THE 3 M's OF MATH: MEANINGFUL, MANAGEABLE, AND MEASURABLE

Trying to keep 25 first graders engaged and involved during math instruction is no easy feat.  My goal is to provide instruction that is meaningful, manageable, and measurable.  This is where math workshop comes in. I've tried teaching whole class math lessons with my first graders and I must admit, it wasn't some of my best teaching.  Using a math workshop approach has made all the difference in the world.  Not only do my student thrive, but I keep my sanity and my hair from turning gray in the process.

Meaningful
My students love our math workshop time.  I teach math at the same time every day.  Whenever I announce math workshop, cheers echo throughout the room.  Yes, cheers, even though math workshop happens daily  in our classroom.  I think the cheers have to do with the element of surprise as my first graders anticipate what they will be doing at each of the rotations.  My workshop revolves around four rotations:  Teacher, Computers, Independent Work, and Games.  I start with a whole class focus lesson, which includes a review of the rotations, and an explanation of any new game that is introduced.  I end math workshop with a whole class sharing session.

Rotation 1:  Working with the teacher.
Group 1 meets me on the rug near our SMART Board  or Interactive Whiteboard.  Since my district uses the Everyday Math program, my instruction and rotations are centered around the lesson that I'm teaching in Everyday Math.  We usually work on our math journal pages together or in partnerships, as I project the math journal page on the SMART Board.  Sometimes we use manipulatives to demonstrate our learning.  At other times, we use the tools on the SMART Board to support our learning.  Everyday math has a huge collection of eTools that students can interact with.

Working in Math Journals

Working with Base Ten Blocks and Dominoes

Rotation 2:  Computers
Group 2 starts at the computers.  We have four classroom computers.  Students work in pairs and individually.  I choose math games that reinforce the skills and concepts that we are working on that day.  One of my favorite math game sites is http://www.abcya.com/  They have a ton of games that are organized by grade level, concept, and themes (ex. holiday themes).  The Everyday Math site also has a ton of games that my students enjoy playing and learning with.  I allow my students choice when we use the games from Everyday Math.  They learn how to play a variety of games and at varying degrees of difficulty.  Allowing them choice with the games is highly engaging and keeps them interested in playing and learning.

Math Games on the Computer

Rotation 3:  Independent Work
During rotation three, students work independently.  One of the favorites at this rotation is Number Scrolls.  Students use hundreds charts to write and record numbers.  They tape additional charts together to create a scroll.  As an incentive I have a Thousands Club lunch twice a month with students who reach a 1,000 number milestone.  One of my students had lunch with me 6 times since his scroll was over 6,000.  I also have leveled math packets that students often choose to work on, and baskets of math trade books students may read.  Using templates and pattern blocks to design pictures are examples of other math related experiences students participate in at this rotation.

Concentrating on a Number Scroll 

Rotation 4:  Math Games
Students play math games both  individually and with a partner at this rotation.  Most of the games are from the Everyday Math program.  Some of our favorites are Number Top-It, Rolling to 100, and Beat The Calculator.  We also use some of the games from the Daily 5 website.  One of our favorite games from that site is, Sum It Up.  When we are not playing math games, we sometimes complete investigations as a group or with a partner at this rotation.

Using a Balance Scale

Manageable
Math workshop is manageable for me.  My math block is 90 minutes long.  I spend 10 to 15 minutes on the focus lesson, and each rotation is 15 minutes long.  My students rotate four times in order to participate in each rotation, and it takes an hour to go through all four.  I leave 15 minutes at the end of math workshop for sharing and putting away supplies.  Once students learn the rotation routines, the rest is easy.  This chart helps us stay on track. If someone forgets their group or rotation, we can refer to our chart which I keep posted the entire school year.  My students are very independent during our workshop time.  They know what the expectations are for a successful workshop, and any problems that come up are discussed during our share time.

Rotation Board
 Names are across the top.

