IPS/Butler University Laboratory School

Reid and Andrew playing ten frame war during Math Workshop.

Over the past two weeks we have been exploring different materials that we can use in Math Workshop.  Today, we used the ten frame.  It all started this morning when the kids came to morning meeting.  There was a giant ten frame on the floor with masking tape. (A ten frame is basically two rows of rectangles that form a grid.)  The kids were very curious about this and asked what it was.  I responded with, “I’m not sure, what do you think it is?”  Reid thought it might have something to do with math and Jermaine thought it had to do with the number ten.  When I said we would come back to it at during Math Workshop the kids acted like it was the end of the world.  They really wanted to know!

When we returned to it this afternoon, we had a wonderful conversation about the giant ten frame on the floor.  I challenged the kids to see how they could use them as mathematicians.  Together we came up with counting, sorting, and helping with problems.  Finally, to end our ten frame exploration we learned about the game ten frame war. The kids got a chance to play with partners.  Check out some of the pictures to see how they did!

Melina and Shayla playing ten frame war.

Maxwell and Wyatt playing ten frame war.

The last few days we have been talking about gifts that we possess. These gifts are “nice things that you give to people,” (as said by Maggie). Ashu then added that they do not have to be things that you hold-like friendship. Since we have talked about it we have been trying to use the language of gift giving to each other so that we can see what each other brings to the classroom. I will say,”I see that Noah is showing the gift of sharing because he is sharing the train with Isai.” We are going to continue to work on using this language in the classroom so that we can start to identify what gifts we each have.

During our Math Workshop lesson today we were learning about learning links and how to use them to aid in our problem solving. After we were finished doing some problems, each child had a chain of links in front of them. I then thought this would be a great time to give compliments to each other and link all of our chains together so that we can see that we cannot be our class if we do not have each friend there. We are not as strong by ourselves as we are as a group. The compliments that the children were giving were so sweet and genuine, and I know filled each friend’s bucket. We will do this compliment circle occasionally so that we can build our stamina for it as well as continue to get more specific and detailed with what we appreciate about it.

Today during Math Workshop, we talked, for the second day, about how to use drawings to help us solve math problems. We practiced a story problem together on the dry erase board.

“Kynden went to the fair and rode on 7 rides,” I said. Aidan helped by drawing seven circles on the board.

Then I said, “Later, Kynden rode 4 more rides. How many rides did she ride all together.” Aidan drew four more circles and then counted the whole group. “She rode eleven!” Aidan exclaimed.

I then sent students out to go solve a new story problem independently. I fully expected them to solve it the same way we had practiced together…by drawing circles or some other shape.

Many students did choose this strategy. However, Aaliyah decided to solve the problem with a number line. Due to the uniqueness and effectivness of her strategy, I had Aaliyah come up and share at the end of the workshop.

Aaliyah draws her number line on the dry erase board for the whole class to see.

The students were completely engaged as she shared how to use her number line. And I was thrilled! As a teacher, it is one of my greatest joys to have students’ learning come from the learning of another student. I find that to be much more authentic and meaningful for the class, than if I teach a lesson on it myself. If I were to bet, I’d say that we will have quite a few students trying to solve tomorrow’s math problems with a number line!

This week, we have started our gift wall. We had a conversation on Monday about gifts. What is gift that you might unwrap and open on your birthday? And what is the other kind of gift? The kind of gift you can’t open but can still give to others.

As a class, we began thinking about some of these gifts: friendship, helpfulness, leadership. Throughout the past couple of days, I have been taking pictures of students when I see them offering a gift to those around them. We then label this gift and put the word and the photo up on our gift wall.

Thus far, we have talked about the gift of helpfulness and the gift of teamwork.

It is my hope, that in the coming weeks and months, this wall will become covered with photos of children sharing their gifts with their friends and peers!

Celisha and Jackson show us the gift of teamwork, when they worked together to put the natural materials away.