Guided Math Book Study: Getting Started

When I heard that the Primary Gal was going to start a book study about math I jumped right in.

Each Thursday we will be going chapter by chapter through Guided Math by Laney Sammons. I can't promise myself to feature every single week...dry your tears, I will be posting as much as I can...but this  little online book club is going for it...

Did I mention there will be giveaway EVERY single week that we do this?

And there are 9 chapters...

do the math...

we'll be coming at you every Thursday until July 24th.

You hear so much about guided reading and not as much about guided math or how to successfully teach math to reach all your learners. This book was published in 2009...BCC {Before Common Core} but it seems to have so many ideas and approaches that are perfect as I start to get deeper into Common Core....

Because right now I would say I have more than my tip toe Common Coring it... but am not diving into the deep end... yet!

But seriously... this lady was on to something back in '09.... she says students should dialogue about their learning and that the teacher should promote constructive conversation.

Students should work together.

Teachers should identify the "big idea"

So today's focus is Chapter 1.... just  slowly getting our math on.

I could throw a whole bunch of statistics your way from this opening chapter... you know, to be "mathy" and all...

But you can buy the book yourself for that... but one, yes, just one I must share:

Laney tells us that according to Phillip {2007} that "58% of adults can't calculate a 10% tip."

Um, can that be true?... I'm no Einstein, but this statistic is crazy to me.

Sidenote: Who leaves a 10% tip anyway?

People just decide, usually at a young age, that they aren't good at math. And that's it. They don't even try or expect anything of themselves....like being able to scoot that decimal over to figure out 10%!

This book also states... {dang, I said only one stat and here I go again!}

"By 4th or 5th grade children seem to have lost the problem solving skills they had when they began kindergarten." {Hyde, 2006}

And that is sad.

So today's post is like a goal setting thing for me. What do I hope to accomplish by the end of this book study? What will I be able to change/modify/adapt for next year?

I am planning on finding out ways to ensure my little ones stay excited, eager and wanting to problem solve.

I currently do see my little ones in small groups for math {check!} and I do mini lessons {check!} but I don't do it well....the small group part... my mini lessons are okay {I think!}

Part of the problem is that I have 29 kindergarteners.

That wasn't a typo. 29. But I can't change that and rather than complain I think it is better how to, "Make it Work!" {Thank you Tim Gunn}

So as we venture into the "meat" of this book I hope to find ideas to share with you... definitely some freebies and hopefully {fingers crossed} a way to manage this with 29 {never mind the whole assessment piece which I didn't even mention... don't worry that chapter will be on the line up.}

So come back next week for ideas to create a classroom environment of numeracy. And really next week gets this party started... for reals :)

Before you go....
I will say that I started smiling from ear to ear when I read one of her ideas was something I JUST BLOGGED about... what? Isn't that crazy? You can read that post HERE.... and guess what there is a Giveaway for $10 to my TpT store at the end of that post... so check it out.

And don't forget this giveaway fun too!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

An InLinkz Link-up