pocket folder
or something similar to hold the center
activity pages that you have selected for
the topic. Teach children to be
independent about how to use the centers,
where to set up, and how to retrieve and
replace the manipulatives.
• Manipulative use should become an
integral part of your instruction with the
addition of daily Interactive Learning.
Think about what type of system you will
use to make their use convenient and
organized for both you and your students.
• Another engaging
way to build
conceptual
understanding by
connecting math to
the student’s life.
Ask them to bring in
examples of how
they see their
lessons utilized in
their own life- box
scores, batting
averages, discounts,
tips, cell phone
minutes, etc.
Integrate literature
whenever possible.
•Check the “real-life connections” in The
Language of Math section of the Topic
Planner for ideas that support
mathematical vocabulary and concepts.
Need ideas?
• If your team would like assistance setting
up Math Focus Walls, please contact me
at dlsmith@rusd.k12.ca.us. Get together
with your local Curriculum Leader to see
how he/she is incorporating the wall.
Soon there should be classroom photos
loaded onto the Curriculum Web.
• Share yours!