Creating A Learning Environment for K2 Mathematics

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Creating A Learning Environment for K-2
Mathematics

• Grade 1 Coordinators
• July, 2005

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Your Mathematical Experiences

• Think back to your own experiences learning
  mathematics in school. . .
• What was the physical environment like?
• What did the teacher do?
• What did the children do?
• What were the results of this approach?

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Math Time Video

• The Learning Environment for
• K-2 Mathematics...What Does It
• Look Like?

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Questions to Consider While Viewing the Video

• What do you notice about the physical
  environment?
• What are the children doing?
• What are the teachers doing?
• What are the results of this approach?

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More Questions to Consider

• Not every noisy, busy classroom is a productive
  place for children to work and learn so what
  makes these classrooms work?
• How do we know the tasks are appropriate and the
  children are learning?
• How do we know children are learning and not just
  playing?
• How do we get children to work hard in this kind
  of environment?
• What makes these classrooms good places for
  children to learn mathematics?

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Elements of the Learning Environment

• The emphasis in these classrooms is on developing
  understanding of math concepts.
• The work is designed to bring meaning to
  mathematics so children are not just memorizing
  procedures.
• The children are thinking, explaining, finding
  out, comparing, seeing relationships, and
  measuring. But most of all, they are working and
  working hard.

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The Tasks

• Require the children to think.
• Are simple and make sense.
• Have value in being repeated.
• Meet a range of needs.

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The Setting

• The children are actively engaged.
• The concepts are presented in multiple ways.
• The children choose from among related tasks.

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The Teacher

• Challenges childrens thinking.
• Responds to childrens needs.
• Sets clear expectations.

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The Learning Environment

• When creating the environment for learning
  mathematics, our goal is for all children to
  develop mathematical concepts in an environment
  that acknowledges and values each childs efforts
  to grow and to learn.

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Why Is This Approach Successful?

• This approach works and is effective because it
  makes sense to children.
• It engages them in thinking and working hard.
• It gives them opportunities to practice and to
  grow.
• This approach works because everyone can be
  successful.

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Creating a Math Learning Environment

• Setting Up Your Classroom

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The Learning Environment

• The learning environment includes
• The physical layout of the room,
• The settings in which children work,
• The kinds of tasks in which they are engaged,
• And the way teachers work with their children.

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The Goal Creating an Appropriate Math Learning
Environment

• The learning environment we are aiming for is one
  that
• Encourages thoughtfulness.
• Engages childrens thinking.
• Provokes questions.
• Stimulates a search for meaning.
• Encourages children to look for connections and
  relationships.
• Helps children make sense of and understand the
  mathematics in which they are engaged.

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Steps for Getting Started Environment

• Gather the basic materials.
• Plan storage for the materials.
• Arrange your room to support an activity-based
  classroom.
• Think about how you are going to organize your
  students for instruction.

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Arranging Your Classroom

• Take a few minutes to sketch a layout of your
  classroom, taking into consideration
• Where you will meet with large and small groups
  of children.
• Arrangement of centers and storage of materials.
• Use of furniture and materials you currently have.

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What Goes in a Math Work Station

• Variety of Counters Manipulatives
• Sorting (Variety of Attributes)
• Pattern
• Counting
• Geometric Models
• Math Literature (books, poetry charts. . .)

• Recording Materials
• Paper a Variety of Writing Tools
• Stamps Stamp Pads
• Staplers, Tape, Scissors
• Measurement Materials

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Setting Up A Measurement Area

• Length
• A variety of materials to use as non-standard
  units of measure (Unifix cubes, wooden cubes,
  toothpicks, paper clips, straws...)
• Weight
• Balance scales
• Common objects to weigh
• A variety of materials to use as non-standard
  measuring units

• Capacity
• A variety of measuring materials (Rice, beans,
  pasta, water, birdseed...)
• Containers (Bottles, boxes, cans)
• Scoops funnels

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Establishing a Routine for Math Work Stations

• Start with just a few materials.
• Let the students know your expectations for
  working with the materials.
• Allow students to make choices.
• Intervene when necessary.
• Establish guidelines for clean-up time.

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BREAK

• Please be back in 15 minutes.

