"Analyzing student work for error patterns (such as on a diagnostic test) and then providing timely, specific, and meaningful intervention will decrease the probability that the errors will be repeated in the future. Taking into account academic research on how students learn, Spangler provides a practical intervention model and specific hands-on materials for teachers to use when working with the many students who struggle with fractions. The step-by-step intervention strategies illustrated in this book will result in improved student performance and improved student dispositions towards mathematics. It will contain the following elements: reproducibles for fully functional diagnostic tests practice pages for exercises keyed to the diagnostic tests and error patterns, and pages to practice alternative algorithms and estimation teacher resources for hands-on activities, game sheets and pieces, and more"--Provided by publisher.
This popular text addresses the urgent need for curriculum materials that cross traditional boundaries to include many of the elements that are integrated in the teaching/learning enterprise: mathematics content, teacher understanding, student thinking, teaching methods, instructional activities, and assessment. The book pushes readers beyond the limits of their current understanding of rational numbers, challenging them to refine and explain their thinking--without falling back on rules and procedures they have relied on throughout their lives. Written in a conversational and easy to understand style, this is not a textbook as much as it is a resource book. An underlying assumption is that facilitating teacher understanding using the same questions and activities that may be used with children is one way to help teachers build the comfort and confidence they need to begin talking to children about complex ideas. Unlike a textbook that is used to study formal theory and then discarded when it comes to putting ideas into practice, the many problems and activities included to facilitate teacher learning are valuable resources for use in elementary and middle school classrooms. Changes in the second edition include: *even more student work incorporated in every chapter; *discussion of the connectivity between the topics addressed in the book and the elementary and middle school mathematics curricula; *an increased emphasis on measurement; *expansion of some topics, including number sense, percent, scale factors, similarity, and linear graphs; *clarification of the characteristics of ratio and proportions and how to use these to generate discussion with children; and *content-related interview questions for exploring children's thinking. This book is a valuable resource for researchers and curriculum developers in mathematics education, pre-service and in-service teachers of mathematics, those involved in the mathematical and pedagogical preparation of mathematics teachers, and graduate students in mathematics education. The methods and activities it includes have been tested with students in grades 3-8 and with pre-service and in-service teachers and other adults. This text is accompanied by MORE--a supplement that is not merely an answer key but a resource that includes in-depth discussions of all the problems in the text; develops and extends discussion of the issues, teaching problems, and other considerations raised in the chapters; and contains additional problems--with and without solutions--that instructors may find helpful for assessment purposes.
For years, the teaching and learning of fractions has been associated with rote memorization. But this mechanical approach to instruction—which strips students of an ability to reason or make sense of math—has resulted in a failure of understanding. Author Monica Neagoy, drawing on decades of research studies, evidence from teacher practice, and 25 years of experience working around the world with teachers, students, and parents, addresses seven big ideas in the teaching and learning of fractions in grades 2–6. Each idea is supported by a vignette from a real classroom, common misconceptions, a thorough unpacking of productive mathematical thinking, and several multistep and thought-provoking problems for teachers to explore. She offers three fundamental reasons why it’s imperative for us to take a closer look at how we teach fractions: 1. Fractions play a key role in students’ feelings about mathematics. 2. Fractions are fundamental to school math and daily life. 3. Fractions are foundational to success in algebra. While a solid grounding in algebra is necessary for a STEM career, the worthy goal of “algebra for all” will not be possible until “fractions for all” is a reality. Unpacking Fractions provides teachers with concrete strategies for achieving that reality—in short, helping all students gain the knowledge they need to feel at ease with fractions.
"This resource combines current research and practical strategies to support teachers in understanding and addressing the most common misconceptions that students have about fractions and presents opportunities to help students investigate, discuss, revise, expand, and refine their understanding of fractions. Includes reproducibles, bibliography, and index"--
Frustrated with fractions? They're easier than you think. Fractions have been given a bad rap. Understanding fractions is essential in math, yet too many students struggle to make sense of them. Even if students have performed well in math early in elementary school, they seem to hit a brick wall when it comes the "abstract" concepts involved with fractions. This is how Making Sense of Fractions helps. This unit challenges the long-held assumption that fractions are difficult because they're abstract. Fractions are actually more concrete and more logical than most people realize. Making Sense of Fractions helps students make these realizations, and it has a different philosophy from past approaches. This unit explains fractions in a more concrete way that makes logical sense to students (and to adults), making fractions easier to learn than before. Essential concepts include: * Simplifying Fractions * Adding Fractions * Subtracting Fractions * Multiplying Fractions * Dividing Fractions * Improper Fractions and Mixed Numbers * GCF (Greatest Common Factor) and LCM (Lowest Common Multiple)
Writing in Math Class presents a clear and persuasive case for making writing a part of math instruction. Author and master teacher Marilyn Burns explains why students should write in math class, describes five different types of writing assignments for math, and offer tips and suggestions for teachers. In her usual engaging style, Marilyn Burns tells what happened in actual classrooms when writing was incorporated into math lessons. Illustrated throughout with student work. With a foreword by Susan Ohanian.
