It was my second year of teaching 3rd grade when I decided to move towards a math workshop model. My students were struggling with many math concepts and whole group instruction was not helping. The idea of math centers sounds great, but it can quickly get overwhelming. I’ve listed some problems I faced and also
In this lesson students will review types of angles and review unit fractions. Use a Square Pattern Block When introducing angles, I give each student a square pattern block. We review everything we know about a square. polygon – closed shape with straight lines quadrilateral – 4 sided shape parallelogram – two pairs of parallel
In this blog post I will share with you some ideas on how you can use money to introduce decimals. You will also find a free printable you can use during guided math groups to compare decimals. The Standards Below are the standards that are covered in the following activities. 4.NF.7 – I can compare two
It’s around this time of year that things start to get a little stressful. You feel like you have so much to go over and so little time. It won’t do anyone any good to just pick random worksheets to review each day before the big test. That’s not the best way to use your
Math workshop. It sounds like an awesome idea, but how will you make it work? What will students be doing while you’re teaching a small group? How will you find the time to grade those independent practice sheets? If you’ve asked yourself these questions, you will want to read on. 🙂 What are Google Forms? If
Are your students struggling with fractions equivalent to whole numbers? If so, this hands-on math activity will help your students see how an improper fraction can be equivalent to a whole number. A free printable is included for you to use with your guided math groups. The Importance of Drawing Area Models It’s important for students
Before moving on to measuring volume, take a few minutes to review what it means to measure area. When we measure area, we are measuring the surface space inside the boundary of a two-dimensional (flat) shape. We measure area using square units. When we measure volume, we measure the amount of space a three-dimensional (solid) shape
Let’s talk about adding fractions. You could give students problems such as 1/2 + 1/2 and 3/4 + 1/4 to solve. Most will get the correct answers, but introducing adding fractions using word problems is powerful. It gives students an opportunity to strengthen their understanding of fractions. The focus of these word problems is for
In this blog post I will share with you 3 word problems you can use with your students when introducing fraction equivalence. Put away those manipulatives for this lesson. Students will only need their pencil and paper 🙂 Practice Problem #1: Whole-Group Instruction These word problems are perfect as a whole group introduction to equivalent