Join us for our upcoming workshop in San Francisco on Aug. 28!

Today's blog question:

Q: What about the child in my class who says math class is “too easy” ?

A: Suppose a child (let’s say it’s a girl) is a quick learner, and interprets her speed as proof that the work is too easy. We would allow her to skip some of the seatwork, but still have her join in lessons that are done together as a class – group lessons, games, and mental math. In our experience, the group activities are not boring, and they increase her mental math flexibility and her visual understanding of mathematics. If you then give your whole class some time to work on class exercises or workbook pages (seatwork time), she might be excused from those.

In order to be excused, however, we ask the student to do a few workbook exercises correctly and with good form, after which she is excused from the rest of the unit or part of a unit. (Many students think they have mastered a concept as soon as they have a rudimentary understanding of it!)

We use various Singapore Math books like “Intensive Practice” to find extensions, puzzles, riddles and hard word problems for these children to work on during seat work time. The problems we find are more difficult questions on the SAME topic with the rest of the class, just with more depth and complexity. We allow any student access to these challenges, but find the fast finishers are the ones who most enjoy them.

The guideline here is that we do NOT take these students on to the next topic, or on to the next grade level, which can lead to rushing, worksheet-burnout and incomplete understanding.

Singapore Math Workshop

The Pi Project enjoyed a workshop in Honolulu with some great teachers from 3 different schools on Oahu. (OK... maybe we enjoyed a little beach time, too!)
An important question that came up at this workshop: What advice would you give a school that can only use SPM as a supplement?
Answer: Of course, we recommend that SPM be used consistently in order to be most effective, but if this is impossible, then we recommend: n

1. Adopt a UNIT perspective -- Adapt the most important lessons in the chapter to a problem-solving, concrete/pictorial format. Find tasks in the SPM books that address these big ideas. Keep it simple. Often a single multiplication problem, or an interesting word problem is enough. Prepare this one question well. Make sure your numbers are friendly, and predict your students’ outcomes.
2 . Do Mental Math most days. Again, make it short – this is visualization practice, not drill. Discuss and praise multiple ways to see a problem. Only do a few mental math problems on material that has already been covered. Remember: this is the last step of mastery.
3 . Ask Questions! Rather than telling students how to do something, ask. Ask "How do you know? Are you sure? Can you see it another way? What if we move these? Can you prove it? How do the 2 numbers compare? Which is more/less? What if we added more? What if there were twice as many?" With good questions, any curriculum can be made powerful!!

Upcoming Workshop in Honolulu

We're packing for Hawaii, and looking forward to working with teachers from the Aloha State! (Not only because of the beautiful weather and beaches!)

Our passion is bringing true mathematical understanding to teachers of children in as many places as possible. On this quest, we're learning more and more about the wonderful teachers in this country, their different ways of seeing math, of thinking about problems, and their desire to teach for greater success.

Our workshop will be held at the Double Tree Hotel in Honolulu.
Join us if you're able!!

Singapore Math Workshops

Wonderful participants at our Oakland workshop last Saturday.

Favorite funny exclamation (while drawing a word problem model that compared the cost of a purse, dress and belt):
"Wait! the belt has to be longer than the dress!"

Most intriguing question:
"How do you encourage students to use Singapore methods (drawing number relationships, using mental math, using models) if there is resistance? What if they say they'd rather "JUST" do it my memorizing a rule?

Our answers:
1. Give students a mix of problems. Make sure there is at least ONE that they can NOT do without the SPM drawing. This can be frustrating, but is very motivating for the doubters.
2. Spend time talking about (and rewarding) DIFFERENT ways of looking at a mental math problem. The emphasis should be on understanding and flexibility, not speed.
3. Let 2 or 3 students come to the board at one time, and compare their models. Discuss the different approaches. Let math become a cooperative endeavor, with UNDERSTANDING at the core, not memorization.

UPCOMING EVENTS:
Teachers' Workshop, Honolulu, Hawaii, Feb 20th!