Simple Yet Sophisticated Lesson Blog

Nov 7, Number Sense Intervention Plan

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 04:39:59 GMT

It is Simple Yet Sophisticated Math Intervetnion Plan for students who struggle with number sense.

Nov 7, Bar Graph and Line Plot Lesson Plan 3rd Grade

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 04:33:38 GMT

Third graders will actively engage in collecting and analizing data. They will construct and analyze bar graph and line plot.

Oct 12, Test Prep

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 00:11:24 GMT

Prepdog is a good site to practice for specically multiple choice tests. It is organized by grade level and the proficiency. I use this program as one of rotation activities before Mesurement of Academic Progress.

Oct 6, Make 10

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 23:41:01 GMT

I am noticing quite a few 3rd graders haven't mastered math facts, make 10. Try this site everyday for them to master quick (one second!)recall. It is very essential in multi digit subtraction.

Oct 5, Hold Up your Indent Finger

Wed, 05 Oct 2011 00:41:45 GMT

Use your body parts in math! I ask kids hold one inger up when they practice 2 digit addition, Let's say 14 + 28. First, do the one's place. (By the way, the format is the vertical way.) 4+8_12. Write 2 in ones place. Hold your finger. Your finger is tens place. Do the tens place now. 1+2=3. Then add your finger! That is 4. The answer of 14+28 is 42. Use your finger! If you use a graph paper, they can keep track of the places.

Oct 1, After Rounding Assessment

Sat, 01 Oct 2011 02:22:08 GMT

Yes, 16 students took retake quiz. Two studetns were absent. We were so close. 15 students got 100 after practice. One student needs more practice. She got 13 out of 16 right, though.

Sep 30, Consistency

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 01:45:10 GMT

6 students got 100 in the rounding assessment. They are going to be peer tutors tomorrow. If not, they can continue practicing higher level of rounding in the computer. 11 students are going to retake test right away tomorrow because they missed one or two questions. Four students can correct with peer tutors. About 3 students need to sit with me. It is simple yet students seems satisfied when they know where they are and where to go in each concept.

Sep 28, Simple Reflection on the Rotation Activities

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 00:26:24 GMT

I made four leveled groups based on the pretest. Activities on Rounding are two independent worksheet groups, one computer group, and worksheet with guidance (teacher). In the rotation, the lowest group came to the guidance table at the end, so my brain was so confused. In other words, the previous high, medium, low medium groups didn't have much trouble rounding numbers at the guidance table. They needed just a little support. Well, my brain was used to it for the lowest group... I was frustrated, then realized, I have to slow down. The lesson I learned is to make rotation order based on how my brain transfer from one group to another. I would have guidance table for the lowest group first, if I were to have another chance to do.

Sep 23, Rounding Song

Fri, 23 Sep 2011 00:49:33 GMT

Rounding to Nearest 10, let's say, we use 24. Underline 2, circle 4, cross off 4, put 0 above 4, and the answer is 24. This song works after you teach reasons why you underline and circle. Underline 10's place when you round to nearest 10. Circle a number one place below. Determine rounding up or down. Simple. Kids love it.

Sep 22, Power of Formative Assessment

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 01:03:03 GMT

When I was working on formative assessment for each math performance expectaion, I wasn't sure it is going to help my student learning or my teaching. Well, I did simple place value quiz at the end of the activities. Of course, many didn't have 100. While I let 100rs do their independent challenge problems, everybody else did "retake" until 100. I even made special instructional table so I could reteach if needed. Now I have all 24 student proudly taking thier 100 paper home! No Child Left Behind in place value.

Aug 24, Unit Lesson Plan

Wed, 24 Aug 2011 14:24:42 GMT

I am currently one of the Writing Curriculum commeettees. What I am finding is that the district wants to develop something similar to what I have done in math lesson plans. They want to deliver the writing concept explicitly, then, students practice. All the work we are doing is to organize mini lessons under the each unit study. Finally, more people start understanding the structured and purposeful lesson plans just like here, math-lesson-plans.com.

