I was surprised to see a whole chapter on whole group instruction.... especially given the title of this book is "Guided Math."
The author explains the limitations of whole group instruction... you know, the fact that it is teacher directed with little student interaction and input... and the small detail that all your kids have unique needs and require a more tailored lesson plan than whole group can provide.
You know ALL of this... no big deal, right?
Seems like a big deal to me....
What I do like is that author Laney Sammons recognizes that there are times that whole group instruction can be useful and it doesn't have to be some taboo word that no one shall speak!
Quick list of some times that whole group instruction is A-okay:
*mini lessons
*explaining group work
*playing math games
*using technology {if you have a computer lab or various clickers that input student answers to an interactive white board}
*Practice and review
*Establishing structures and routines that will help when things get mixed up for small group and math workshop
*Literature
As I said last week... I can not possibly dare to share everything in this fabulous book.
I can't ...and well, you need to get your hands on the book if you want more.
So I am honing in on one area and that is literature.
I LOVE LOVE that the author suggests incorporating math based literature. And there is so much literature out there with some math action included.
I think we {and do you like how I am grouping us all in the same boat?} Maybe I should start again... I think what I have done in the past is I have happened upon a story here or there that is math related that I do incorporate into my instruction...that is good right?
What I haven't done is to actively go out and search for math literature to ensure I have something for each topic covered. I do this in language arts all the time...right? Searching for a book to help you introduce setting.... or metaphors or whatever it may be..... and the same is true in science and social studies.....
but I don't go out LOOK for stories to supplement and enrich my math program.
I will start to do that.
I have a ton of books I use for counting. Ten Black Dots and the M&M Counting Book may be my favorites... but that is an easy category.
But there are many areas of my math curriculum that I don't have books for. Yikes!!
Today I want to share the stories I use to introduce the concept of subtraction:
These are two "oldies but goodies"
*Alexander Who Used to Rich Last Sunday {which actually is a book the author mentions!}
*Bennies Pennies
And two fairly new ones are:
*Pete the Cat and his Four Groovy Buttons
*If You Were a Minus Sign
Let's focus on the new ones....
I am sure you have heard of Pete the Cat. He has taken over primary classrooms everywhere! This particular story is perfect because we count down as Pete loses his buttons. And the fact that the kids already are in love with Pete AND there is a song..... well, this helps a lot!
And If You Were a Minus Sign is part of a series of math books and each page starts with "If you were a minus sign..." and has a cute little poem with a subtraction problem too!
To help me reach my goal of using math based literature in EVERY area of math I am going to pull out all books I have so far and sort them by skill. I want to store them all together as well. I am hoping that this way I will see where the holes are and can continue to build my math based literature library.
There is more to be said about math whole group instruction... so pop by some of the other lovely Guided Math posts to see what area of focus they have to share with you.... links below.
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