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Upper Elementary Teachers Chatboard

suggestions welcome -- please!

by grade 5 math

Jan 10, 2009

Last week, I spent four days teaching a variety of methods of how to order and compare fractions and mixed numbers. Next week, we're going to be finding the greatest common factor by either listing factors or using prime factorization. I have one class in which about half of the students are understanding all of this, but the other half is totally lost because they still don't know their multiplication facts and have no number sense at all. I teach all the skills, give them practice work, games to play to reinforce the skills, websites to visit, appeal to parents for help - but it's getting to the point where it's just SO over their heads that they have NO clue and are shutting down. I break them into groups, differentiate the intruction as best I can, and I have a math specialist that comes in twice a week to help out. But the problem is that in this one class it's an unusually large amount of students that are struggling. I can't not teach the curriculum because the other half of the...See More

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m Have you considered doing daily centers, 3-ring-circus style, with you at one center doing the instruction and the students at the other centers working in groups of independently? This way you have small group instruction time with each group, and you can tailor the instruction to the specific group for better differentiation. It won't solve all o...See More

Jan 11, 2009

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Jo What is being done to address the lack of number sense? Also, what other methods have been tried for fact recall and retention. Without these, any method tried to teach the skill will ultimately fail because the basic skills needed to be in place aren't.

There are math songs, stories, repetion auditorily, and flash cards. When all else fai...See MoreWhat is being done to address the lack of number sense? Also, what other methods have been tried for fact recall and retention. Without these, any method tried to teach the skill will ultimately fail because the basic skills needed to be in place aren't.

There are math songs, stories, repetion auditorily, and flash cards. When all else fails, there are fingers to help with the multiplication, but they don't go very far for the division.

I would also suggest that when trying to get the children to understand the process and sequence to solving the problems, allow them to use a multiplication chart (temporarily). Learning the process is important. Not the best way to teach math because the children don't develop the mathmatical understanding, but if the number sense is not developed, the only way to move forward is to learn by process.

On 1/11/09, m wrote: > Have you considered doing daily centers, 3-ring-circus style, > with you at one center doing the instruction and the students > at the other centers working in groups of independently? This > way you have small group instruction time with each group, and > you can tailor the instruction to the specific group for > better differentiation. It won't solve all of your problems, > but may give you more of the small group instruction it sounds > like you need for your students. > > On 1/10/09, grade 5 math wrote: >> Last week, I spent four days teaching a variety of methods >> of how to order and compare fractions and mixed numbers. >> Next week, we're going to be finding the greatest common >> factor by either listing factors or using prime >> factorization. I have one class in which about half of the >> students are understanding all of this, but the other half >> is totally lost because they still don't know their >> multiplication facts and have no number sense at all. I >> teach all the skills, give them practice work, games to >> play to reinforce the skills, websites to visit, appeal to >> parents for help - but it's getting to the point where it's >> just SO over their heads that they have NO clue and are >> shutting down. I break them into groups, differentiate the >> intruction as best I can, and I have a math specialist that >> comes in twice a week to help out. But the problem is that >> in this one class it's an unusually large amount of >> students that are struggling. I can't not teach the >> curriculum because the other half of the class are >> functioning at a fifth grade level. Many of the students >> in this class are failing, and I just don't know what to >> do. I'm working my a$$ off keeping them after school, and >> other times where I can offer one on one or small group >> assistance and nothing seems to be helping. >> Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Jan 12, 2009

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