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Showing posts with the label Kindergarten
Kindergarten math word problems are taught methodically. Your students are young, but their number sense and ability to add, subtract, and group numbers together is so innate. You'd be amazed at the capacity of your students to solve kindergarten math word problems with different strategies, and using different tools. The way I begin is by giving my class a math word problem . I do a shared reading of it (or allow them to read themselves, depending on the time of year and level of difficulty of the text). Then, I let them have time to think about it, and solve it on their own. I give them no guidelines, or hints. Several students will undoubtedly come up with the answer, and be anxious to share it! I inculcate it in them to NOT call out or share the answer! As they work, I walk around and observe what strategies students are using. This is important for later on in the lesson. It gives me an idea of who to call on when we're at the carpet discussing our problem solving st...

Subitizing Activities

Subitizing is the rapid and accurate identification of numbers used to assess small quantities. Knowing how to subitize (or recognize small quantities without having to count them) enables students to gain automaticity and numerical fluency. They can add and subtract faster. They are more confident in their abilities. In my subitizing activities center , I also incorporated number words, as an added skill students can practice and a way to incorporate literacy into my math time (we will fit literacy in whenever we can!) So, why is it important to have a math center focusing on number recognition, quantity (subitizing), and number words? Students need to be fluent in reading and math. Number words come up on many occasions in text (one specific example is the DRA assessment). Numerical fluency is important in problem solving. Seeing representations in your mind of the quantity of a number can help with adding more on, or taking away, or even grouping (tasks that require mu...