Foundations of
Guided Math
Guided Math
Teaching students in small groups while the rest of the class works independently.
What is guided math?
Dr. Nicki says this environment involves students disagreeing, defending, challenging, describing, explaining, writing, speaking, etc.
What is a Numeracy Rich Environment?
You should have 3-5 of these, no more, that all students agree to at the beginning of the year and that they all sign off on that they will follow.
These are groups created after pre-assessing students so that you can work with students where they are.
What are homogeneous groups?
This is what we refer to the whole process - the teacher working with a guided math group while the rest of the students work independently or in pairs at different stations or centers around the room.
What is math workshop?
This is where the teacher keeps her math tools, records, notes, and where she/he often works with the students and where everyone can also gather to talk about the math they've done.
What is home base?
This is how students know exactly what to do during math workshop.
What are practiced routines?
Alternatively, these are groups of students with a variety of abilities, interests, etc.
What are heterogeneous groups?
Researchers maintain that working in small groups allows you to work in Vygotsky's zone called...
What is the Zone of Proximal Development?
This is how Dr. Nicki suggests that you begin math workshop.
What is a number talk or calendar or number of the day?
These posters remind students of what good mathematicians do, how students prove their thinking, etc.
What is a math anchor chart?
This ensures that students are not likely to stay in the same group the whole year.
What is flexible grouping?
Dr. Nicki suggests that teachers have a toolkit of songs, poems, chants, manipulatives, charts, activities, etc. which will appeal to the students via the theory Howard Gardner is most known for.
What is multiple intelligences?
This is a quick math game, like "I'm thinking of a number..." that you can play with students any time during math workshop.
What is a math energizer?
A teacher will have these readily available for use in his/her lessons: counters, paper and pencils, fraction circles, whiteboards, grid paper, attribute blocks, geoboards, number lines, etc.
What is a teacher's toolkit?
A clipboard with post-it notes, a data sheet, waterfall index card chart, and a folder with post-it notes, to name a few.
What are multiple means of collecting observational data on students?
Dr. Nicki suggests that teachers need to do this by reflecting on their practice, taking notes on what is working, and then stretching themselves out of their comfort zones to devise new ways to engage and teach.
What is stretching your pedagogy?
What is the end of math workshop?
This is the only person that can come up to the teacher while she/he is working with a guided math group.
Who is the table leader?
This is the documenting of the strategies we see our students using, the confidence they are demonstrating, etc.
What is record keeping?