Making Math Work for Underachieving

Students (Grades 4-8)

Read Me First
These are general notes and thoughts, typed as I attend this presentation. Mistakes in
content and grammar are to be expected (I typed that wrong the first time and it took three
tries to type first correctly....). Connections to my own thinking will be highlighted to stand
out from presenters content.

Making Math Work for Underachieving Students

May 2, 2008
Holiday Inn, Southgate, MI
Steve Leinwand
SLeinwand@AIR.org
SteveLmath@aol.com
SDR
www.SDResources.org
Sensible Math A Guide for School Leaders

Random Thoughts
Context is key.

Make connections between real objects and math concepts.

Curriculum is set up so that smart kids get smarter and dumb kids get dumber. There is
only one right answer.

Instructional patterns need to change.

Kids need to learn what is important in mathematics and what is important for kids to
understand.
Students start out loving math and end up hating it.
Change the Rules of the game.
Thinking and Reasoning all the time.
Divergent Thinking
Negative number makes sense when you use money

In regards to standards
Singapore has 18 key ideas per grade level (Top of the world in Education)
Florida has 81...
Limit yourself to 25 key ideas and thoughts for the year.

Model for the day

Play, Model, Inform, Stimulate, Challenge

Good math begins with an answer.

How? Convince me? Why? What's another way?
Tell it to your neighbor...

Obstacles
isolation
beliefs
ignorance
fear of change
unwillingness to change
time
pressure of the test
Lack of confidence

Antidotes
Sharing
Risk taking

Humorous Quotes
Free
3 Muffins when you
buy 3 at the regular
1/2 dozen price
Actual Dunkin Donut Ad from 1991

Algebra is the intense study of the last three letters of the alphabet

Iowa Test of Basic Trivia

The Need for change

Worksheets are safe because no one questions their thinking.
Similar to Ken Robinson kids lose intelligence and creativity as they get older.
If you want Speed and accuracy = technology
Formulas are useless, need to know where to find the formula and how to use it. Almost all
tests provide formula sheets.
Go beyond the first answer, multiple answers
Need a reason to do the mathematics
Need to show multiple ways to solve problems
Make it work for the kids at the bottom of the barrel.
More to life than the one right answer and the one right way to solve it
Students from other countries approach the same problem in a different way to get the
correct answer.

Key Questions:
Ask this question in class-
Who doesn't want to be called on....
Takes the sting away from those who do not know the answers.
But...
if they know the answer they may take a risk next time.

When students want you to just tell you THE ONE way to do it...Instead
Ask students what works for you?
Ten Practical Strategies (page 71, 14,15,16)

Strategy 1
Embed the math in contexts and problems
Here's the math I need to teach.(standards)
Ask yourself when and where do normal human beings encounter this math?
See example from page 8.

Here is another example

Which problem is more interesting...

F=4(s-65)+10 Find F when S=81
or The Speeding fine in Vermont is 4$ for every mile per hour over the 65 mph limit plus
$10 handling fee.

Put formula into words

Facts are more important than ever...

but
facts with context
facts with materials, even fingers (kids don't use them when they don't need to)
facts through strategies (give tools to make sense of the facts)
facts through problem solving circumstances
facts through non routine problem

Strategy 2
Incorporate on-going cumulative review into instruction every day
Quick mini math quiz to start the day (1-6) can be oral, written, never get into a rut. Keep
the kids on toes.
Parents of infants bombard their infants with language all of the time... Math class should be
the same.

Strategy 3
Create a Language Rich Classroom
Too many of our students don't speak English at home, don't have the language of Math in
their lives.
Vocabulary, terms, answers
Math wall-just like a word wall with math concepts
Key Question- What do you see?

Like all languages, mathematics must be encountered orally and in writing. Terms must be
used repeatedly until they make sense and understanding.

Strategy 4
Use every number as a chance to build number sense and reasonableness.
If number sense is critical our students must develop
a comfort with numbers
facility estimating
computing mentally
a sense of order and magnitude
well developed sense of place value

Strategy 5
Draw pictures, create mental images, foster visualization so that numbers make
sense.

Strategy 6
Build from graphs, charts and tables
Play with the data, reveal it slowly
Graphs provide a real-world context.
Real world uses data, charts and graphs
Make up the data and think what kinds of questions can you make up.
Use the McDonald's Menu and nutrition data

Strategy 7
Tie the Math to How big? how much, how far?

Strategy 8
Adapt what we know from Reading.
Incorporate literal, inferential, and evaulative comprehension to develop stronger
neural connections)
How did you get that answer? Why? Can you explain? Convince me? Is it reasonable?
Have the kids make sense of the data.
Play out the different approaches to solving each problem.
When done extend concepts with homework.
Responsive Reading...

Strategy 9
Omit What is no longer important

Strategy 10
Make why, how do you know, can you explain, convince me as classroom mantras

Building Effective Tasks

Give students a reason to care about the math

Summary and Challenge

Resources and weblinks

Feel free to add resources and links to this section.