Mar 13, Sympathy for Japan

Sun, 13 Mar 2011 01:33:08 GMT

It is nothing about the math lesson plans, however, I would like to express my sympathy for victims and thier families from the disastrous earthquake. I hope the authorieies and media will announce how to properly help people and that area so we can take some actions, especially, for school children.

Feb 20, Simple Multiplication Station Activity

Sun, 20 Feb 2011 18:32:04 GMT

Since I created simple multiplication lesson plans, I have used them as they are. This year, I tweaked a little how to them. If you train your students really well, you can use this simple gStationh activity even with an unexpected substitute teacher (Flu season is coming!). Here are my four stations. I divided students four groups of six based on their ability level. Each group rotates all four activities in two days math session. For example, when my lesson target is to master multiplication facts 2s, I design one group with me to review and practice facts. Be creative and selective for this teacher station based on the learning objective. Stick with the skills you want them to master. Use yourself the best resource among all stations. Second group works on the computer math program, IXL. Kids go to multiplication facts 2s on that program. There are six computers in my classroom. Third group plays Rock, Paper, Scissors Game from Day 3 with a partner. Forth group works independently on the assigned pages in studentfs workbook. This group is reviewing the concepts from Day 1 and 2. Time management tips; First 5 minutes are spent for the introduction of the day and review the concept. First round is for 20 minutes with a use of your kitchen timer. Next round is also 20 minutes. Last 5 minutes are the exit problems all students. They can go to recess after this problem. It is often formative assessment of a day. On this particular day, I time them multiplication fact 2s in 10 Squares from Day 3. Next day, students engage activities in the same manner to complete all activities. Sometimes I set up the Third day as a completing and mastering session so all students complete all activities that they didnft finish during the station activities, mostly struggling students, with my support and/or peer support. This session goes smoothly. These kids need to experience their own gAh-Hah moments with a little help. Wrapping up session is critically significant after station activities because students might just say git was fun.h Let them talk or write (I recommend that) about what exact part of activity help them understand multiplication. It is still simple. The whole lesson flow sticks with begin, middle, and end. All kids are excited and engaged throughout the sequence. Also, they are accountable for their learning objectives. My students have no time to fool around with me, even though they donft seem to feel that way. You are the experienced professional teacher for numbers of years, so you must be better than great in this (a student management) department. If you would like to have more tips about the station ideas, please email me. I will be glad to share it with you. Make your students feel successful and happy so you will have stress less day after all. Thatfs my philosophy. Simple yet Sophisticated. Have fun teaching simple multiplication lesson plans.

Dec 8, U.S. Rises to International Average in Science

Wed, 08 Dec 2010 00:57:20 GMT

I wonder if we can learn from the top countries effectively. That is why I am working hard every day.

Dec 5, Simple Checklist

Sun, 05 Dec 2010 05:56:02 GMT

Many 3rd grade students struggle with following the steps, especially, in story problems. The check list is a simple yet sophisticated tool for these youngstars. THe Simple Checklist strictly includes an equation and a labeled answer. You can arrange however you want, but ticket style checklist is fun to play around. After students complete checking, you can use thier tickets as a class drawing for a little prize. It is simple and fun. If you are interested in the ticket size checklist in addition and subtraction, I will send an attachment (Microsoft Word documment, so you can tweak if you want) to your e-mail.

Nov 16, Power of 5 and 10

Tue, 16 Nov 2010 03:49:49 GMT

Perhaps your child is just starting simple addition and subtraction. Perhaps your child is struggling with simple math facts. This 10 frame game is perfect for both cases. Just like Japanese abacus,once you get used to the system, automaticity will come along. You would no longer rely on fingers. Try this site 10 minutes every day. Then, see what happens in two weeks. It is simple. You will see its sophistication in two weeks. We would like to hear from you.