Measurable
One of the most important benefits to doing math workshop is that learning is measurable.  I know my students as mathematicians better than I ever did when I taught math in a "whole group" lesson format.  By working with small groups, I know when students are struggling with a concept, and I can give them extra support.  My quiet students don't get left out or overlooked.  I can also enrich the instruction for my stronger students so they are challenged and continue to grow as mathematicians and learners.  Students are grouped by mixed ability and they support, encourage, and challenge each other as a community of learners.

I'm still tweaking Math Workshop in my classroom.  I want to incorporate more learning with my SMART Board.  I'm thinking about making that a separate rotation on its own.  My students enjoy interacting with the    SMART Board and are totally engaged when using it.

What does math look like in your classroom?  What role does technology play in your math instruction?

THE INTERACTIVE READ-ALOUD

Reading aloud to students is one of the most important aspects of literacy in the classroom.  For teachers like myself, it's also one of the most enjoyable moments.  Even older children enjoy the stories that are read to them by their teachers.  What this usually looks like in the lower elementary classrooms is, a classroom of students, sitting on the carpet, gazing up at the teacher who is reading from a rocking chair, and hanging on to her every word.  (Let's be honest, others are playing around and distracted.)  In upper elementary classrooms the students may be sitting at desks, doodling on a pieces of paper, and attentively listening, as the teacher reads from a special place in the classroom.  What about those kids who are not tuned into the story....or distracted and daydreaming?  I'm so glad you asked.  The Interactive Read-Aloud invigorates the traditional read-alouds taking place in many classrooms.  Additionally, it stimulates the learning environment by engaging students in the read-aloud activity.

What makes the reading interactive?  Instead of being passive listeners during the Read-Aloud, the students are active participants in the learning and discovery.  In addition to listening to the story, the students are discussing elements, recording their thoughts in a Read-Aloud Notebook, and sharing their ideas with classmates.  Here's how to get started.  All you need is the Read-Aloud book, spiral notebooks for each student, composition books work well too, and a the Ways to Respond In Your Notebook chart, which is described below. Next, make a Book Preview packet.  Copy of the book jacket, including the summary/gist of the story, copy the first page of the story, and the author's biography.  If the book has a chapter page, copy that as well, or create a document listing the chapters from the book.  This is especially important if the chapter titles have names, rather than just numbers.  Make a preview packet for each student which includes the previous pages mentioned, and you're ready to get started.

Begin by introducing the Read-Aloud book to your students.  Issue each student a book preview packet, and a notebook.  Preview the book with the sudents using the preview packet.  Next, create a list of questions, about the book, suggested by the students.  Record each question on your interactive whiteboard, or on chart paper and save the chart or document.  Every day before beginning the reading, review the questions to see if any have been answered.  Additionally, record new questions that students have.  You can decide how often to add more questions based on your students' input.  Some days they may have lots of questions to add, and other days only a few.

READ-ALOUD
Next, start reading the book.  I like to read one or two chapters a day, depending on our schedule and the length of the chapters.  Allow more time on the day the book is introduced, since the preview and questions will take up a big chunk of your time.  You can also preview the book the day before strating the first chapter.  As you are reading aloud the book to your students, they are recording their thinking in their notebooks.  To support them with this, your students can refer to the Ways To Respond in Your Notebook chart.  The chart will give them ideas for how to respond in their notebooks.  I created a chart on poster board and hung it in my classroom as an anchor chart.  You could also create a chart on you interactive whiteboard and save it for use during each read-aloud session.  Here is a list of some of the items I included on my chart:

Ways To Respond In Your Notebook

• Make a prediction
• Ask a question
• Draw a picture of your favorite part-include a caption or summary
• Summarize the chapter(s)
• Describe a character
• Record a quote from the story and explain what you think it means
• Describe a part you liked/ tell why
• Describe a part you didn't like/tell why
• Describe something you didn't understand
• Make a list of interesting words
• Explore the title-explain why you think the writer chose this title

The great thing about the Interactive Read-Aloud is the students are active participants in the task.  After the Read-Aloud, students use their notebook pieces to engage in discussions about the book.  These discussions can also occur periodically during the reading. 

