Math Ideas/Resources

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Home : 2004 : November : 30

Math Ideas/Resources
By Jaime

I am not sure if you are the same Mary that I posted what I do for math on the differentiation Gifted board or not... (if not theere is some more information about math on the gifted board) My district uses a spiral math
program that is about an hour a day. My high ability children fly through the journal pages when we have pencil and paper work. Every child in my class has a challenge folder that I put extra math in at their level. So some is actually easier then the normal math, about the same, and much harder for the kids that need it. For the kids who are struggling I use white out to change their

journals, cross out some boxes to reduce the amount of work, or work in a small group to help them through something. My most needy children also go to math club twice a week for 20-30 minutes where they review skills they should be secure on. A Para does this with them first thing in the morning while the children are doing their morning math routine and morning meeting. I also use a lot of routine work first thing in the morning to work on securing these skills. For my high kids I do different things depending on the lesson. Sometimes I do not have them come to the lesson if they already know the information. Instead they do their journal pages so I can see that they are secure and then work out of their challenge folders. I try to think of my math lesson like my lesson I teach during reader’s workshop. The lesson is not meeting all children at their level. It is meeting the majority of children and all are hearing the common language. It is during the independent work time that you can pull groups and have all children working at their "just right" level (like during independent reading time) I am also very lucky that our math program has many games that meet children at different levels.

Here are some resources I use for challenge work:

Number Tiles: Puzzles & Games (BN, Amazon)
Ernestine Capehart, Sarah Johnson

Super Source for Cuisenaire Rods, Grades 3-4 (there is also pattern blocks, geoboards, snap cubes...BN, amazon)

Logic Links
http://www.mindwareonline.com/mwstore/findprod.cfm?&DID=1&sku=1002

Coin Clue Puzzles Book
http://www.mindwareonline.com/mwstore/findprod.cfm?&DID=1&sku=883

Brain Teasers grade 3-4 Website
http://www.eduplace.com/math/brain/index.html

Brain Teasers grade 1-5 Website
http://www.eduplace.com/kids/mhm/brain/gr2/index.html

Hope this helps,
Jaime