Hello Wonderful Kinder Families! This week's blog entry is focused on another important and essential part of our day in Kindergarten: Math Workshop. The primary focus of our Math Workshop this trimester is to develop number sense. The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) define number sense as follows: “Number sense refers to a person's general understanding of number and operations along with the ability to use his understanding in flexible ways to make mathematical judgments and to develop useful strategies for solving complex problems (Burton, 1993; Reys, 1991). As a result, our work this trimester will focus on counting, writing, representing, and comparing numbers to 20. We will also identify and describe two-dimensional and three-dimensional figures. In Kindergarten, Math Workshop is play based with a "hands on, minds on" approach. This approach is enjoyable and engaging; math manipulatives allow students to construct their own models of abstract mathematical concepts and make them more concrete. We are playing a variety of partner games during Math Workshop as well. In Roll and Record, students roll a die, count the number of dots, and record the number it landed on. In Button Race, students use the "counting on" strategy to race to the number 10. In addition to practicing essential Kindergarten math skills, partner games allow practice in turn taking, patience, empathy, and flexible thinking. Lastly, our Kinders practice essential math skills through our amazing schoolwide computer program: ST Math. In ST Math, students have their own special passcode that stays with them until 5th grade. As a result, ST Math is customized to go along with the specific child's pace. Our Kinders are still in the early phases of ST Math and will have access to ST Math at home in a few weeks. We try to end each Math Workshop in a Reflection Circle. During this time, children share celebrations, challenges, or something new they learned. As the year progresses and our Kinders become more fluent writers, we will eventually begin reflecting in a Math Journal. In the meantime, I encourage you to talk with your child about his/her favorite station in Math Workshop. This week, I will introduce new tools, stations, and games which include using a 10 frame, counting natural materials, and incorporating playdough!
To Another Magical Week Ahead, Mrs. Rosemarie
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September 2017
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