Ideas for Enrichment Options

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Home : 2004 : September : 19

Ideas for Enrichment Options
By Jaime

Sorry it has taken awhile for me to get back to you. The enrichment options tend to be activities that I pull from many different resources. My goal when choosing enrichment options is to choose activities that are based
around the goals for a particular math unit. Some of the resources that I pull these activities from are:
www.eduplace.com (I print the brainteasers and keep a file of them to use) I then choose the teaser that might work appropriately.
I use the Cuisenaire series (rods, tiles, snap cubes, pattern blocks, etc) these books list activities based on content strand in the front so I

am able to find a manipulative based thinking activity for money, addition, or whatever I may need. I use the 3rd grade activities for my second graders. I create a sheet where they are responsible for reading the directions, completing the activity and recording their results, and responding in writing to a question about the activity.

I have a book called Math Mysteries (Grades 2-5)
by Jack Silbert. This also has activities based by content in the front. Here the children read a short "story" and then solve problems.

I have an old program that was once used in my school as an enrichment program called "Star Problems" and I use some pieces of this program as well.

I have also purchased several books though Mind Ware Brainy Toys for Kids of All Ages. There are some wonderful logic problems such as Logic Link, and Coin Clue Puzzles.

I have other random activities such as a number tiles, and other activity books that I have collected over the past two years. The resources that I have come across have been wonderful! I still battle within myself about the best way to implement my ideas. I have gotten several other teachers on board with me to think through the process and discuss better ways to implement more of a challenge in the area of math. What I have been doing has worked for me in terms of being able to manage the learning contracts while still teaching the rest of my class. It has also been a wonderful challenge for the children and been very exciting to parents who want their child to be challenged. This fall is my third year teaching and I feel good about what I have accomplished so farm but I know I have a long way to go in terms of "tightening up" how I enrich children's days. I find that every year I change some of my enrichment options but the major work of writing the contracts has been done and it is just changes on my saved document. Now that I have grade level teammates on board it really makes life easier.

Keep in mind, very little of what I use is self created. I find activities and "tweak them" to work for my children. Hopefully if you ask around in your building some resources may appear. I would say half of what I am using are materials that were used before our current math program. The first year I taught my district was luck enough to have a math curriculum coordinator who passed resources on to me. I then spent many hours copying anything I could get my hands on so I could keep it for future use.

Good luck to you! Please let me know if I can assist you further! If you want to post you email I would be happy to email you a few of the typed activities that I have.

Let me know how it goes! I love to hear if you have ideas to share.

Jaime