Aug 23, Simple thoughts

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 16:13:23 GMT

Hope you enjoy my math lesson plans. If you have some request about the math unit plan that you wish me to develop, I might already have one! If not, I would love to consult and work with you. Please send me an email from the "Contact Us" page.

Aug 2, Finally!

Mon, 02 Aug 2010 14:45:24 GMT

Finally, National Standards are coming up to our schools! If you wonder why it's so important, please read My Philosophy. As this article says, I hope curriculum, text books, and assessments will come along with the new National Standards so teachers don't have to look for additional supplements any more. That means all teachers can focus on their instruction in their classroom. It is great news for the families that relocate often. I simply support the coming up National Standards because it is such a sophisticated idea!

Jun 8, Simple Check List

Tue, 08 Jun 2010 04:33:03 GMT

If you are interested in a checklist for the math story problems in the primary grade level, I can send an attachment via email. I stress my students to write an equation with an equal sign horizontally in addition to an algorithm. They need to label the answer, too.

May 14, Simple Measurement Tips

Fri, 14 May 2010 18:38:49 GMT

The metric system is very friendly for the young children. They absorb information quickly in science and math classes. Once they understand the place value and recognized the vocabulary, such as mili, centi, kilo, meters, litter, grams, etc, they can apply easily. We love metrics! However, we also appreciate US standard in our lives. The system is way more complicated than metrics when they learn in the classroom. My simple and sophisticated suggestion is to invite kids into the kitchen in the daily bases! Cook together. Let them measure. Count the cups. They will be used to it. Instead of using running water during whole time of the cleaning, put some water in the empty milk jug so they can actually see how many cups can contain in a gallon. Then, pour water into the sink. How many gallons can fill the half of the sink? Talk about estimation. Wow! Perhaps kids can write some journal about the kitchen activity. The Hands on experience will help understand the US standard in measurement.

Apr 16, Rocket Math

Fri, 16 Apr 2010 23:34:51 GMT

Rocket math is the simple multiplication practice system that a professor at University of Washington developed. Instead of memorizing 2s, 3s, 4s,etc, each level has two or two new facts. For example, at level A, 1 x any number and any number x 1. There are about 30 problems on the top half to practice for one minute. The bottom half is for the test. When a student complete every correct answer within one minute, he can go on to the next level. A separated recording sheet has a rocket picture with each level from A to W to color in when they pass. Kids are very motivated in this timing activity and recording their passing level on the rocket. There is no time to feel embarrassment when they don't pass because the activity lasts as quick as a lightning! Besides, they most likely pass in the second or third trial. At level W, they master all multiplication facts. what a sophisticated program it is! It is that simple and easy. Currently, 8 out of 24 students are at level G without failing so far. Please send me an email for your interest. I will send you a sample if you are interested in.

Feb 27, Simple Adjustment on Multiplication Day 6

Sat, 27 Feb 2010 23:31:53 GMT

After I used the cards from Multiplication Lesson Day 6, I realized these cards are too small. So I adjusted them as a huge version. However, they look funny after the PDF conversion. It is up to you on however you want to adjust, but if you are interested in a Microsoft Word version, I would love to send it to your for free. Please email me.

Feb 17, Simple Yet Sophisticated Multiplication Day 2

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 00:56:02 GMT

On the Multiplication Lesson Day 2, Marybeth had no clue what to do until I visited her group. I demonstrated again, to put two chips inside of the one plate. The target number we want to explore today is 2. Oh, so I have to put two chips in each plate. She sounded understood. Then she filled the chart on the worksheet, 2+2+2=6 and 2x3=6. Two objects and three groups, exclaimed Marybeth. After that, she repeated to put two chips in the new plate, and completed the worksheet! Across from her seat, Billy, who is at the similar level with Marybeth in math, enchanted, I am almost done with 8 plates! It began pretty complex for her, however, a little extra help and practice made her think how multiplication is sophisticated yet very simple.

