And just like that, the year is coming to a close! It's hard to believe that it's almost June. As we close out this school year, we wanted to acknowledge you for all of the meaningful work you do on a daily basis. The years really do fly by (even when they seem long 😉)and each year brings with it different challenges and successes. In the end of year busyness, it's nice to reflect on all that was accomplished over the months and the growth that students have made in their time with you. We look forward to looking at this at our data meetings and wrapping up the year celebrating these important wins.

We hope you all have a smooth end to the year.

Happy Mathing!

Lauren, Jen, Anna, Kevin, and Liz

Seach was all smiles celebrating their well-deserved March Mathness win!

Below are some helpful resources for ST Math. You will find pre- and post-quiz trackers and paper copies to help with student accountability in grades 2-5, along with a comprehensive JiJi drive with a TON of information and helpful resources. While it may seem like a lot, if you ever need anything related to JiJi, this is the place to go!

• Pre/post quiz template and trackers

• Paper copy of pre/post quizzes

• JiJi drive

Check out these activities to help support instruction! The grade level is an estimate, however you may find that activities from other grade levels would work for you as well, so take a peek at them all!

Check out this task that has students learning the joy of measuring while reading a book about an inchworm.

https://kteachertiff.com/2015/03/kindergarten-measurement-activities.html

Students figure out the lengths of sides various rectangles with "torn pieces".

https://nrich.maths.org/4963

Check out this challenge task connected to determining how minutes it will be after a certain time.

https://www.openmiddle.com/make-the-time/

Check out this challenge task where students have to create a rectangle with a specific goal for the area and the perimeter.

https://www.openmiddle.com/area-perimeter-of-a-rectangle/

Check out this activity where students are given a prompt where they have to create a prism with specified dimensions.

Go to the Sembl homepage and search Prism Watch for a link to the activity.

https://www.sembl.app/teacher-home

Here are some ideas for home that you can share with families.

Students in Kindergarten are learning about measurable attributes: height, length, weight, and capacity. Students will compare the heights and lengths of objects using the terms taller, longer, and shorter. In addition, students will compare the weights of objects to determine which objects are heavier and lighter. Finally, students will compare capacities to identify containers that hold more or hold less than another container.

Try these activities to have fun with measurement:

• On laundry day, have your student help you sort the clean socks into pairs using length as an attribute. As you work, talk about which socks are longer or shorter than others and how sock makers determine lengths based on the age (size) of the wearer and style. For example, anklets are shorter than knee socks.
• When setting the table, have your student show you spoons or forks that have two different lengths. Ask your student to tell which is shorter and which is longer. Discuss their purposes, for example, for serving, for salads, or for main courses.
• At home or at the grocery, have your student feel the weights of pairs of packages of cereal, dried fruit, or dried beans to estimate which package is heavier and which is lighter. You can check your student's estimates by looking at the weights that are printed on the packaging.
• In the kitchen, challenge your student to estimate which of two containers, such as a drinking glass or a food storage container, holds more or less than the other. Have your student check the estimate by filling one container with water and pouring it into the other container.

Students in First Grade are learning about two and three-dimensional shapes. They will be sorting and describing shapes, joining shapes to make new shapes, and taking apart shapes. In addition to sorting shapes, students in Grade 1 are learning about equal shares, halves, and fourths.

There are many ways to have fun reviewing what your student is learning about two- and three-dimensional shapes. Try some of the following ideas:

• Point out examples of various shapes in the real world and ask your student to use the math vocabulary to describe the shape. For example, point out a yield sign. Ask, “What shape is that? How many straight sides does a triangle have? How many vertices?” Contrast the two-dimensional triangle with a three-dimensional traffic cone. Ask, “How are the shapes similar? How are they different? How many flat surfaces does a cone have? How many vertices? How many curved surfaces?”
• Make a game of incorporating the vocabulary in this chapter into your conversations. For example, refer to the round trash can as the “trash cylinder” or the soccer ball as the “soccer sphere.” You can even incorporate these words into your next game of “I Spy.”

There are many opportunities each day to talk about shares, halves, and fourths with your student. Here are a few ideas for the kitchen:

• Discuss cutting food items, such as a sandwich, into equal shares. Have your student explain what equal shares means, then have him or her tell you how many equal shares there will be if you cut the sandwich into halves and how many there would be if you cut it into fourths. Have your student tell you where to cut to make equal shares. Place the knife as if you were cutting unequal shares and have your student tell whether or not the shares would be equal if you cut there and explain his or her reasoning.
• Allow your student to model equal shares by cutting a soft item, such as a banana. Ask your student to cut the banana into two equal shares. Ask, “What makes these equal shares? What is each of the two equal shares called?” Although a banana is a 3-dimensional object, your student should understand that the two halves are the same size. Repeat with fourths.
• Point out items that are partitioned into equal shares, such as graham crackers. Ask, “How many equal shares does the graham cracker have? What is each equal share called? If we eat one fourth, how many fourths are left?”

