A Story of Units in Practice – Fluency K-2
Sequence of Sessions
Overarching Objectives of this May 2013 Network Team Institute
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Participants will understand the focus of each module presented, the instructional path, and the student outcomes; and be ready to teach
and/or prepare their colleagues to teach these modules.
Participants will examine the K–5 progressions documents and the sequence of standards foundational to developing an understanding of
Number and Operations in Base Ten, thereby enabling participants to enact cross-grade coherence of NBT development in the classroom
and to train their colleagues to do the same.
Participants will understand the purpose and implementation of Fluency, Worksheets, Student Debriefs, Exit Tickets, Application
Problems and Conceptual Development within A Story of Units. They will be prepared to use these components as tools through which to
meet the needs of diverse learners.
Participants will examine formal and informal assessment within the Modules and develop an understanding of how to use the data
generated to make instructional decisions.
High-Level Purpose of this Session
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To examine Lesson 1 in order to model, teach, and practice the instructional routines that will support implementation of A Story of Units.
To identify strategies and practices of differentiation that will respond to the needs of diverse learners and varied student populations in
any given district, school, or classroom in order to support student learning while maintaining the rigor inherent in A Story of Units.
Related Learning Experiences
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This session builds on the earlier Lesson Study by providing opportunities to focus on developing instructional routines and
differentiation strategies to support implementation of A Story of Units.
This is one of a three-part series, “A Story of Units in Practice.” While this Part I focuses on Fluency Practice, Part II will address the
Application Problem and Concept Development, and Part III will address the Student Debrief.
Rigor Breakdown – Fluency from the November 2012 NTI sessions.
Key Points
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Fluency exercises provide essential practice so that students will be more successful in each lesson, as well as an energetic start to
every day.
Carefully introducing students to fluency exercises at the beginning of the school year is an investment in their success
throughout the year.
Deliberate choices, including consideration of the key foundational fluencies for each module and the specific needs of your students,
will go a long way towards your students’ learning.
Session Outcomes
What do we want participants to be able to do as a result of
this session?
 Model, teach, and practice the instructional routines that will
support implementation of A Story of Units
 Differentiate according to the needs of diverse learners and
varied student populations in any given district, school, or
classroom to accommodate all children.
How will we know that they are able to do this?
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Participants will discuss and demonstrate the instructional
routine of fluency.
Participants will articulate how they will use fluency exercises
to differentiate instruction in the classroom
Session Overview 10:30-11:30
Section
Time
Session Introduction
10:3010:31
Overview
 Frame session, referencing
workshop agenda.
 Introduce objectives and
sequence for this session.
Implementation of a
Fluency Program
Overview of Fluency
Activities
10:3110:44
10:4410:49
 Discuss how to implement a
fluency routine and address
concerns about implementation.
 Describe the function and variety
of fluency practices in A Story of
Units.
Prepared Resources
Facilitator Preparation
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Session PowerPoint
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
Lesson 1 from Module 1 at
each grade, K-5
Review session notes and
PowerPoint presentation
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Review appropriate module

Session PowerPoint


Lesson 1 from Module 1 at
each grade, K-5
Review session notes and
PowerPoint presentation

Review appropriate module

Session PowerPoint


Lesson 1 from Module 1 at
each grade, K-5
Review session notes and
PowerPoint presentation

Review appropriate module
Modeling and
Practice: Fluency
Differentiation in
Fluency Activities
Reflection on
Preparation and
Implementation
10:4911:00
11:0011:22
11:2211:29
 Model and practice a variety of
fluency routines.

Session PowerPoint


Lesson 1 from Module 1 at
each grade, K-5
Review session notes and
PowerPoint presentation

Review appropriate module

Review session notes and
PowerPoint presentation
 Identify strategies for
differentiating fluency practices
in order to address the needs of
specific learners.

Session PowerPoint

Lesson 1 from Module 1 at
Review appropriate module
each grade, K-5
 Independent or small group
planning for implementing
fluency progams as part of
A Story of Units.

Session PowerPoint
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
Lesson 1 from Module 1 at
each grade, K-5
Review session notes and
PowerPoint presentation