Feb 11, Sophisticated Multi-Digit Subtraction in Simple Steps

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 03:48:16 GMT

Multi-digit subtraction is getting fun for Marybeth. She started working on numbers including 0 in the middle, such as 204, 103, etc. One of the examples is 204-68. On the vertical way, it looks like; 204 -68 As usual, she starts looking at numbers in the ones place. Can you subtract 8 from 4? No. I have to hide 4. Oh, no. I cannot borrow anything from 0 in the tens place! At this point, I introduced the strategy to borrow from the 100s place. Marybeth, if you can not borrow from one above digit, you can borrow from one more above. Yes, you will borrow 100. Marybeth crosses off 2 in 100s place, and write 1 over it. Now I have 100. I ask, Do you need a whole 100 or just 10? 10 is enough, she replies. Then, lets do it. How much do you have left when you borrow just one from 100? 90. Yes, you can cross out 0 in 10s place and write 9 for your left over. I summarize, You borrowed 100, but using 10 out of it, so wrote 9 over 0. So how much do you have in your hand? I just borrowed 10. 10 minus 8 is 2. I bring my hiding number back. Then, Marybeth wrote 6under the line. 9 minus 6 is 3. 100 minus nothing is100. My answer is 136! This kind of multi-step operation makes kids nervous. But she is learning how to do it by focusing on one digit at a time. Of course, she needs some guidance and more practice for right now, but I am very optimistic about her progress as long as she continues practicing on a daily bases. I am wondering how long it is going to take for Marybeth to be able to operate toward a little bit more complicated problems like this independently. Please stick around with us!

Jan 31, Simple Yet Sophisticated Quadrilaterals

Sun, 31 Jan 2010 21:12:16 GMT

I have decided to extend the Day 4 of Geometry Lesson Plan. The major reason is that identifying and drawing variety of quadrilaterals are extremely sophisticated concept and skills for 8 years old. For example, when you want to draw a parallelogram accurately, you need a pair of triangle rulers that slide side by side. However, since it is a State Requirement, I need to find the accommodated version of drawing for 3rd graders. (Simple Yet Sophisticated Quadrilateral Drawing Method is coming soon!) My students practiced each quadrilateral in their notebook several times. I cut the second worksheet in each quadrilateral so kids can draw on one side, write its definition on the other side. Eventually, they can play a game with those hand-made cards to practice identifying. You can make your own simple rules. However you play, it will bring the sophisticated outcomes from your students. Good luck!

Jan 30, Simple Yet Sohpisticated Advice

Sat, 30 Jan 2010 05:07:17 GMT

I gave my student assessments today. It is basically about addition and subtraction. It also includes comparing numbers, place values, estimation, and expression. My main focus was simply subtraction on Marybeths paper. I gave 3-digit subtraction problems with a borrowing requirement that she has been working on for over 3 weeks. Marybeth got them ALL CORRECT! Simple intervention finally worked!!!!! As a bonus, she demonstrated the accurate rounding process in the money estimation problem. Marybeth proved that the simple intervention was really sophisticated, thus, she could independently work. It took a while; however, daily practice contributed a significant part to this success. I am hoping she can sustain her mastering skills for a long time. Again, daily practice is the key. My simple yet sophisticated advice.

Jan 24, Simple Progress and Sohpisticated Improvement ( that is required)

