March /April
Kindergarten
Middletown Board of Education
Children Who Enjoy Problem Solving
Young children want to learn from their mistakes, and their enjoyment of
problem solving increases when children know that mistakes will be used
as stepping-stones to new learning.
-Larry Buschman
Teaching Children Mathematics, May 2003
In the article, “Children Who Enjoy Problem Solving,” Larry Buschman
shares his findings during problem solving lessons in his multi-age
classroom. Listening to the student comments taught him that children
enjoy problem solving when they make sense of the problems and discuss
solutions with their peers. Young children find satisfaction in the
experience of overcoming challenges faced in problems. Make note of the
conversations your students have during problem solving activities. For
more, read the attached article for more about his discussions with
students.
Problem Solving in Kindergarten
Essential Questions
For MP4
Geometry
Identify and describe shapes (squares,
circles, triangles, rectangles,
hexagons, cubes, cones, cylinders,
spheres)
• What do you look for when you
describe shapes?
• How can you describe the flat surfaces
of solids?
• How can you describe where
something is using positional words?
Analyze, compare and create shapes
• How do you know when shapes are
exactly the same?
• What three-dimensional shapes can
you make using solid figures?
Problem Solving & Technology
MEASUREMENT
Read and complete the attached activities on Ten Flashing Fireflies, by
Philemon Sturges, to reinforce counting, as well as, addition and
subtraction. Attached is a notebook file, part-part-whole cards, a firefly
work mat, and eight story problem cards based on the book. Prior to
reading the story, discuss equations and different combinations of making
numbers using the firefly cards. Then, read the story to your students
while using the SMART notebook file to model number combinations.
Your students can also demonstrate the problems by using cubes and the
work mat to act them out as well.
Describe and compare measurable
attributes.
• How do we measure the length of an
object?
• How do we compare the lengths of
two objects?
• How can you describe the attributes
of an object?
When you’re finished, you may want to complete the story problems
together, or your students can complete them as a center activity. To aid
the “problem” in story problems, attached is a Think Board. You may
want to introduce this to your students to help them strategize and
organize their thoughts and work while problem solving.
FREE APPS FOR PRACTICE
Interactive Games
What a wonderful site! Check out
http://www.turtlediary.com/kindergarten-games/math-games.html
for some challenging kindergarten games. Your students will love Math
Blaster and What is the Missing Number. Your students can practice days
of the week, months of the year, ordinal numbers and so much more!
Addition &
Subtraction Apps
• “Addition & Subtraction for
Kids”
•
“Numbers, Addition and
Subtraction”
•
“Math Dots” (Dinosaur )
•
“Math Dots” (Fairy Princess)