Chapter three discusses the importance of starting off the day with math. Let me be real for a minute. In my first years of teaching, I will admit that my "math warm-up" would have been a worksheet sat out for morning work. Like Sammons mentions in the first chapter, we are so focused on teaching kids to read that often times math takes a back seat. In reality, math is just as important as reading.
As time has passed, my morning math routine has gotten stronger. We always have some kind of math integrated into our morning message. We do calendar meeting. We do graphs. After reading this chapter, I feel pretty good about math warm-ups, but I know I can do better.
Sammons lists some ways to incorporate math warm-ups into your morning meeting time. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE her ideas for morning stretches! She suggests:
Monday: Number of the Day
Tuesday: What's Next
Wednesday: How Did My Family Use Math Last Night? (LOVE)
Thursday: ____ Makes Me Think Of... (you can fill in the blank with any math concept)
Friday: Data Collection
I will definitely incorporate these ideas into my morning meeting next school year!
As mentioned above, I think my morning routine has evolved over the years. No lie, I once was a worksheet kind of gal. Next school year, my kindergarten classroom will be 1:1 with iPad minis (YAY!!!), and I can only imagine how this will change our morning routines. I envision collaborative practice, scavenger hunts, math practice... The possibilities are endless!
During our morning meeting, I usually incorporate some kind of math concept into the routine. The ideas in this chapter will help me to make those concepts more of a routine, helping students master skills, and helping me be consistent.
Math is all around us! We teach our students to make connections to their lives in reading, but why not math? Math is everywhere. Honestly, I don't do a very good job of this in my classroom. Reading this chapter has opened my eyes to that. I am so excited to bring some of these things into my classroom next year!
Now that you've read my thoughts on chapter three, enter to win some great prizes!
Check out much more on this chapter at some of the fabulous blogs below!
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