Sun, 24 Jan 2010 23:31:48 GMT

I am finding out challenges that we are (may be only I am) facing. One of them is Marybeths inconsistent study habit and manipulation with adults around her. First of all, although homework assignment is reviewed one by one, a half of the time, it wouldnt come back next day. It disappears mysteriously, according to Marybeth. Also, it seems like she tells different things to her mom and me. She tells her mom that she lost her assignment, and she tells me that her assignment is on the kitchen counter. My strategy to prevent these problems is to staple an only single paper each day on the weekly homework sheet instead of sending a separate booklet. So she can focus on one paper without any excuses of mysteriously disappeared papers. Her mom also patiently communicates with me how she is doing through a home-school connection sheet daily. Marybeth started to understand two-digit number minus two or one digit that requires borrowing. In fact, she had 5 correct answers out of 8 questions on Tuesday, 8 out of 8 on Wednesday, 6 out of 8 on Thursday, and 8 out of 8 on Friday. When a whole class practices three-digit number subtraction, she is using hiding number strategy properly which means she can solve them with only a little help. A bad news is while she is busy using the sophisticated subtraction strategies, she is not able to use her memorized make 10 combination. She is using her fingers, Ten minus seven equal three, just like that. I simply develop more patience and stay focus on what she is mastering. The next step is how I can help maintaining her mastering skills. It sounds so sophisticated, however, it doesnt seem a simple task right now. The link I am introducing today is written in Japanese but you can read numbers, can you? It is like a rank. When you see 10 級, it means the rank 10, the lowest. When you master one level, you can move up to 9, 8, 7, . until the highest rank, 1級. You might feel like earning the higher level colored belt in Karate lesson from your Sensei eventually.

Jan 10, Simple Yet Sophisticated Geometry

Sun, 10 Jan 2010 02:28:01 GMT

The Day 3 of Geometry 3rd grade unit plans, the Line Segment Lesson, is the fun Map making lesson. Students develop the line segments' concept by making their own town. I uploaded additional simple yet sophisticated worksheets along with this lesson. Check out our Geometry Lesson Plan! The attached website provides math terms in the very friendly way. Although math vocabulary words are challenging for 3rd graders, you will find out the ways the kids understand through Geometry Lesson Plan Day 3 and this website. Good luck!

Jan 8, Simple Yet Sophisticated Subtraction Strategy

Fri, 08 Jan 2010 03:40:45 GMT

A Happy New Year! Marybeths mom wrote me a note that says Marybeth worked on her math over the winter break. I simply thought, Yes! I opened the First Grade Math Practice Book page 16, titled Subtraction. Wow!..... What???!!! Marybeth changed all the minus signs to the plus signs! Of course, I was simply disappointed. At the same time I was amazed about her sophisticated trick that she thought about just because she hates subtractions! Well, she can come along our simple intervention journey with this creativity and enthusiasm. Anyway, our simple intervention started with problems including teen numbers minus single digit numbers. 13-6=? First, she makes 13 with two 10 frame cards. One is 10, another is 3. First, she hides a 10 Frame Card 3 and thinks about 10-6. Next, she makes her finger 4. Then, she brings back a 10 Frame Card 3 by her four fingers. Marybeth exclaims, 3+4=7, so 13-6=7! This process is introduced in the first grade in Japan, and they have been successful. When a student masters Make 10 Combinations, this strategy works very well. Instead of forcing her to memorize 13-6, you can use Make 10 combination and 1digit addition. Marybeth and I practiced 5 problems together today. She seems excited to teach her mom this strategy tonight. You can apply this method in the traditional algorithm. Students like Marybeth need concrete and explicit instruction rather than giving choices. They dont have strong enough foundation to make choices yet. At the end of todays session, Marybeth can operate 13-6 without 10 frame cards. She hides 3 with an eraser, just like hiding a card, then, moves an eraser after 10-6. She gets the same answer with her mouth and eyes wide open. 13 minus 6 equal 7! This is the first simple yet sophisticated triumphant of 2010.

Dec 30, Simple Yet Sophisticated Daily Practice

Wed, 30 Dec 2009 15:50:02 GMT

Unlike towards the end of summer vacation, you would feel some reluctance over "going back" to the normal schedule after all of the festivities. I am with you. However, you would love to use Math 4 Today in your class or home in this coming year. I have been reading several articles about the school wide tier 1, 2, 3 models for a while. I have learned that it is important to monitor individual student's progress. In each week, Math 4 Today will help you to find which students are getting the math concepts and which are not. So you can plan some interventions right away. This concept is very similar to math-lesson-plans.com, that is, of course, simple yet sophisticated. I enjoy using Math 4 Today every day for 10 years in my class. Have a great start in 2010!

