LJones

Chapter 1 covers the foundations of student-centered instruction. There is a lot of talk about constructivisim and coincides with the knowledge and experiences I gained during my masters program. Learning is influenced by: student reflective thinking, student social interaction, and use of models or tools for learning. These factors have been discussed in our current math workshops and are carried out to a degree in my classroom - in particular reflective thinking and interaction. The chapter describes 'four core ideas for effective mathematics teaching: knowledge of how children learn, an explanation of teaching math through problem solving, suggestions for planning student-centered lessons and strategies for assessment.' Chapter 2 is on 'number and operation sense . I noticed in partiular the 'equal-group' problems since that is so predominant in 4th grade Saxon. Chapter 3 is on helping to master the basic facts, developing a strong understanding of number relationships, efficient strategies for fact retrieval, and drills and strategies to use. There are some explanations and activities to help develop fact mastery. a few of these activities we have tasted at our math workshops and I have used and enjoyed. A few of the explanations get bogged down and confused me. I need time to work through these and practice. Chapter 4 is on whole-number computation. There are a variety of methods suggested - flexible and student invented. The idea is for the student to understand the concept and the process.