Review appropriate module
Session Roadmap
Section: Introduction
Time: 10:30-10:31
[1 minutes] In this section, you will…
Materials used include:
•
•
Review the agenda to frame the session for participants.
Introduce objectives and sequence the session to identify the
focus of the session.
•
•
•
•
Session PowerPoint
Video (Facilitator’s Option)
A Story of Units: A Curriculum Overview for Grades P-5
How to Implement A Story of Units
Time
Slide #/ Pic of Slide
Script/ Activity directions
GROUP
30 secs.
Slide 1
NOTE THAT THIS SESSION IS DESIGNED TO BE 60 MINUTES IN LENGTH
Grade
band-K2,or 3-5
Turnkey Materials Provided in Addition to PowerPoint:
Additional Suggested Resources:
• A Story of Units: A Curriculum Overview for Grades P-5
• How to Implement A Story of Units
This session, Fluency in Practice, is the first in a three-part series in which we
look at Lesson 1 in order to model, teach, and practice the instructional
routines that will support implementation of A Story of Units. These sessions
also include discussion and practice on ways to differentiate according to the
needs of diverse learners and varied student populations in any given district,
school, or classroom.
30 secs.
Slide 2
Our objectives for this session are to revisit the modules we explored
yesterday in preparation to :
• Model, teach, and practice the instructional routines that will support
implementation of A Story of Units
• Differentiate according to the needs of diverse learners and varied
student populations in any given district, school, or classroom
In this session, we will specifically be returning to the lesson component of
Fluency. We will examine a few fluency activities from Grades K-2.
We will look at some examples as a group, and you will also have the
opportunity to engage with lessons from your grade level.
NOTE TO FACILITATOR: During yesterday’s session, participants made notes of
any concerns they had as they prepare to implement this module. In this
session, time will be set aside to discuss the concerns of the group and to
consider ways to overcome any anticipated obstacles.
Section: Implementation of a Fluency Program
Time: 10:31-10:41
[10 minutes] In this section, you will…
Materials used include:
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Discuss best practices and concerns for implementing fluency exercises
to enable effective implementation.
Reflect and plan on how to implement fluency exercises to prepare for
instruction.
Discuss how you will implement the exercises to promote skill
development.
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Power Point
Module 1, Lesson 1
Time
Slide #/ Pic of Slide
Script/ Activity directions
GROUP
30 secs.
Slide 3
We’ll begin with a discussion of best practices and concerns associated
with the implementation of a fluency program.
Grade
band-K-2
Then we’ll briefly review the variety of fluency exercises embedded in A
Story of Units before spending some time modeling and practicing
several of these.
After you’ve had an opportunity to practice some fluency routines on
your own, we’ll explore ways to differentiate fluency activities to address
the specific needs of the students you serve.
Finally, we’ll reserve a few minutes for reflection and planning as you
prepare to begin a fluency program in support of A Story of Units.
Let’s start our discussion with a quick review of what we learned about
fluency yesterday.
3 mins.
Slide 4
Recall from yesterday’s lesson study that FLUENCY EXERCISES serve a
variety of purposes.
In general, there are three main categories of fluency work:
• Maintenance: Staying sharp on previously learned
skills
• Preparation: Targeted practice for the current
lesson
• Anticipation: Building foundational skills to
prepare students for the in-depth work of future
lessons
It is important to note that fluency work is always an extension of
familiar content. Students should already have achieved genuine
understanding, and now It provides a daily opportunity for continuous
improvement and individual success toward acquiring speed and
accuracy.
It is also important to note that instructions for all of the fluency
routines are provided for you in the Modules.
2 mins.
Slide 5
A word about choices:
The fluency exercises in each lesson were a deliberate choice. These
exercises serve one or more of the three main purposes: maintenance,
preparation, and anticipation.
As you and your students acclimate to this new curriculum, you will need
to make your own deliberate choices. What are your students needs?
What is their comfort level with activities like choral counting, using
personal marker boards, and working through timed drills.
This is our time to think about how you can make the best choices to
build routines efficiently and to maximize your time for supporting
fluency development. (Pick your signal- clap, snap; wait time; one and
done- you say it once, no arguing; seating arrangement; “get ready for
fluency” mantra)
We recommend selecting one or two types of routines to begin with
(Say Ten, Making Ten, Part/Part Whole, More or Two More). Teachers
will master delivering these exercises while students become experts at
participating in them.
In addition, starting with simpler math allows your students to focus
their energies on learning the routine. As your students get the routine,
the math content can become more complex.
If they don’t get it, don’t beat a dead horse. (No more than 2 min. over
the suggested times). Note it, scaffold and differentiate, hit it the next
day. DON’T EXHAUST THEM. Stop while the energy is high. You don’t
want them going into Application mentally exhausted.
5 mins.
Slide 6
NOTE TO FACILITATOR: Now is the time to address concerns from
yesterday’s session such as:
1. I don’t have enough time!
2. How do I establish this routine?
3. How do you accommodate for above and below?
We are going to discuss this during differentiation.
Below- back up to a visual, manipulatives, whisper in between. *When
you take a step back, don’t stay there. You want them to visualize it;
close your eyes, see the Rekenrek, provide the Sprint the night before,
differentiate Sprints
Section: Overview of Fluency Activities in A Study of Units Time: 10:41-10:49
[8 minutes] In this section, you will…
•
•
Review the math content in Module 1 that the fluency exercises
address to ensure prior understanding of content.
Discuss the math content and fluency practice to determine the
alignment.
Materials used include:
•
Session PowerPoint
Time
Slide #/ Pic of Slide
Script/ Activity directions
GROUP
30 secs.
Slide 7
Now we will review the math content addressed by the fluency exercises in
Grades K-5 Module 1.
Grade
band-K2,or 3-5
1 min.
Slide 8
Fluency is not just a significant component in A Story of Units, but it is
embedded in the Standards. To illustrate this, here is an inventory of all the K-5
Standards that call for fluency:
K
K.OA.5
Add/subtract within 5
1
1.OA.6
Add/subtract within 10
2
2.OA.2
memory)
2.NBT.5
3
3.OA.7
from memory)
4
Add/subtract within 20 (know single-digit sums from
Add/subtract within 100
Multiply/divide within 100 (know single-digit products
3.NBT.2
Add/subtract within 1000
4.NBT.4
Add/subtract within 1,000,000
5
5.NBT.5
Multi-digit multiplication
Each of the fluency exercises in the lessons contributes to the overarching
required fluency for a given grade level.
2 mins.
Slide 9
If you attended the NTI in November, you will recall that we discussed at length
the three general categories which include most of the fluency work in A Story of
Units: counting exercises, choral and white board exchanges, and sprints.
Counting Exercises:
•Appropriate for all grade levels, K-5
•Counting forward and backwards supports addition and subtraction
•Skip-counting supports multiplication
Choral and White Board Exchanges
• Can be used as a quick form of assessment.
• Allow for rapid completion of multiple practice problems.
• Create intensity in student practice.
• Give students immediate feedback.
Sprints:
•
•
•
•
2 min.
Slide 10
Sprints allow for rapid completion of multiple practice problems.
Sprints create intensity in student practice.
Sprints give students quick feedback.
Sprints motivate students with a near-term goal for improvement.
These are the key foundational fluencies in each Module 1. Fluency with these
skills is essential to achieving success as the school year begins.
These skills should guide your choices as to where and how to begin
implementing fluency exercises.
K – Counting to 5, counting consecutively, and recognizing numerals
•
1 – Counting a set of objects or pictures and assigning a numeral,
and counting on in a number sequence
•
2 – Adding and subtracting units such as tens and centimeters,
and using rulers to count, add, and subtract
•
3 – Group counting (skip counting) to lay the foundation for
understanding multiplication as repeated addition
•
4 – Multiplying and dividing by 10, and decomposing numbers into units
•
5 – Renaming decimals in various place value units
Turn and talk with others at your table. Share your thoughts about how these
key fluencies progress from K-5, and how you currently address your priority
fluency in your class/school/district.
NOTE TO FACILITATOR: Allow 3 minutes for participants to turn and talk.
Then facilitate a quick share out in the remaining minutes.
2 mins.
Slide 11
OPTIONAL SLIDE, if time permits.
Yesterday, after completing a Lesson Study with your grade level groups, you had
an opportunity to look at the progression of fluency exercises within Module 1.
Fluency excercises support the development of the mathematics. Let’s review
how they are designed to do that by considering some of the questions you
might ask as you as you spend more time in study and preparation for
implementing A Story of Units.
Section: Modeling and Practice: Fluency
Time: 10:49-11:00
[10 minutes] In this section, you will…
•
•
Review types of fluency exercises and how they support student
learning to strengthen content knowledge.
Practice a variety of fluency exercises to improve teacher skills.
Materials used include:
•