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Planning for Instruction

• Fitting It All In

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Daily Schedule

• 90 minutes of mathematics instruction daily
• Whole Group Instruction
• Independent Practice (Workstations)
• Small Group Instruction

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A Math Time Routine

• Gather your whole class together on the rug.
• Do a short activity (10-15 minutes) together.
• Remind the class of what they will be working on
  at the independent stations.
• Excuse the children a few at a time to choose
  where they are going to work.

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A Math Time Routine

• Watch for a few minutes to make sure the children
  have the materials they need, know what they are
  supposed to do, and are settled in.
• Go around the room and observe and interact with
  the children.
• After the work time is over, ask the children to
  clean up and gather back on the rug.
• Spend a minute or two reviewing how the math time
  went.

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Activities forWhole Group Instruction

• Introduction or Review of Activities
• Ongoing Activities
• Opening Activities
• Estimating Activities
• Graphing
• Problem Solving Activities
• Shared Experiences

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A Plan for Working with Small Groups

• Gather the class together.
• Ask the group of children you want to work with
  to stay on the rug.
• Excuse the rest of the children a few at a time
  to choose where they are going to work.
• Work with the small group for 10-15 minutes.

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A Plan for Working with Small Groups

• Dismiss the small group.
• Go around the room and interact with the children
  who have been working independently.
• When work time is over, ask the children to clean
  up and gather back on the rug.
• Review how math time went.

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Activities forSmall Group Instruction

• Introducing activities that are difficult to
  introduce to the whole group.
• Observing/Assessing needs of children without
  having to do individual interviews.
• Providing experiences to meet needs of particular
  groups of children.

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Preparing Children for Working in Small Groups

• Make sure students know how to work independently
  and are familiar with the independent activities
  so that you will not be interrupted.
• Keep the time you are working with a small group
  short (10-15 minutes).
• Dont label children by having permanent groups
  (flexible grouping).
• Work with small groups only when you have a
  specific need, rather than having a permanent
  schedule.

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Ensuring That IndependentWork Time is Productive

• Establish procedures
• Introduce activities to the whole class.
• Make sure children know they are accountable for
  working hard.
• Allow children to work alone or with others.
• Intervene when necessary.

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What to Do When Problems Arise

• Treat the problems that arise as learning
  opportunities rather than as interruptions.
• Be honest and direct with the children. Remind
  them of your expectations.
• Dont adapt the rules for the whole class just to
  accommodate one or two children who arent able
  to work independently.
• Instead of expecting everything to be perfect
  before you try it, just have an escape plan in
  mind.

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Talk About It

• Share strategies you use that enable children to
  work successfully in workstations.
• How do they choose what activities or materials
  to work with?
• How long do they spend on one task?
• Do you allow them to change activities within a
  class period?
• How do you handle clean up time?

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Instructional Planning

• Making It All Fit
• And
• The Role of AMI

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Steps for Getting Started Instructional Planning

• Plan activities and prepare the materials for a 4
  to 6 week block of time.
• Decide on the concept you want to teach.
• How are you going to organize your children?
• Begin.
• Reflect.

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Assessing Math Concepts

• Opening of School Assessments
• These assessments were administered in the Spring
  at each previous grade level and should be
  forwarded to the next grade level teacher in the
  Fall.
• First and second grade teachers only assess
  students new to the campus OR for whom no
  assessment was forwarded.

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Activities for Instruction Intervention

• Concept Comparing (More Less)
• Comparing Line Puzzles
• Comparing Shape Puzzles
• Comparing Handfuls
• Comparing Containers
• The lt and gt symbols are not introduced to
  students until 2nd Grade.

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Meeting the Range of Needs in Your Classroom

• Present activities at a variety of levels by
• Changing the number of objects being worked with
• Adding symbols to the tasks as children become
  ready for them

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Conceptual vs. Procedural Knowledge

• Conceptual Knowledge
• Well-defined concepts
• Relationships among ideas, concepts, skills
• Procedural Knowledge
• Knowledge of facts, symbols,
• rules, procedures

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• Karen Feagin
• Mathematics Department
• 713-892-6165
• kfeagin_at_houstonisd.org