Nov 23, Simple Yet Sophisticated Intervention Plan

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 01:33:01 GMT

Simple Yet Sophisticated Intervention Plan page is open! As Marybeth's intervention plan goes, I edit and add some more information on this page.

Nov 18, Simple Yet Sohpisticated Progress

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 02:59:28 GMT

Marybeth spontaneously recalls numbers from 1 to 5, when I flash 10 frame cards in front of her. She can recall how many more to go to 5 on the number line. Twelve "Making 5" problems have been done in 15 seconds, 13 seconds, and today, it was 11 seconds. Her goal is 10 seconds. Knowing her confidence and competence, I introduced to her a new game with 10 frame cards. Show one card at time with numbers from 5 to 10. Instead of just recalling, she says the number of dots like, "5 and 1 is 6" or "5 and 3 is 8". I noticed she counts one by one in this practice, so I suggested her goal will be 2 seconds for one card. I am trying to strengthen her number sense by recognizing them as groups, not one by one. I sent an email to her mom with an attachment of the on line game that perfectly matches with the 10 frame activities we have been practicing. In the number line, I will introduce the activity, How Many to Go Back to 5. It was very hopeful day for me, and hopefully, she felt the same way, too.

Nov 11, Simple But Not Sophisticated Problem

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 03:40:55 GMT

Bad news. There was no evidence of math practice in her communication folder in this morning. Although Marybeth had such a simple happy smile on her face saying that her mom and she worked math activities that I provided. She promised me to bring simple yet sophisticated practice materials back. One positive thing is that it took her 20 seconds to complete ten addition facts (only plus 2). It was quite an accomplishment for her; however, I guess I have to keep my fingers crossed a little bit tighter.

Nov 10, Simple Yet Sphisticated Case Study 1 Marybeth

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 04:56:47 GMT

A simple yet sophisticated plan for Marybeth has one strict rule. That is not to exceed 15 minutes for her addition and subtraction practice with her mom. I do not want her to feel overwhelmed. I want her to feel successful. So I simply divide 15 minutes into 3 components. The first component is to improve the automatic recognition of the 10 frame for 5 minutes. Instead of recognizing one dot at time (counting one by one), I want her to recognize the numbers of dots in the 10 frame as a group. The second component is to be familiar with the combination of 5. She practices this form in one minute at time. The final component is to practice addition and subtraction in the horizontal equations. Numbers she uses are under 5. I am pulling some resources from Japanese 1st grade practice book. My hope is for her to feel confident by completing and accomplishing her daily goal in a short amount of time. I use my Home-School Connection sheet to communicate with her mom. She seems enthusiastic when I introduced this simple yet sophisticated plan. I keep my fingers crossed. Of course, to be continued...

Nov 9, Case Study 1

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 02:44:39 GMT

If you are a classroom teacher, you always find a student or two (maybe more), who just do not get it. Marybeth (her real name is unrevealed) is mine this year. Other teachers who have known her in previous years tell me about her all the time. ...She does not get it, does she? ...He mom was in Special Ed. ...She should be in Special Ed... Really? I am thinking about the similar students while teaching in Japan. There is no place to refer students who just do not get it. There are some toughness and consistency in their mathematical learning system. By 3rd grade, almost no students struggle with adding single digit numbers. If the plan is simple and sophisticated, I can help Marybeth before multiplication lesson starts. So, I start observing her math performance characteristics when she works in a large group, a small group, and individual work. In the addition computation routine, she is totally confident with plus ones, however, she start showing inconsistency even from plus ones. I am thinking if she is cognitively delayed corresponding the existence of objects and numerals. Maybe there are just 10 dots in her brain when she sees the number 10. In other words, she lacks the concept of grouping or relationships. There is no wonder why she feels so overwhelmed when she sees the number 145. One hundred forty five dots are flying around in her brain! This coming week, I try to focus on strengthening the cognitive understanding of numbers under 10 with 10 frames. 10 frames are transferable to the 10 fingers, too. Another option is the abacus. I wish I had it in my class. For now, please wish me luck. To be continued...