Students in Second Grade are learning how to determine the value of money, make change, and solve problems involving money. In addition Grade 2 students are learning to tell time to the nearest five minutes, as well as before and after the hour.

There are many opportunities in your daily lives in which you can help your student build understanding of time and money.

• Give your student a collection of coins to order from greatest to least value. Ask, “Which coin has the greatest value? What is the value of that coin?”
• Give your student a collection of coins with a total value that is less than one dollar. Ask your student to determine the total value of the coins. Then ask, “How many more cents are needed to make one dollar?”
• Have your student determine the total value of a collection of coins or bills. Then ask questions about how much more money is needed to buy a particular item. For example, if the total value is $16.00, ask, “Do you have enough money to buy a toy that costs $20? How much more money do you need?”
• Throughout the day, ask your student to tell the time to the nearest five minutes. Use both analog (clocks with an hour and a minute hand) and digital clocks. Discuss whether the time is a.m. or p.m. Ask your student to explain how he or she knows whether the time is a.m. or p.m.

Students in Grade 3 are learning how to find perimeter and area. Students will use perimeter to find unknown side lengths of polygons, use area to compare rectangles with the same perimeter, and use perimeter to compare rectangles with the same area.

Build your student's ability to find perimeter and area on your next trip to the library!

• Before you go to your local library, grab a tape measure or ruler, and a notebook to keep track of your measurements. As you look for books, encourage your student to seek out different-sized books. Once your student has a selection of books, choose one and ask, "How can you find the perimeter of this book?" Have your student measure and record the perimeters of the different books. Remind your student to round to the nearest whole number before adding the side lengths together.
• While your student is measuring the perimeters of different books, measure a book yourself. Note the perimeter, length, and width of the book. Then say to your student, "The perimeter of this book is [x inches] and the length is [x inches]. What is the width?" Encourage your student to find the width without measuring.
• Next, choose one of the perimeters your student found in his or her initial measurements. Ask your student to draw a different rectangle that has the same perimeter. Then ask, "Which has the greater area, the book or your rectangle?"

Students in Grade 4 are learning how to identify and draw lines and angles.

Help your student learn to identify and draw lines and angles using clocks!

• First, gather as many analog clocks as you can find in your house. • Use the minute and hour hands of the clocks to represent the rays of an angle and set the clocks to different angles. Form a right angle (L-shaped angle), a straight angle (straight line), an acute angle (opens less than a right angle), and an obtuse angle (opens more than a right angle). Ask your student to classify each angle. Then point to your right-angle clock and ask, “Are the hour hand and minute hand perpendicular? What is the difference between parallel lines and perpendicular lines?”
• Hold up a clock and say, “This clock is divided into 12 equal parts. What is the measure of the angle that turns through 3 parts?”
• If you have a protractor, have your student use it to measure different angles formed by the hour and minute hands on a clock. Ask your student to classify each angle as right, straight, acute, or obtuse.

Students in Grade 5 are learning about classifying triangles and quadrilaterals.

Triangles and quadrilaterals are all around us. Look for these two-dimensional shapes in nearby architecture.

• The triangles that form buildings and bridges can be described and classified. Help your student identify these structural elements. Classify triangles by their angles and their sides.
• Find a structure that has exposed beams, such as a bridge. Have your student make a general sketch of the structure. Ask your student what shapes are in the sketch and how those shapes connect to make larger shapes. Help your student identify any patterns in the types of triangles and quadrilaterals used in the structure.
• Find a blueprint or other construction diagram for a landmark you might be able to visit. Help your student classify the triangles and quadrilaterals in the blueprint. If possible, visit the landmark and ask your student to point out the shapes on the landmark that he or she identified in the blueprint.

Some FAQs about Fluency Instruction

1. Why does fluency matter?

• Components of fluency and determining reasonableness helps students in life, in addition to math class. Having a diverse set of strategies has its advantages as opposed to being limited to just one method.

2. When will they ever need all of these strategies?

• There are really only a few mega strategies. Learning different strategies helps children move between the strategies based on their own thinking, developing mathematical confidence and competence. This is much better than memorizing one method, not understanding it, and ultimately not remembering it.

3. How will this help my child do well on the tests they have to take?

• Math instruction should be grounded in conceptual understanding. Understanding isn’t forgotten and can be called upon when the steps of a procedure are forgotten. Rote memorization is not effective for learning and retention. Conceptual understanding and determining reasonableness can be useful when taking standardized tests, as distractor items prey on misconceptions and missteps. More and more students are asked to justify their thinking, look for patterns and make connections among ideas. Think about 100-99. Errors occur when students just follow the procedure of subtracting across zeros. When they understand that 99 is just 1 away from 100, their math becomes more efficient, a key component to fluency.

