Think Conceptually

As an international educator, I have learned different strategies for mathematics instruction by working with international colleagues. One in particular is partitioning. With partitioning, students learn to think flexibly about a number and visualize what numbers are inside of a given number before introducing the operations of addition and subtraction. This is a strategy used to lead to understandings about place value; it builds number flexibility to implement a variety of addition and subtra

As a homeroom teacher in an international school environment, I have found that integrating this model of teaching is highly effective for teaching beginning reading and writing as well as for inquiry-based word study. Not only that, it integrates visual scaffolding for language learners and allows students to have a visual dictionary for the words they are sorting. I have developed several tools for use with PWIM for my students in grade 2 who are all language learners. Once you have the words

Use these as anchor charts, or use as a guide during centers or to learn a new strategy or model yourself. Tally MarksUsing Ten FramesBase 10 BlocksOpen Number Line ModelArrow StrategyUsing LegsMake Quick Tens StrategyCompensation StrategyChip Diagram ModelExpanded Form for Addition IExpanded Form for Addition IIExpanded Form for Subtraction

These learning engagements are intended to be used with math manipulatives and/or in a guided math group working collaboratively. I recommend that the teacher use questioning to both guide and deepen understandings as students explore the concept of equal groups. The multiple ways to help students both work with and visualize equal groups can be done with cubes, blocks, arrays, and fraction materials including clocks. There are multiple strategies to access and build upon while constructing unde

Number of the Day is a fun way to develop understandings about number composition.  It supports the development of counting strategies as students work towards developing additive reasoning. Students can use these templates with 2, 3 or 4 digit numbers. This allows for differentiation. Students enjoy using dice to determine the number of the day. Your students can use place value dice that come in 4 different colors if you have a set of those. This makes it fun to find a number to work with and

Posters to show the mathematics processes for Grade 1, 2 and 3 classrooms.

Posters to display the processes written for Grades 4 and 5.