Math with self
Math with Self is one of five tasks children choose from during the independent work time of Math Daily 5. Depending on your grade level and teaching style you can change what you do with this activity. It provides time for individual work and could include kinesthetic practice of math concepts that are primarily activity based, math journaling to allow time for reflection, or problem solving practice with open ended questions. All of these activities are done independently and allow students to build math stamina, increase skills, and build confidence.
Personal Math Practice
At the beginning of a new math unit, the activities could mostly review and practice from prior units of study. This could take the form of worksheets, booklets, or activities that can be done independently with various math tools or manipulatives available. The students could be provided with a calculator to check their own work or the work could be handed in and potentially used for assessment purposes. Repeated practice of skills allows students to become more independent with math and allow them to apply those skills in new situations (Stacey & MacGregor, 2000, p. 149).
Math Journaling
Math journaling is an activity that allows students to record their math work and thinking in a notebook. Reflection plays a key role in giving the writer of the reflection power over mathematics and develop confidence (Lesser & Blake, 2006, p. 159). First, math journals could be used to record the solutions to math problems along with the strategy and thought processes used to arrive at the solution. Secondly, they could use their journal to write about their learning. At times students may be asked to reflect on their math learning or at an early grade they could be practicing writing their numbers. By dating entries the journal provides a chronological record of the development of a student’s mathematical thinking throughout the year.
Problem Solving
Using Math with Self for students to engage with problem solving activities would involve pre-teaching problem solving strategies to develop independence. These questions would need to be open-ended with multiple ways to approach the problem in order to allow all students to engage with the problem regardless of their comfort level with various functions. This method would be geared more for older grades as it does require reading comprehension. However, research suggest that “problem solving plays an important role in mathematical learning” (Capraroa, An, Ma, Rangel-Chavez, & Harbaugh, 2012, p.105). Engaging students in problem solving practice allows them to practice and use the strategies that they are learning in small groups and during instructional time.
Personal Math Practice
At the beginning of a new math unit, the activities could mostly review and practice from prior units of study. This could take the form of worksheets, booklets, or activities that can be done independently with various math tools or manipulatives available. The students could be provided with a calculator to check their own work or the work could be handed in and potentially used for assessment purposes. Repeated practice of skills allows students to become more independent with math and allow them to apply those skills in new situations (Stacey & MacGregor, 2000, p. 149).
Math Journaling
Math journaling is an activity that allows students to record their math work and thinking in a notebook. Reflection plays a key role in giving the writer of the reflection power over mathematics and develop confidence (Lesser & Blake, 2006, p. 159). First, math journals could be used to record the solutions to math problems along with the strategy and thought processes used to arrive at the solution. Secondly, they could use their journal to write about their learning. At times students may be asked to reflect on their math learning or at an early grade they could be practicing writing their numbers. By dating entries the journal provides a chronological record of the development of a student’s mathematical thinking throughout the year.
Problem Solving
Using Math with Self for students to engage with problem solving activities would involve pre-teaching problem solving strategies to develop independence. These questions would need to be open-ended with multiple ways to approach the problem in order to allow all students to engage with the problem regardless of their comfort level with various functions. This method would be geared more for older grades as it does require reading comprehension. However, research suggest that “problem solving plays an important role in mathematical learning” (Capraroa, An, Ma, Rangel-Chavez, & Harbaugh, 2012, p.105). Engaging students in problem solving practice allows them to practice and use the strategies that they are learning in small groups and during instructional time.