•
Module 1 Lesson 1
Pre selected fluency exercises from Module 1- Math Fingers Flash,
Making Ten, Add Ten and Some Ones
Session PowerPoint
Time
Slide #/ Pic of Slide
Script/ Activity directions
GROUP
1 min.
Slide 12
Now we will review some of the types of fluency exercises in A Story of Units –
choral skip counting, personal marker board activities, and sprints, by
completing some of the fluency exercises in Lesson 1, Grade K-2 Module 1.
After we complete these as a group, you’ll have an opportunity to consider
fluency activities in Lesson 1 of other grade levels if you choose to do so.
Grade
band-K2,or 3-5
1 min.
Slide 13
FACILITATOR: Note that the sample dialogue below described Lesson 1 and
should be modified to reflect the lesson selected for your whole-group review.
As you see in Module 1 Lesson 1, the objective is to reason concretely and
pictorially using place value understanding to relate adjacent base ten units from
millions to thousandths.
Summary of what student does in this lesson (drawn from the Module Overview
of Topic Opener):
Students use place value charts, along with their knowledge of bundling and
decomposing, to multiply and divide by 10, 100, and 1000.
4 min.
Slide 14
Lead participants through one of the fluency exercises in the Lesson 1 you’ve
selected (not a sprint because of time constraints). Be sure to model how you
might introduce this fluency routine to a group of students for whom this
practice is unfamiliar.
Suggested fluency activities:



