Writing is hard. Writing in math can be even harder. I can think back to many times I told my students we were going to work on writing and there was a collective groan. They would rather do 100 chores at home than write.
I teach at a school where we departmentalize. I’m responsible for providing instruction in the areas of math and science; however, I still hold my students accountable for writing in these content areas.
My school provides full-time gifted services. The majority of my students can procedurally solve a basic problem without any issues. When asked to explain their reasoning or the process they used to solve the problem, many of my students struggle. Anytime a student is learning something new writing can lead to deeper understanding of the material. Writing is not for the faint of heart. It takes critical thinking. The same is said for math fluency using number sense.
The picture below shows samples of different possible responses for approaching the 4 questions on the printable. I love the flexibility of number sense. There are so many ways to solve one equation. Because of this variety students of all different ability can connect and contribute.
I use these fluency chat prompts (found below) every day to start our math block. Students write their responses on whiteboards and then share out within groups or partners. It’s a way for students to learn from one another and gain new perspective on how to use the different number sense strategies.
If you want to start using these resources in your classroom my Math Fluency Alternative Curriculum offers these and so much more!
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/The-Math-Fluency-Alternative-Curriculum-BUILD-NUMBER-SENSE-for-Big-Kids-3446873
2 Comments
I really enjoyed reading this. It was very enlightening for me as a primary teacher. I have some new prespective as I begin this new year to help my students develop number sense at the lower level.
Great resource
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