Math Workshop

Math Workshop was introduced to the students this past week. The Math Workshop framework allows for students to be engaged during all of math time and to work on goals designed to meet their learning needs. Rather than working on an assignment that may be too easy or too hard, students are challenged by working on a skill that is their "next step" in learning. For example, the first grade math goal we are currently working on is adding numbers to 20. Students have been taught how to use several "tools" to help them add, including a number line, touch points, a part-part-whole mat, and a ten frame. Some students are using these tools to add to 10. Others, however, are using these tools to help them add to 20 and beyond. Through having different "stations," the students are given the opportunity to experience a variety of activities, while staying engaged and on-task at each "station."    The students are divided into small groups of 4-5 students, and they move through each of the "stations" with their group. Some of the times they are working with another student in their group, but other times, they are working independently.

The video above shows a little piece of each of the stations. The acronym MATH tells students where to go for each rotation. The "M" stands for "Math Fact Practice." The end-of-the-year goal for first grade in addition and subtraction is to be able to correctly solve 40 problems in 2 minutes. Through allowing students to practice their math facts daily during Math Workshop, this end-of-the-year goal is easily reachable. The "A" stands for "At Your Seat Work." This includes worksheet-type activities for students to practice the skill we are working on in math. This will change throughout the year based on the topic we are learning in math. Some of the topics we will learn about in first grade include: addition, subtraction, word problems, telling time to the hour and half-hour, measurement using non-standard units, and identifying 2-D and 3-D shapes. The "T" stands for "Teacher's Choice" or "Teacher Time." During this part of Math Workshop, students will meet with the teacher to continue to practice and improve upon their skills to meet their end-of-the-year goals in math. For students that have already met those goals, they will be challenged with more critical thinking and problem-solving skills related to the topic being learning. The "H" stands for "Hands-On Activities." This includes game-type activities that allow students to practice their math skills with a partner. 

Finding the Missing Part

In our Math Program, EnVisions, we teach the students the part-part-whole method. In this method, students learn that in addition and subtraction, there are 2 parts and a whole. When adding, you add the two parts, such as 5+5, to get the whole, 10. In subtraction, you start with the whole, 10, and take away one of the parts, 5, to find the other part, 5. In this video, the students describe how they find the missing part. Enjoy! They did such a nice job explaining their thinking!