Any way you slice it, fractions are foundational Many students struggle with fractions and must understand them before learning higher-level math. Veteran educator David B. Spangler provides research-based tools that are aligned with NCTM and Common Core State Standards. He describes powerful diagnostic methods for error analysis that pinpoint specific student misconceptions and supplies specific intervention strategies and activities for each error pattern. Also included are tools for analyzing student work and providing timely, specific, and meaningful interventions within an RTI framework. The targeted interventions for each error pattern promote teaching for conceptual understanding and are supported by documented academic research. Practical materials include: Reproducibles for diagnostic tests Practice pages for exercises keyed to the diagnostic tests and error patterns Pages for practicing alternative algorithms and estimation Teacher resources for hands-on activities, game sheets and pieces, and more Worksheets, answer keys, and online resources Each main unit, along with the sections on academic research and "Big Ideas," concludes with a set of teacher reflection questions for use in a professional development setting. Get ready, get set, and help your students tackle fractions with confidence!
For years, the teaching and learning of fractions has been associated with rote memorization. But this mechanical approach to instruction—which strips students of an ability to reason or make sense of math—has resulted in a failure of understanding. Author Monica Neagoy, drawing on decades of research studies, evidence from teacher practice, and 25 years of experience working around the world with teachers, students, and parents, addresses seven big ideas in the teaching and learning of fractions in grades 2–6. Each idea is supported by a vignette from a real classroom, common misconceptions, a thorough unpacking of productive mathematical thinking, and several multistep and thought-provoking problems for teachers to explore. She offers three fundamental reasons why it's imperative for us to take a closer look at how we teach fractions: Fractions play a key role in students' feelings about mathematics. Fractions are fundamental to school math and daily life. Fractions are foundational to success in algebra. While a solid grounding in algebra is necessary for a STEM career, the worthy goal of "algebra for all" will not be possible until "fractions for all" is a reality. Unpacking Fractions provides teachers with concrete strategies for achieving that reality—in short, helping all students gain the knowledge they need to feel at ease with fractions.
A Focus on Fractions is a groundbreaking effort to make the mathematics education research on how students develop their understanding of fraction concepts readily accessible and understandable to pre- and in-service K– 8 mathematics educators. Using extensive annotated samples of student work, as well as vignettes characteristic of classroom teachers’ experiences, this book equips educators with the knowledge and tools to reveal students’ thinking so that they can modify their teaching and improve student learning of fraction concepts. A Focus on Fractions 2nd edition includes sections on the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics and the Ongoing Assessment Project (OGAP) Fraction Framework integrated into each chapter as well as a new chapter on the OGAP Fraction Progression and how it can be used for formative assessment purposes. This updated edition assists teachers in translating research findings into their classroom practice by conveying detailed information about how students develop fraction understandings. Additional images and examples serve to flesh out and supplement the newly-introduced concepts in this updated and expanded edition. Special Features: Looking Back Questions at the end of each chapter provide teachers the opportunity to analyze student thinking and consider instructional strategies for their own students. Instructional Links help teachers relate concepts from the chapter to their own instructional materials and programs. Big Ideas frame the chapters and provide a platform for meaningful exploration of the teaching of fractions. Answer Key posted online offers extensive explanations of in-chapter questions. New sections devoted to the CCSSM and OGAP Fraction Progression are woven throughout the book as well as a new stand alone chapter on the OGAP Fraction Progression. The OGAP Fraction Framework is an all-new eResource, now available as a free download from the book’s website: www.routledge.com/9781138816442.
Do your students suppose that 1/3 is greater than 1/2, since 3 is greater than 2? Do they believe that having “halves” means having two, and only two, congruent “pieces” of a whole? What tasks can you offer—what questions can you ask—to determine what your students know or don’t know—and move them forward in their thinking? This book focuses on the specialised pedagogical content knowledge that you need to teach fractions effectively in grades 3–5. The authors demonstrate how to use this multifaceted knowledge to address the big ideas and essential understandings that students must develop for success with fractions—not only in their current work, but also in higher-level mathematics and a myriad of real-world contexts. Explore rich, research-based strategies and tasks that show how students are reasoning about and making sense of fractions. Use the opportunities that these and similar tasks provide to build on their understanding while identifying and correcting misunderstandings that may be keeping them from taking the next steps in learning.
