Math

“Sometimes questions are more important than answers.”  – Nancy Willard (American poet and writer) Learning is fueled by curiosity, so how do we inspire mathematical curiosity in our students?  The classroom atmosphere we create can either stimulate or stifle the inquisitiveness of our young learners.  If we teach our developing mathematicians to inquire and question…

“Teaching students how to generate questions as they work with mathematics encourages students to become mathematical text critics.”  – Laney Sammons In Reading with Meaning, Debbie Miller points out that questioning is a vital tool for helping readers create meaning.   Just as readers develop and refine questions to comprehend a text, our young mathematicians must use strategic questions…

“Making mental connections is our most crucial learning tool, the essence of human intelligence; to forge links; to go beyond the given; to see patterns, relationships, context.”  Marilyn Ferguson Connections are an incredible tool for learning.  Once our students see the value of making connections, they are usually ready to put them to use.  They cannot wait…

“Our students live in a world where current events swirl around them unceasingly. . .When current events are included in math instruction, students become aware of the ever-present relationship of math to the world around them.”  – Laney Sammons Teaching our children to make mathematical connections to the world around them helps them to build…

Schema is all the knowledge that is filed away in your brain.  The people you have met, things you have done, books you have read, and discoveries you have made – all those experiences build schema.   In Building Mathematical Comprehension, Laney Sammons tells us that “new knowledge must be associated with and linked to the existing…

“Teaching students how to make connections as they develop an understanding of mathematics concepts or apply their mathematics knowledge to problem solving can improve their comprehension and increase their overall interest in the study of mathematics.”  – Laney Sammons Our young mathematicians walk into our classrooms with a variety of experiences and diverse backgrounds.  Some…

“An understanding of critical mathematical terms is essential for students as they develop an understanding of mathematical concepts.”  – Laney Sammons Knowledge of mathematical language is vital for the building of deep conceptual understanding.  To develop our students’ math literacy, we must provide meaningful opportunities to talk and write about math concepts and encourage children…