Kindergarten Math at PS 11

1. Kindergarten Math at PS 11 A parents guide to understanding the Math Workshop Created by Crystal Stewart, 2013

2. Math Curriculum • The PS 11 math curriculum is based on the TERC Investigations program, designed to create critical thinkers and problem solvers through a deeper understanding of mathematics through exploration, trial and error and true understanding/processing. • In addition to the TERC Investigations curriculum, teacher instruction and assessments are based around the Common Core State Standards. These have been cross referenced with our units and supplemented as necessary in order to make sure students are meeting those standards by the end of the year. http://www.corestandards.org/the-standards

3. Philosophy In reality, no one can teach mathematics. Effective teachers are those who can stimulate students to learn mathematics. Educational research offers compelling evidence that students learn mathematics well only when they construct their own mathematical understanding (MSEB and National Research Council 1989, 58). • What is a Constructivist Approach? • Students are self-motivated to discover knowledge and think about problems • Students actively create or invent their own knowledge/understanding • Students create new knowledge by reflecting on their actions • Students make sense of their world and create their own ideas • Student learning is a social process • The Investigations curriculum is designed to: • Support students to make sense of mathematics and become mathematical thinkers • Focus on computational fluency with whole numbers • Provide substantive work in areas of rational numbers, geometry, measurement, data and early algebra- and the connections among them • Emphasize reasoning about mathematical ideas • Communicate mathematics content • Engage the range of learners in understanding mathematics

4. Math in the Classroom • Students gain a love and appreciation of mathematics through multi-sensory instruction during daily math activities. • Some math concepts explored in Morning Meeting include: • attendance • calendar • months of the year • days of the week • tomorrow/yesterday/today • number writing • countdowns • weather report and graph • days in school • schedule with ordinal numbers • composing and decomposing • numbers A typical Math Workshop looks like this: • Minilesson with Active Engagement (5-10 minutes) • Exploration of skills and strategies through partner • and/or independent work (20-25 minutes) • Share (10-15 minutes)

5. Units of Study

6. Goals Across the Year

7. Assessments • Teachers use many forms of assessment to ensure that they are constantly aware of where your child is performing and how they can best push them to become successful mathematicians. • This helps us to identify your child’s strengths and needs, allowing us to differentiate instruction and push them to the next level based on their individual needs. • Assessments we use: Unit Assessments, Performance Tasks, Addition/Subtraction Continuum, Conferences, Checklists, Class Activities, Teacher Observations

8. Supporting Your Child at Home • Math is all around us! • Use the Unit Progress Reports based on assessments to help reinforce concepts that your child has not yet mastered • Ask your child to explain their thinking: “ How do you know?” • Help your child see the connection between homework and classroom instruction by asking, “What were you learning?”. • Some interactive websites to try at home: www.kidsnumbers.com www.ictgames.com www.arcademicskillbuilders.com www.kidport.com www.abcya.com www.internet4classrooms.com