Math Instruction: Chicago and Singapore

October 9, 2012 | Posted in: Class Updates

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If you had to guess where your kids’ math instruction originated, I bet you wouldn’t guess Chicago or Singapore.  Sure enough, both locations can claim credit for a lot of your fourth grader’s math instruction this year.  Chicago is home to the University of Chicago, which is the organization responsible for developing the Everyday Mathematics program used in Avon at the K through (I believe) grade 5 levels.  The trademark piece of this program is its spiraling organization that introduces a skill in one unit, returns to it later in the year to further develop it, and may do so to again even later in the year to teach the most advanced skills for the grade.  We just finished the first math unit of the year, which focused on geometry – specifically, two dimensional figures.  A later unit will introduce three dimensional figures.

With the implementation of the Common Core (see my curriculum night presentation for details) we are recognizing the need to edit what skills we cover as we use the Everyday Math program.  This year, we are omitting lessons that do not directly address core competencies, adding in additional instruction about skills that Everyday Math may not address to our satisfaction, and we are routinely editing lessons to ensure that our instruction is focused and relevant to skills that students need to master in fourth grade.  As a result, you will typically see unusual orders of lessons.  Today, for example, we worked on lesson 2.3.  Tomorrow we will work on lesson 2.4 and may go back to lesson 2.2 afterwards.

Explaining where Singapore factors into math instruction is a bit more complicated.  Several years ago, some of our teachers began to learn of a method of math instruction called, simply, Singapore Math.  As the name implies, it’s the way math is taught in Singapore.  It places a tremendous focus on a mastery of number sense and how smaller numbers fit together to make larger numbers.  This mastery paves the way for better computation skills down the road.  Moreover, Singapore Math introduces a unique (compared to what we’re used to in the US) way of solving story problems by drawing specific kinds of diagrams.  I know what you’re thinking!  “Great, Moss, another wacky way of math that I don’t understand!”  To be absolutely honest – this is not a “talking point” – I think Singapore Math is outstanding.  Yes, it is a significant departure from how math has been traditionally taught.  And yes, when being used to work on basic skills that kids already have mastered using traditional methods, it is more time consuming (more because it’s NEW to the kids, not because of a fundamental trait that is unique to Singapore Math).  But as kids get more confortable with the strategies, particularly when we move to more complicated skills, Singapore Math will be a spectacular resource for fourth graders.  Consider this math problem:

Estes goes to the farmers’ market and buys 3/7 of the heirloom tomatoes that
Fezel farm is selling.  He walks home with 24 tomatoes to make a delicious
salad.  How many tomatoes does Fezel Farm have left to sell?

I confess, as a math teacher, I’d have to take a moment to figure out how to attack a problem like this one!  That’s the weakness for our students; it’s not knowing the MATH involved in solving the problem, but figuring out WHAT KIND of math they need to use.  In this problem, do we need to multiply 24 x 7 to find the total?  Divide 3 by 24?  24 by 3?  It’s easy to teach kids HOW to solve those three problems, but none of those problems will yield the right answer.  This kind of skill application has typically been a weak area for our students on the Connecticut Mastery Tests.  By drawing a Singapore Math style model, I can solve this much more easily.  I won’t show you how right now, but we’ll definitely address this skill as the year goes on.  Right now, we’re still working on basic skills.  As the opportunity presents itself, I will post assorted videos that will help you to help your fourth grader with these skills.

As you can see, we’re placing significant emphasis on choosing purposeful math instruction this year (and every year).  Not all units will look the same or will be the same length, but all units will focus on the same final goal: helping students to develop core competencies that they will need to be successful in their future schooling and in their post-academic life.

Click the link (below this line) to see the answer to the math problem, if you’re interested.

Fezel Farm has 32 tomatoes left to sell.