Oct 24, Twitter Debut!

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 21:13:48 GMT

math-lesson-plans.com finally launched on Twitter!

Oct 19, PDF files Uploaded!

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 03:15:37 GMT

Fraction is the most wanted unit lesson plans many educators are looking for. I just uploaded all math lesson plans in the Fraction Unit, Division Unit, and Geometry Unit. They are all simple yet sophisticated. If you would like to tweak or adjust the lesson plans or worksheets, I would love to send you an attachment through email. Please make sure your students understand the concept in each lesson prior to the next lesson. Don't rush and follow the sequence. There is no shortcut for the academic achievement!

Oct 16, Graphing is Fun

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 02:09:45 GMT

Although I am still working on the lesson plans of Graphing in math-lesson-plan.com, I happened to find a exciting and effective practice site for the bar graphs. This site includes from the basic knowledge of the graph to constructing the bar graph, and to analyzing the graph. The computer will time you when you play the game as well as score. I encourage my 3rd grade students to record their activities and scores in the Math Activity Log so they can monitor their progress. If you are interested in the format, I will be happy to send it to your email. Please contact me. These games activities are very interactive and will help with mastering their math skills. I rotate students during collaborative math group activities. If you explore in depth at this site, you will find more math contents, grade levels, and other subjects as well. What a bonus!

Oct 7, Practice for Mastering

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 00:53:12 GMT

Practicing is as essential as the best math lesson plans for students to master math skills. If the best math lesson is the teacher's responsibility, the practice is the student's responsibility. However, of course, they need an appropriate guidance from adults. You can choose the activities by grade level and skills you are looking for in this site. At school, teachers might want to rotate students in the computer station during the math lessons. At home, families might want to allow their children 15 minutes of computer time to practice math skills every day. Needless to say, these activities are fun and interactive. Enjoy!

Sep 13, Simple and Sophisticated Math Fluency

Sun, 13 Sep 2009 19:28:22 GMT

The math games should be simple and sophisticated. "What Makes 5" is the game that I created from "Rock, Paper, Scissors". When 2 people say "What Makes 5?" as same as "Rock, Paper, Scissors," they show their favorite number of fingers at same time. When they make "five" successfully together, they exchange "fight five" for their collaborative victory. If they make other numbers, keep playing until they make "5". You will be amazed by their fluency before and after this game. I always give my 25 third graders the pre/post assessment during this activity so they get to self-evaluate their improvement throughout this game. Another challenging, but still simple and sophisticated game is "What Makes 10" Do this in the same way, however, you have to use all fingers. Instead of waiting for making 10, players call the sum each time they play. The first person who calls the answer is the winner. If they successfully make 10, their celebration is "Double High Five"! Enjoy these simple and sophisticated games for 5 minutes including pre/post assessments before your math lesson.

Aug 31, Math Facts Practice on Technology

Mon, 31 Aug 2009 14:04:29 GMT

Although Hideo Kageyama's philosophy is not new in Japan, his innovation is quite unique. His research fully supports the importance of his three beliefs. In fact, I have been incorporating his method in my daily lessons frequently in Japan and the U.S. However students no longer have to use papers and pencils anymore because of this technology device Kageyama and Microsoft invented. It might attract the children in 21 century to master multiplication facts and beyond. The challenges that need to be solved are funding and awareness. Please share your ideas of Kageyama's study and invention with me.

Aug 20, My Favorite Math and Literacy Connections

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 21:34:51 GMT

One of my main resources in math-lesson-plans.com is the books that are written/recommended by Marilyn Burns. There are lesson plans with books in this site that I mention today. You can throw them in anytime you want. However, as I mention in my "Philosophy" page, it is important that the educator needs to know what the target of the lesson, where that lesson is in the learning sequence, and what level of understanding each student are at about the targeted math concept. You might want to use the blank format in my home page at math-lesson-plans.com to craft your own lessons with a variety of beautiful math related literature. One example is shown in my multiplication page.