ASSESSMENTS
What about assessments?  The assements are built into the learning activities during the Interactive Read-Aloud.  The students' Read-Aloud Notebooks and participation in the discussions, can both be used to assess students' understanding of the story.  I like to collect notebooks once a week for this purpose.  Additionally, when the story is finished, I have my students construct a written reflection as an additional assessment.  Students select one of their best notebook entries to compelete a written reflection of their understanding of the story.  I copy the notebook page and staple it to their reflection.  Later, when I'm reading their reflections, I can compare them to the entry in their notebook.  I also remind students, throughout the book reading, to write good notebook entries.  They will be referring to their notebook entries, when writing their reflection piece, once the Read-aloud book is finished. 

Below is a list of some of the titles I've used for my Interactive Read-Alouds.  As you revive your Read-Aloud time, you will be amazed at how much more your students learn and discover about the stories, as they become active participants in this interactive process. 

SUGGESTED BOOKS:

• The Tale of Despereaux by Kate Dicamillo
• The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate Dicamillo
• The Beloved Dearly by Doug Cooney
• Journey by Patricia Maclachlan
• Shredderman by Wendelin VanDraanen
• The Toothpaste Millionaire by Jean Merrill
• Fourth Grade Rats by Jerry Spinelli
• Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
• Lawn Boy by Gary Paulsen

WRITING WITH TOOLS NOT TEARS

Some students love to write, some tolerate it, and others just hate it.  You know the scenario....the student sits and stares at a blank piece of paper for what seems like forever.  How do we get our most relunctant writers writing?  Even better, how do we get them excited about writing.  Every teacher has at one time or another had one or two students who didn't enjoy writing.  Okay, I'll say it, some students hate writing.  However, it really isn't that they hate it, they just don't feel they're good at it.  It makes perfect sense.  I mean, what person would enjoy something that they're not very good at.  Think about it.  Bad cooks don't enjoy cooking.  Nobody enjoys eating their cooking. Terrible singers don't enjoy singing.  Wait a minute.  I'm a bad singer, and I LOVE singing.  It's my family that doesn't like hearing it.  Well, that was a bad example, but you get the point.  If students were better writers they would enjoy writing.  Furthermore, in order for students to become better writers, they need to write more often.  It's a vicious cycle. 

Until last year I taught third grade.  By the time kids reach third grade, teachers usually have two or three relunctant writers in their classrooms.  Currently, I'm teaching first grade.  First grade writers are a totally different entity.  Most students are emergent readers and writers entering first grade.  Therefore, they're just learning how to read and write.  I don't know about you, but I certainly don't want to be the one responsible for their displeasure for writing.  How can we get primary students off to a good start with writing?  What tools, strategies and best practices, can we utilize to engage students in the writing opportunities that exist in the classroom?  How can use technology to support them in their writing?  Here is another way:

I came across a website called ReadWriteThink.  They have something called a Comic Generator.  Students can create their own comics on the computer or interactive whiteboard.  The Comic Generator allows students to choose from different layouts, characters, and settings.  The best part of all, the student has to WRITE the captions and dialogue.  After the comic is completed it can be printed or edited.  If you have an interactive whiteboard, your students could present their comics to their classmates.  I created a comic of my own as an example.  Take a look and see if you can get the gist of my comic.

Did you get it?  I'm dreaming about the first day of school and hoping I remember everything.  I'm upset because I have to go to school, even though I look and feel terrible.  Finally, I discover that it's Saturday.  Okay, so it's not very good, but I bet my first graders will do a lot better.  More importantly, they'll have so much fun creating, that they'll forget they're WRITING!
The website for the Comic Generater is http://www.readwritethink.com/