In math workshop, we are in unit 2 of our scope and sequence which has been focusing on numbers to 5 for quite a while now. During this unit, students have been learning to read, write, and decompose numbers to 5. We are not expecting kids to master the skill of decomposing numbers right now, it is more for exposure and to help students build foundational knowledge that they can build on later. The teaching objectives that we are hoping to meet by the end of the unit are. - I can write numbers within 5 - I can tell how many are in a group up to 5 - I can count up to 5 objects that are arranged differently - I can show my thinking using pictures and words |
To help us understand decomposition, we have been doing a lot of different number talks. Some have been with 5 frames and others have been with random dots. When we do a number talk with a 5 frame, we are specifically looking for students to see the relationship between the number of dots shown and how many more are needed to make 5. When we show dots in a random fashion, we are looking for how students naturally combine smaller numbers to get larger numbers. Number talks are also allowing us to practice that difficult skill of "talking" about math and being able to explain our thinking to others.
math manipulatives, such as linking cubes are also being used to help show combinations to make 5. Students are able to choose 2 colors of cubes and make combinations of 5. We also played a game called shake 5 and spill with 2 sided counters this week. Students counted out 5 counters, places them in a cup, and dumped them out. Some counters landed on the red side and some landed on the white side. We can then keep track of the combinations to 5 we made. |
We also finally got our "real" math journals in! We have been copying pages and sending them home for a while now, and we finally have our own books to write in. This means that our journal pages will not be going home daily, but know that we are still working on them in class! Their math journal will go home with them when completed. Typically, one to two journal pages are completed after the mini-lesson/number talk and then students are off to work on ST math. |
Speaking of ST math, if you haven't set up your home device/computer with JiJi yet, here are the instructions. Students are working at their own pace through this foundational curriculum and will be expected to complete the kindergarten curriculum before 1st grade. This is typically not a problem with just in class work, but if you want to do a little at home, go ahead! Please limit their time to 20min a week. If your students has NOT gotten to 20%ish completion in class, they will not be able to access it at home still. They need to go through their second stage of password training (13 characters) in order to login it at home. If that is you, be patient! They are working hard.
stmath_letterhome-2.pdf |