Aug 20, Measurement Unit Lesson Plans

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 14:49:41 GMT

Have you sent "Welcome Back Letters" to your new students and their families yet? Since I am planning to teach measurement (weight/capacity) lessons in September, I am asking families to collect empty and clean liquid containers on the letter this year. There are still a little over week left until school starts. Kids and families can remember collecting containers because of this letter without a busy school days or homework! The Everyday-objects are very powerful for children. I hope they pay attention to the descriptions on the labels. The measurement unit lesson plan unit will be coming soon at math-lesson-plans.com.

Aug 11, Must Do! Daily Practice

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 18:42:36 GMT

You might have noticed that there are some "every day practices" in multiplication lesson plans at math-lesson-plans.com. One of them is called Kumon that is the math practice method. It will fill "mastering" part of the multiplication unit lessons after the child develops the concrete concept through the hands-on exploration. It is essential for students to recall the multiplication facts instantly by the effective daily practice. Then students can utilize multiplication facts when they face on the advanced challenges,such as divisions,ratios,fractions, decimals, and etc,. When I taught 4th and 5th grade classes in the U.S., I have observed many students who understand how the multiplication works (system itself)so that eventually they would figure out the facts, which was wonderful. (By the way, all Japanese students are required to memorize the multiplication facts by heart by the end of the 2nd grade year) However, I have noticed that they took too much time solving the any kinds of math problems because they haven't mastered the multiplication facts yet as a result of lacking the practices. These kids need more practice time to master math facts. Then they will experience the beauty of math logic and alignment that will invite them to more sophisticated math and science world! So, although there are many practice theories and books out there, Kumon Method and its progression of learning might attract your students' needs and your successful math lesson plans. Another possible math facts practice resource from Japan would be Kageyama method. Enjoy googling something new before school starts!

Aug 7, Simple Collaborative Plans

Fri, 07 Aug 2009 01:45:05 GMT

I hope you have already and successfully downloaded simple yet sophisticated multiplication lesson plans in math-lesson-plans.com. If you are teaching 3rd grade, you might want to share these lessons with your grade level team for the professional development. If it's hard to get every member on board, you might want to consider working with a buddy. There are some different ways to approach depending on your creativity, but here are some ideas. The first idea is that both/all of you teach same lessons and discuss after all about what worked and what didn't work. You might want to share the assessment results as well. The multiplication unit requires students the concrete understanding for the future challenges in math. It is so beneficial to know how you tweak the next lesson based on your students' understanding level. In some cases, you just move on the the next day. In other cases, you might want to re-teach by using different manipulative. This reflective piece works so well while discussing with your team mates. The second suggestion is that one of you teach a lesson and another teacher observes it by using the multiplication lesson plans. Choose 1 student and jot down what he/she says or does throughout a lesson on the lesson plan form. You will be amazed how its sequence effectively impacts on your student's voice and mathematical thinking. You will also find how you might want to consider tweaking on your own way. For example, perhaps more humor, wording, longer exploration time are considered to be changed next time. If you download in Microsoft Word, you have your freedom to tweak in anyway you want, even prior to the target lesson. Please also keep in mind that your team collaboration is not a criticizing session, but needs to be focused on the students' achievement. Isn't it nice to have mini, but many celebrations with your team mates and of course students, too? I know it is still summer time, but it is also a good time to think something creative like this because I know there is NO time thinking about anything beyond your daily duties when school starts. Use your time wisely regardless of the seasons.

Aug 5, International Standard

Wed, 05 Aug 2009 05:04:02 GMT

Arne Duncan has been talking about the international standard in US. His idea and my philosophy behind math-lesson-plans.com sound really similar. Yes, the high standard should be understood by teachers who deliver directly to our future generation. Then, it would make sense the corresponding assessment will be needed, perhaps, as a standardized assessment. I will invite you to read my "philosophy" page.