Building a Math
Community
Christine Rowe Quinn
FOS Math Coach for WR6 and WR7
christine.rowequinn@tdsb.on.ca
Our Goals for Today
We will look at…
O An effective mathematics classroom
environment
O Why teach through Problem Solving?
O Sharing of ‘Best Practices’ by taking an in
depth look at 3 Part Lesson Framework and
how to encourage accountable Math Talk in
the mathematics classroom
The Third Teacher:
Your Classroom
O Spaces where students can use
manipulatives to solve and record problems
O Wall space to display student work
O Wall space to display co-created success
criteria that supports BIG IDEAS in current
unit of study
O Manipulatives and tools are organized in
such a way as to provide easy access for all
students
Junior Math Walls
Post Student
Work
Anchor Charts
O
An anchor chart describes procedures, processes,
and strategies and is posted in the classroom for
reference by students.
Success Criteria
The Difference Between Learning Goals
and Success Criteria
Learning Goals
Success Criteria
• Broad statements
• Specific
• General intentions
• Concrete
• Describe what is to be
• Describes what
learned
• Connect to “big ideas”
and prior learning
• Often not measureable
success looks like
when the learning
goal is reached
• Measureable
Teaching the Skills
How can I ensure that my students are learning all
the basic facts and skills that they need to move
ahead?
1. There are many situations to which an operation
is applied and there are many procedures, or
algorithms, for each operation.
2. A personal ‘invented’ algorithm is often more
meaningful and sometimes equally efficient as a
conventional algorithm.
Whole Number Operations: Big Ideas from Dr. Small (2009)
For addition, subtraction, multiplication
and division the Curriculum Document
says…
O Teach mental math strategies- they really
are important because they build and
reinforce Number Sense
O “Using a variety of tools and strategies”
i.e. concrete materials, estimation, studentgenerated algorithms, standard algorithms
and calculators
Math Games
• Supports students’ learning in Number
Sense
• Students can play them independently
• Easy to gather the necessary
materials- usually just dice or playing
cards and scrap paper
• Fun for the whole family! Great way to
send home extra practice
Wipe Out
Materials: pattern blocks, fraction die
Directions: Decide how many yellow hexagons you want
to play with- 1, 2 or 3. Cover the hexagons with a variety
of other triangles, trapezoids and rhombuses. Take
turns rolling the die and makes a move. The winner is
the first one to discard all of the pattern blocks.
Prompting Questions:
“How many trapezoids make a hexagon?”
“How many rhombuses make a hexagon?”
“How many triangles make a hexagon? A rhombus?”
Take Five, Make Ten
Materials: deck of cards- 10’s and face cards removed,
paper and pencil
Directions: Shuffle the deck of cards and lay out 5
cards. Using the numbers on the cards, build as many
equations as you can totaling 10.
Prompting Questions:
“If the equation you are building goes over ten, what
operations could you use to make the answer less than
ten?”
“How can these numbers be combined to make ten?”
Why Teach Through Problem
Solving?
O encourages an increased level of mathematical
O
O
O
O
dialogue between students
the math makes more sense
provides the teacher with better insight into
students mathematical thinking
builds confidence, maximizes the potential for
understanding, and allows for differences in
style and approach
provides practice, both with concepts and with
skills
Small, M. (2013). Making Math Meaningful p 97
3 Part Lesson
O Should be used daily from K-8
O The framework is the same for every grade
O The timelines are significantly different
based on the age of the students
Mathematics and Numeracy:
Expected Practice Document
RICH, OPEN TASKS
O Problems that require students to have to
figure out what to do
O Can be solved in more than one way
O Have multiple entry points for all learners-
differentiates instruction
Rich Task
My friend found 3 different pet stores in his
neighbourhood that sell the special puppy
food his vet told him to buy. He needs 24 cans
for the first few months. Which one is the best
deal?
O Pat’s Pet Emporium - $0.80 per can
O Pet-o-rama $9.40 for a dozen cans
O Petmania: 2.55 for three cans
Accountable Math Talk
5 Practices for Orchestrating Productive
Mathematics Discussions
By Margaret Smith and Mary Kay Stein
Anticipating
O
Monitoring
O
Selecting
O
Sequencing
O Connecting
O
Anticipating
What are the likely student
responses to challenging
mathematical tasks?
Monitoring
Checking students’ actual
responses to the tasks
while students work on the
tasks in pairs or small
groups
Selecting
Which students do you want
to present their
mathematical work during
the whole-class discussion?
Sequencing
How will you sequence and
display the student
responses?
Connecting
How will you connect
students’ responses to
each other as well as to the
key mathematical ideas of
your lesson?
Checking for Understanding
Independent Practice
O 1-3 good questions that will give students a chance
to stretch their thinking and apply what they have
learned in class.
Math Journals
O Only completed at school
O Promotes metacognition
O Problem solving- one rich task to do on their own
O Reflections on new learning- ‘Now I understand…’
O Respond with *descriptive feedback*