Day 1 of Number Sense Kickstart: Focusing on Understanding Math

📚 The host discusses the importance of building students' number sense and fluency with mathematics.

📝 There is a checklist of 10 things that can be done to kickstart number sense.

💡 The first step to kickstarting number sense is to focus on helping students understand math, not just do math.

📚 Traditional methods of teaching math focused on procedures and getting correct answers, neglecting conceptual understanding.

💡 Effective math teaching involves helping students understand the concepts behind the procedures.

🎯 The goal is for students to not only perform mathematical tasks, but also comprehend and apply their knowledge.

📚 Understanding numbers and mathematical concepts is crucial for problem-solving.

🤔 Mathematical understanding goes beyond memorization and procedures.

🔑 Teaching students to justify their answers and apply concepts is essential.

📚 Traditional math education focuses on memorization rather than understanding.

🔍 Cognitively guided instruction allows students to solve word problems in their own way, promoting understanding of numbers and problem-solving skills.

💡 By giving students contextual problems and observing their problem-solving methods, teachers can assess students' understanding and encourage real-life application of math.

✨ Lessons that focus on following steps and using prescribed strategies discourage understanding.

📝 A worksheet example demonstrates a focus on doing math procedures without promoting conceptual understanding.

🔎 Providing pre-made equations and dictating which numbers to break apart limits students' exploration and critical thinking.

💰 The worksheet helps assess students' understanding of adding coins by presenting a problem with five different coins and asking for the total value.

🧩 The problem allows students to demonstrate their comprehension of combining numbers and making them more manageable when adding.

📚 By analyzing the approach students take to solve the problem, teachers can determine if the focus of the lesson is on understanding rather than simply executing math operations.

💡 Encourage students to solve problems without guidance or specific methods.

📚 Review tomorrow's lesson to identify opportunities for student-centered problem-solving.

🔢 Join the 10-day Number Sense Kickstart for more tips on building a strong mathematical foundation.