Why is this math so different from what I learned?

• Math is not perceived as something that could change with the times. Math instruction of the past has not served children well. Many people do not feel like they are good at math or have math anxiety. These perceptions lead to math avoidance and ultimately missed opportunities in college and career. “Old math” seemed to work for children who could memorize steps, but it did not prepare them to actually “do math,” which involves reasoning and solving problems. Representing concepts and building building fluency is much more effective than trying to just remember steps to a procedure. It is a different world today. Accountants don’t compute, phones and machines do. Mathematical modeling is used for everything from plane schedules to pandemics.

Why are basic facts and the procedures we learned not taught anymore?

• They are still taught! They also continue to play an important role in K-8 mathematics. It is important to note that they are not the only important ideas taught. Automaticity of basic facts is developed through strategy based fact instruction. Algorithms are taught as just one strategy to use when needed. They are taught first conceptually and then connected to the procedures for completing them. This gives your child the knowledge to adapt and use the algorithm and recognize their mistakes. Children should learn the algorithms and when they are useful and when they are not. Memorization alone is a weak learning strategy and can cause anxiety as children worry about forgetting the information.

Why doesn’t speed matter anymore?

• Doing math quickly does not indicate that it is done well, and as more complex concepts and problems are introduced, math is not done quickly. Doing most anything in real life is not measured by how quickly it is done, but by how well it is done. Would you rather cross a river on a bridge that is built quickly or built well? Efficiency is still of value- A well built bridge cannot take decades to build or it can run millions over budget. In math, efficiency has been confused with speed. Learning different strategies positions children to be efficient. Pose this problem: 203-198. See how they solve it and compare their method to the standard algorithm.

Math is right or wrong. So why doesn’t the right answer count anymore?

• The right answer does matter! Fluency is one-third accuracy. When learning math, accuracy is not the only thing that matters. Children learn different strategies and need to learn when a certain strategy is more efficient than another for the numbers and operations within the problem.

Why do they have to solve a problem in so many different ways?

• This question is the result of either misinformation or misinterpretation- maybe both. In some cases, students have been required to show multiple strategies for solving the same problem. There are times when looking at different strategies for the same problem supports procedural flexibility- for example, asking a child to consider different ways to break apart 375+433. Parents might now understand that the methods are being developed at the same time so that their child can compare their options and make important mathematical connections. The purpose is to be able to reflect on efficient methods.

Don’t all these strategies just confuse children?

• The question stems from the idea that many adults weren’t taught these strategies and find them confusing themselves, especially when exposed to them without any explanation or context, unlike how their children are learning them. It might be compounded by thinking that each strategy has to be memorized as another algorithm, which is, in fact, an overwhelming idea. We must communicate the power of knowing different methods and that these are not algorithms to be memorized, but instead ways to reason about numbers. You are developing their reasoning skills with intention and discussion, which will serve their children well throughout school and life.

Why don’t children practice basic facts and algorithms (like we did)?

• Children need practice. You want to share that you and your students practice frequently. You also want to share that practice takes different forms for different purposes. You may also want to share that negative effects of bad practice, including a negative disposition toward math and a loss of thinking and reasoning as the result of mindless repetition.

Tips for communicating with families

• Refer to “children” and not “students” when speaking to families. The individual is their child, not their student.

• When answering families’ questions, keep responses short, understandable, and free of “teacher speak”

• Have an accessible message that’s easy to understand (reading level) and free of jargon or figures of speech (ELLs)

• Consider different modes of communication - newsletter, Facebook post, QR codes with links, PTA visit, etc.

Just because a question is answered doesn’t mean the answer is accepted!

• Listen with the intent to really understand the concern, not with the intent to respond

• Anecdotal stories and examples are very influential and can mean more to a person than citing research

• Commit to informing rather than convincing

• Do everything you can (including looping in staff) to have a clear/ consistent message from teacher to teacher, grade to grade, and school to school, as children move toward graduation

Informing and Engaging Families

• Back to school and orientation nights

• Fluency homework handout

• Adding strategy tips / videos to newsletters / websites

• Fluency brochures (Howard County)

• Grade 1

• Grade 2

• Grade 3

• Grade 4

• Grade 5

• Family math night focused on fluency

• Video shorts featuring “famous” school personnel or found online showcasing how a strategy works and when it’s useful

• Inviting parents in to visit the classroom

Here is a fun math game that is accessible across all grade levels. Odd One Out can help build students' mathematical and strategic thinking the more they play! Look for the link within the blog post for the gameboard.