Guided Math – Chapter 3

The book offers suggestions for “math stretches” for students to complete as morning work.  These include:

• Data Collection and Analysis – various graphing activities
• Number of the Day – representations of numbers (Name Collection Boxes in Everyday Math)
• What’s Next – number patterns (What’s My Rule/Frames & Arrows in E.M.)
• How Did My Family Use Math Last Night? – making math connections, seeing math in the “real world”
• Make’s Me Think Of… – activation strategy when introducing a new skill

Other items mentioned:

• Calendar Board
• Math Current Events
• Problem of the Day

I feel like I am strong at including data collection, number of the day, what’s next, and problem solving (I do problem solving one day a week).  I am planning more calendar activities for this upcoming year.  It did make me feel good to know that some of these skills are already being taught and practiced regularly in Everyday Math.

I feel weak at incorporating “real world” math talk and current events.  Similar to incorporating math literature in the classroom, I would LOVE to hear how you fit those pieces into your day/week.

Now, the author mentioned tackling one math stretch a day and {possibly} creating a predicable routine for these stretches (ie. Mon – Number of the Day, Tues – What’s Next, etc.).  Before I even reached this chart in the book, the wheels in my brain were already spinning this direction except my focus for this was on data collection and analysis. 

Here’s what I was thinking:
At the beginning of the year I could post a question every Monday near our calendar board.  As students entered, they would answer the question by moving their name card to the appropriate location.  On Tuesday, I would model making a graph for the class.  On Wednesday, students would make the same graph and glue into their math journals.  On Thursday, we could discuss our findings.  On Friday, I would ask students questions about the graph. 

As the year progressed, I would be modeling different types of graphs, different scales, etc. on Tuesdays.  On Thursdays, students would begin recording their findings into a math journal, sharing during whole group time, and recording new findings they heard from different students.  On Fridays, we could alternate between asking questions orally and answering questions on a worksheet (I think the author might cringe on that one).  What do you think – could this work?

Also, have you seen these types of number of the day worksheets floating around the internet?  I do not know where I found them or I would give credit where credit is due.  I think they are a good way to practice representing numbers in different ways.  I wouldn’t use them all the time, but I do think they could be used as on-going assessment for number sense.

Discussion for Guided Math, Chapter 4 – Using Guided Math with the Whole Class will be on June 24th!  Now, back to fixing all of my Book Labels…grrr!!!