By Millicent Duncan. 3rd Grade Math. Published at Monday, October 26th, 2020 - 04:54:56 AM.
What I consider to be his worst mistake, and this is again an inexperience issue because he hasnt yet seen this happen, is that he didnt consider the mathematical harm that he would cause his students. They wont experience the harm until next year when their 4th grade teacher expects certain knowledge that they wont have. I have no doubt that this young man can teach mathematics to 3rd graders. But I know from many years of experience with UCSMP, that the terminology used and the methods used vary greatly from what is found in a more traditional text. Unless he has been fired or put back on the district path, his 3rd grade students will have a difficult time in 4th grade math. His students deserved better from him.
Prepare Kids For Higher Math Just as learning addition and subtraction get kids ready to grasp multiplication and division, the concepts introduced in 3rd grade math lay the foundations for even more complex ideas that will be introduced in future grades. Ensuring that kids have a clear understanding of math at the elementary level means that theyll be able to move on to math in middle school and high school without a problem. If kids pay attention in school and receive any extra help that they need, chances are good that they will understand and retain the concepts necessary to succeed with math. Including online math games as part of academic instruction offers extra insurance in the form of engaging learning tools that kids will remember as they progress through school. The use of online math games at home or in school helps to give kids the academic edge they need to succeed in 3rd grade math. Through interactive lessons, individualized pacing and visual reinforcement of math concepts, kids can literally see what theyre learning and gain a fuller understanding of skills that theyll be using both in school and in everyday life.
By the time kids reach 3rd grade, math has moved on from simple addition and subtraction to more difficult multiplication and division concepts that require a solid grasp of basic math facts and skills. Without this foundation, its hard for kids to make sense of the math problems theyre asked to do, leaving them frustrated and confused. Since math is one of the building blocks of academic success, additional tools such as online math games can help get kids on track. Reinforce Previous Concepts Its important to make sure that kids understand the building blocks of a subject before moving on to new ideas. 3rd grade math requires a grasp of far more than just numbers and the relationships between them. Kids need to know and fully understand addition and subtraction before being introduced to multiplication. A little review of these previously taught concepts never hurts, and thats where online math games can come in handy. Rather than sitting with a textbook and going back over an idea that theyve already learned, kids can receive the same overview in the form of an entertaining, interactive lesson.
Third grade math can be difficult for some children, as theyre expected to draw upon their experience from K-2 to tackle relatively complex math problems including multiplication and division. As a parent, you should work with your child during this crucial period in his or her education, as struggling kids will undoubtedly continue to struggle unless they receive encouragement, differentiated instruction and plenty of practice. Common Problems That 3rd Graders Have with Math Before tackling your childs math problems, its helpful to understand the curriculum and why certain types of math lessons are difficult for young children. 3rd grade math curriculum typically includes multiplication and division, which children often struggle with. Kids will have especially pronounced problems when multiplying and dividing if theyve had problems with addition and subtraction in the past or if they simply havent spent much time practicing these basic skills. Children may also have trouble seeing the patterns in multiplication tables, which will make it much more difficult for them to keep up with their classmates. Multiplication tables can be difficult to approach and kids who understand the relationship between division and multiplication will be able to absorb lessons much more easily.
A child who enjoys the art of building would love a project that involves the making of a model to demonstrate a concept or results. 3rd grade science fair projects may be a collection of objects or insects (for example). For the project to be interesting, make sure that it answers a question relating to the topic. Encourage your child to experiment and to write down his findings. The child will then be used to this idea when he must present projects for school purposes. 3rd grade science fair projects can be presented in various ways. The student could write the results in a report or make an attractive poster. Models, as mentioned above, are also fascinating. Help your child organize his poster or display in a neat and logical fashion. Photos or computer printouts help towards the visual appeal of the project. The use of color is important to make each section of the project stand out on its own, but make sure that the main focal point is the purpose and original question of the project. The pictures, results and conclusions can be arranged around the main purpose of the project.
I know that I seem pretty harsh on this young teacher, but his actions indicate a couple of character issues that make teaching a poor career choice for him. Having said that, his situation does point out the two major flaws of the UCSMP program. Because the series is so very different in terminology and methodology, two things need to happen every year. First, new math teachers need the same training all of the teachers received when the series was adopted. I can make a good guess at what happened here. When my district adopted the UCSMP series, we received a great deal of training in the philosophy of the series, lots of teaching help, and even training in teaching reading in a math class because UCSMP is very dependent upon student reading. But that only happened the first year. After that, it became the responsibility of each math department to train new teachers. Sometimes this new teacher training is too hurried or maybe even non-existent. And because we are such a mobile society, it is not at all unusual for the entire department to have completely changed within a very short time. I suspect that this young teacher got little if any instruction into the differences in UCSMP or why it was chosen. UCSMP requires yearly teacher in-servicing.
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