Math Fingers Flash
Making Ten
Add Ten and Some Ones
NOTE TO FACILITATOR: Be prepared to discuss the specific connection of this
fluency activity to the lesson and to the module as a whole. How does it support
student learning of the mathematical concepts?
Fluency exercises in the lessons have notes describing their significance to each
lesson. Instructions for administration of Sprints are included in Module 1.
4 min.
Slide 15
If time permits, lead participants through another fluency exercise in the Lesson
1 you’ve selected (not a sprint because of time constraints). Be sure to model
how you might introduce this fluency routine to a group of students for whom
this practice is unfamiliar.
Suggested fluency activities:



Say Ten Way
Two More
Take 1,2 Out
NOTE TO FACILITATOR: Be prepared to discuss the specific connection of this
fluency activity to the lesson and to the module as a whole. How does it support
student learning of the mathematical concepts?
Section: Differentiation in Fluency Practice
Time: 11:00-11:22
[23 minutes] In this section, you will…
•
Discuss how fluency exercises can be modified and used to
differentiate instruction for diverse learners
Materials used include:
•
•
•
Session PowerPoint
Module 1, Lesson 1
Fluency exercise used in previous section
Time
Slide #/ Pic of Slide
Script/ Activity directions
GROUP
1 min.
Slide 16
Now we will discuss the ways fluency exercises can be implemented in order to
address the needs of a particular learners.
Grade
band-K2,or 3-5
3 mins.
Slide 17
Use your Module 1, Lesson 1 fluencies and pick one activity to differentiate for
ONE population. (Assign one population to each pair. Direct them to the
Scaffolds in the back of their binder.)
Pairs work together for 2-3 min.
Share at your table for 5 min.
*Below Grade Level Ideas: back up to a visual, manipulatives, whisper in
between. *When you take a step back, don’t stay there. You want them to
visualize it; close your eyes, see the Rekenrek; provide the Sprint the night before,
differentiate Sprints
3 mins.
Slide 18
These are some ways you can choose to modify fluency exercises in order to best
support your students.
It may also be helpful to think about the following:
•
What other skill practice might some of your students need to
prepare them for this lesson?
•
What other skill practice might some of your students need to
prepare them for these fluency exercises?
15 min.
Slide 19
Take the next 2 minutes to write down some ideas on choices you would make
as you prepare to implement Module 1 this fall. Please work independently, and
we will keep the room silent so everyone can concentrate.
Allow 2 minutes for silent reflection.
Now, select a math concept addressed in Module 1 of your chosen grade level.
You can identify a concept from the Module Overview or Topic Opener, or you
may choose to look at one of the set of Lessons 1 that we’ve provided. You
should also select a sub-population present in your class, school, or district.
Work alone, with a partner, or in a small group to design a fluency exercise that
will prepare these students to learn the concept that you’ve identified.
Afterward, we will share some of your ideas with the group.
You will have 10 minutes to complete this exercise.
Bring the room to order, then facilitate a whole-group discussion of their
experience as volunteers briefly share their outcomes.
Section: Reflection on Preparation and Implementation
Time: 11:22-11:29
[7 minutes] In this section, you will…
Materials used include:
•
Reflect on takeaways, key points and next steps in order to
•
Session PowerPoint
confirm that key knowledge has been learned.



•
Module 1, Lesson 1
Fluency exercises provide essential practice so that
students will be more successful in each lesson, as well as
an energetic start to every day.
Carefully introducing students to fluency exercises at the
beginning of the school year is an investment in their
success throughout the year.
Deliberate choices, including considering the key
foundational fluencies for each module and the specific
needs of your students, will go a long way towards your
students’ learning.
Time
Slide #/ Pic of Slide
Script/ Activity directions
GROUP
30 secs.
Slide 20
As we approach the end of this session on Fluency in Practice, we’ll take a few
minutes to reflect and plan.
K-2
4 mins.
Slide 21
Please take a minute to reflect independently on what you have learned about
implementing a fluency program and differentiating this part of the curriculum in
order to meet the needs of the diverse learners you serve. How will you
implement this with your students and train your colleagues?
2 mins.
Slide 22
Let’s review key points of this session:
• Fluency exercises provide essential practice so that students will
be more successful in each lesson, as well as an energetic start to
every day.
• Carefully introducing students to fluency exercises at the
beginning of the school year is an investment in their success
throughout the year.
•
Deliberate choices, including considering the key foundational fluencies
for each module and the specific needs of your students, will go a long
way towards your students’ learning
Use the following icons in the script to indicate different learning modes.
Video
Reflect on a prompt
Turnkey Materials Provided


PPT
Facilitators Guide
Additional Suggested Resources


Progressions documents
How to Teach A Story of Units
Active learning
Turn and talk