Math Minutes
Third Quarter 2023/24
New Book: Figuring Out Fluency--Ten Foundations for Reasoning Strategies With Whole Numbers
Fluency in mathematics is more than basic facts or using algorithms. It is not about recall or speed. Real fluency is about choosing strategies that are efficient, flexible, lead to accurate solutions, and are appropriate for the given situation. Developing fluency is a matter of equity and access for all learners.
The landmark book Figuring Out Fluency in Mathematics Teaching and Learning offered educators the inspiration to develop a deeper understanding of procedural fluency. It explained the seven Significant Strategies for fluency and offered a plethora of pragmatic tools for shifting classrooms toward a greater fluency approach. However, in order to become truly adept with these strategies, children must first have certain underlying foundational concepts and skills in place.
Figuring Out Fluency-Ten Underlying Foundations for Reasoning Strategies with Whole Numbers explores the ideas that are essential to reasoning: Number Relationships; Subitizing and Decomposing; Distance to 10, 100, and 1,000; Counting and Skip-Counting; Properties of Addition and Its Inverse Relationship with Subtraction; Properties of Multiplication and Its Inverse Relationship with Division; Multiplying by 10s and 100s; Multiples and Factors; Doubling and Halving; and Computational Estimation. With this book, elementary teachers can
Help children develop these foundational understandings, critical to reasoning and number sense.
Leverage over 100 classroom-ready routines, centers, and games to develop these concepts both in first instruction, practice, and intervention.
Download all of the needed support tools, game boards, and other resources from the companion website for immediate implementation
Develop each and every students’ knowledge and power to become skilled and confident mathematical thinkers and doers.
New Course Offering: Figuring Out Fluency: Let's Build Fluency from Conceptual Understanding - Fraction/Decimal Operations, Ratios, Equations
This course will engage participants in conversation and learning around fluency. We will identify which utilities, reasoning strategies, and automaticities to attend to while teaching. Participants will have a robust collection of routines, games, and other activities that support a fluency agenda. We will also explore techniques for assessing all components of fluency.
We will take an in depth look at a variety of applications of the seven significant strategies that encompass, addition, subtraction, multiplication and division of fractions and decimals. We will also relate the topics of ratios, proportions, solving equations, and solving systems of equations to strategies as well.
April 15 and 16 at the Adel Heartland AEA office location.
Course Offering: Math Well Played
This two day course will build an understanding of math foundational facts, a sequence of facts instruction to best promote strategy development, time to explore games that help students progress through the three phases of fact mastery, along with a variety of assessment tools to monitor fact mastery. This course is suitable for teachers, coaches, and administrators of students K-8.
June 5 & 6 - 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Adel Heartland Office
Website to Explore: The Achievery
What is The Achievery?
A FREE online platform created by AT&T in collaboration with Warner Bros. to help connect K-12 students to a new world of digital learning through stories that spark curiosity and content that entertains and teaches. Designed by education experts, The Achievery SM offers 7 subject-categories and over 500 videos, including clips from some of the most popular movies and shows, all paired with learning activities that can be accessed from everywhere they are - at home, in the classroom, and in their communities.
Free pre-made video lessons from movies and TV
Imagine a teaching resource that included …
- pre-written lesson plans (so you didn’t have to write them)
- fun video clips built in from popular movies and TV shows
- all of this for free
Look no further than The Achievery, a free digital learning platform designed to spark curiosity and ignite a love for learning in students of all ages.
What kinds of lessons can you find at TheAchievery.com?
- Language Arts: From writing techniques to character analysis, with characters like Scooby-Doo and Wonder Woman!
- Math: Master addition, geometry, and more with the help of LEGO Batman.
- Science: Launch rockets, explore the ocean, and delve into space exploration with exciting activities with characters like Aquaman.
- Social-Emotional Learning: Build valuable life skills like kindness, problem-solving, and teamwork with favorite cartoon characters from Cartoon Network.
- Coding & Digital Literacy: Learn about internet safety, AI, and game design with interactive resources.
With lessons from multiple disciplines and across grade levels, The Achievery is a resource that can be used in almost every classroom.
Website to Explore: Sembl
Sembl is a website aimed at educators, particularly math teachers. It offers a library of math tasks that teachers can use in their lessons. The website allows teachers to filter tasks by grade level, topic, and task type. There are also pre-made playlists of tasks available. Gathering activities such as problem strings, 3-Act Tasks, Open Middle problems and others, Sembl is a "one-stop shop" for math activities.
Heartland AEA Math Consultants
We provide a variety of supports to help schools and teachers enhance student understanding and achievement in the area of mathematics. Services include consulting, coaching, collaboration and professional development in the areas of mathematics curriculum, instruction and assessment. We emphasize the importance of Iowa Core mathematics, conceptual understanding, problem-based learning and differentiated instruction in their work with teachers, teacher-leaders and administrators.
