Guided Math
- Keep the group size to three to six students who need to practice the same skills or strategies.
- Limit the group time to ten minutes. Problems don't have to be finished in group, but students should have a strategy or plan for finishing the problem without the teacher.
- Plan to meet with each group 2-3 times per week.
- Present a "just-right" problem and help students read to comprehend the math situation. One or two problems is enough to practice when students are developing foundational knowledge. Students need to engage in a productive struggle as they identify strategies and solutions.
- Have students work the problem in PEN. This will allow you to see their thinking and identify any misconceptions before they can erase it.
- Don't teach key words! Instead teach types of problems. Students need to read every word in the math problem. They need to decide if the are joining, separating, comparing, or part-part-whole. They need to identify if the result is unknown, the change is unknown, or the beginning is unknown. This is a much better strategy than looking for key words.
- Mathematicians are slow and methodical. Stress that speed can cause careless mistakes.
- Make sure to have students write a summary of their practice session. What do they now understand better? How has their problem solving skills improved? How close are they to reaching their personal learning goal?
I found a wonderful website with all the problem types for each grade level. South Dakota Math Specialists have done an amazing job of creating hundreds of word problems.
For more information, attend one of my Guided Math seminars. I'll be in Richmond, Virginia on April 5th, Raleigh, North Carolina on April 6th, and Columbia, South Carolina on April 7th. I can also, bring this seminar to your school or district.