Problem of the Month

Part of the shift to Common Core involves more problem solving skills. Here is a site that offers a "Problem of the Month" for various ability levels, starting a Primary Grades.

Thinking Math Activity

Here is an activity from Thinking Math. This is great for putting the 10 Thinking Math principles to use. This one hits 2 (strong number sense), 5 (justify thinking), 6 (accept multiple solutions), and 9 (new types of assessment).

This can be adjusted for different grades and abilities in various ways, such as changing the digits, allowing students to use 2, 3, or 4 digits to arrive at an answer, going from 1 to 10 or 1 to 20 instead of up to 40, and so on.

All 40 of these can be solved. I will post the answer sheet soon. Give it a shot!

Still More CAPE Stuff: Helping Boys Learn

One of the sessions presented at the last CAPE meeting dealt with the topic of boys.


Here are some interesting statistics comparing boys and girls (some were in the video)...

For every 100 girls who repeat kindergarten 194 boys repeat kindergarten.
For every 100 girls whose entry into kindergarten is delayed 150 boys are delayed.
For every 100 fourth grade girls who watch television four or more hours per day 123
boys do.
For every 100 girls ages 9 to 11 years enrolled below modal grade there are 130 boys
enrolled below modal grade.
For every 100 tenth grade girls who read for pleasure one or more hours per day 81 boys
read for pleasure one or more hours per day.
For every 100 tenth grade girls who play video or computer games one or more hours per day 322 boys play video or computer games one or more hours per day.
For every 100 tenth grade girls who perform community service at least once a week 68
boys do the same.
For every 100 tenth grade girls who play non-school sports 169 boys play non-school
sports.
For every 100 tenth grade girls who take music, art or language class 52 boys take music, art or language class.
For every 100 twelfth grade girls who participate in academic clubs 83 boys participate.
For every 100 twelfth grade girls who participate in newspaper or yearbook 60 boys
participate.
For every 100 twelfth grade girls who carried a weapon on school property 276 boys
carried a weapon. 
For every 100 twelfth grade girls who were threatened or injured with a weapon on
school property 175 boys were threatened or injured.
For every 100 twelfth grade girls who engaged in a physical fight on school property 226
boys got into a fight. 
For every 100 twelfth grade girls who smoked cigarettes on school property 153 boys smoked.

For the complete list, go here.

The purpose of that exercise is to highlight that there are differences between boys and girls, and then ask the question, How boy friendly is your classroom? Think about it for a while...

When you are done thinking, here are some tips, books, and websites:

TIPS (Resource here)

• Move it. Allowing students some mobility while they work, things that often are seen as distractions, can help many boys learn.
• Wait a year. Although opinions vary, some boys with a fall birthday may benefit from delaying school an extra year.
• Get outside. Offer an outside playtime. Research shows that kids learn better after recess. 

 BOOKS

• The Active Classroom: Practical Strategies for Involving Students in the Learning Process by Ron Nash, 2009
• The Active Classroom Field Book: Success Stories from the Active Classroom by Ron Nash, 2010
• The Kinesthetic Classroom: Teaching and Learning Through Movement by Traci Lengel and Mike Kuczala, 2010
• The Minds of Boys: Saving Our Sons from Falling Behind in School and Life by Michael Gurian and Kathy Stevens, 2005
• Teaching Boys Who Struggle in School: Strategies that Turn Underachievers into Successful Learners by Kathleen Palmer Cleveland, 2011
• Why Boys Fail: Saving Our Sons from an Education System That's Leaving Them Behind by Richard Whitmire, 2010

WEBSITES

• http://www.guysread.com
• http://www.boysread.org/books.html
• http://www.ehow.com/way_5172499_math-games-boys.html

10 Principles of Think Math

If you are not already familiar with these, you should be.

Found here.