Best Practices For Mathematics Instruction
Do you remember the first time you learned how to ride a bike? The feel of the handle bars, the wind in your face, and that magical moment when the hand let go from the seat? Riding a bike is one of those things you just have to learn by doing. No book, no sit down discussion, or how-to video will teach the basic of balancing and braking. This is the case with mathematics as well.
Research suggests that we as math educators must first engage our students in concrete experiences, allowing them to manipulate concepts and essentially “do the math” using tools or technology. Best practice then requires we ask them to represent this in written or symbolic form. “Record the steps you took to solve that problem” you might say as they work in groups or alone. Such practice then leads to the abstract, to higher levels of understanding, where we can ask them open ended questions, give problems with more than one solution, or a challenge to complete with a team. As we move from stage to stage, we often feel the need to go back and review, return to the concrete and in essence, pedal that bike over new bumps, curves, and terrain.
In this month’s treasure trove of ideas, you will find these stages listed along with a sample schedule that can be applied to all grade levels and district curriculum. The schedule is then broken down into parts, giving you more ideas for moving your student’s from the concrete to the abstract.
Links for Concept Lessons:
Happy teaching,
Kelly Harmon