Teaching Math with Comprehension

Strategies

By: Erica Wetzel

Teaching Math has to ChangeSKILL AND DRILL PRACTICE

MATH COMPREHENSION STRATEGIES

Does teaching mathematical skills in a skill and drill way hurt students? 

Does teaching mathematical skills in a skill and drill way hurt students? 

Does teaching math using skill and drill hurt students?

Yes, however many teachers were not taught the real math

concepts, instead they were taught by skill, therefore they do not fully understand the concepts

needed to teach them.

Yes, because drill does not develop meaning. Repetition does

not lead to understanding.

Yes, if teachers continue to use skill and drill, as well as rote

memorization with no connections to other mathematical concepts,

our students will grow up with limited mathematical

understanding.

Teachers in America do not regularly use cognitive

thinking when applying and teaching mathematical

concepts.

Teachers in countries that do well in math assign their

students challenging mathematics problems,

therefore they do not look for easy questions for their

students, unlike American teachers.

In high scoring countries teachers use active

questioning and dialogue to help students see and

understand the connections among mathematical

concepts.

Throughout the United States teachers tend to focus on low-level skills and rarely address mathematical relationships.

Teaching Math in America Compared to Other Countries

What are the Best Practices in Teaching Math ?

We, as educators, can no longer teach math the way we were taught using skill and drill and rote memorization.

Research has shown students need the opportunity to discover, analyze, and make connections when learning about mathematical concepts.

Research Based Curriculum

The Common Core Standards are designed based on what research has proven most effective . The kindergarten class this year is the first class

to no longer be taught under the Indiana State Standards. We must begin to analyze how our math instruction will change to prepare our

students for the National Common Core Standards.

What are some practical ways to combine mathematical concepts, including questioning, with

comprehension?• Use the mathematical

language in your classroom as often as possible.

• Incorporate visuals that reinforce the math vocabulary concepts.

• Model thinking like a mathematician aloud.

• Have high expectations regarding what the students are to do.

Give students the opportunity to develop these concepts

WITH PARTNERS INDEPENDENTLY

Bibliography Crespo, S. (2003). Learning to pose mathematical problems: exploring change in preservice teachers’ practices. Educational Studies in Mathematics,

243- 270. Grouws, D.A. and Hiebert, J. (2007). Effective teaching for the development of

skill and conceptual understanding of number: what is most effective?

National Council of Teachers Mathematics. Retrieved from http://www.nctm.org/news/content.aspx?id=8448 Hyde, A. (2007). Mathematics and cognition. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 43-47. Shriki, A. (2009). Working like real mathematicians: developing prospective

teachers’ awareness of mathematical creativity through generating new concepts. Professional Development Collection. doi: 10.1007/s10649-009- 9212-2

Zemelman, S., Daniels, H., Hyde, A. (2005). Best practice today’s standards for teaching and learning in america’s schools.

Retrieved from http://www.heinemann.com/shared/onlineresources/E00744/sample.pdf