The children in Natasha’s math group have been learning the
name and value of various coins and practicing adding different combinations of
coins to reach a total amount.
 |
| Adding coins |
This work has led to playing a game called Race for a $1.00, which supports the
developing understanding of our place value system.
In this game, students roll
a dice to determine the number of pennies to take. When they have enough, they
exchange pennies for dimes and dimes for one dollar, reinforcing the idea that
ten pennies are equivalent to one dime and ten dimes are equivalent to one
dollar. Adding the amounts on the dice also helps students practice their
addition facts.
 |
| Playing Race for a $1.00 |
 |
| Adding up the amount on the dice to see how many pennies one can take |
The students in Tom’s math group have started taking on the role of teacher. On Monday as the students took a lap around the building, the first student to have a turn created a complicated arrangement of magnetic disks in a set of two Ten-Frames. He then concealed them with a laminated sheet of paper. When the students returned to their chairs, he gave them a three second sneak peek at his arrangement and then began calling on student volunteers to try to replicate his design on another set of Ten-Frames. By the time the fourth student made some small adjustments, the group gave a thumbs-up in agreement. They were only off by one disk.
Doing this activity helps at building fluency in the ability to subitize, or immediately recognize a collection of objects as a single unit without having to count.
A couple of other students have now had turns. Each of the students will get a turn at being teacher.
Joan’s math group has been exploring programming using the iPad app Scratchjr. It is an introductory programming language designed for young children. The app was developed through a collaboration between Tufts University and MIT.
Once Joan introduced the students to the basics of the app through a couple of lessons, they have been excited to design programs that create graphics and animations. They love teaching each other as they discover new strategies to use in their programs.
