Welcome Mathematics Night For Parents Poplar Road Junior

Welcome. . . Mathematics Night For Parents Poplar Road Junior Public School November 2014

As a student, math was like

A WALK IN THE PARK

A DAY AT THE BEACH

CLIMBING MOUNT EVEREST

BEING STRANDED IN THE DESERT

A WALK IN THE PARK CLIMBING MOUNT EVEREST A DAY AT THE BEACH BEING STRANDED IN THE DESERT

EQAO 2013/14

Student Attitudes

Student Attitudes

Changes to our School Improvement Plans • Use of Numeracy Blocks for extended time on task for all students • Additional. 5 Teacher to reduce class size in the Junior Grades • Special Grade 6 Problem Solving focused period each week; often led by our ER 13 Math Coach Freda Liu

Changes to our School Improvement Plans Cont’d • Four staff members currently taking additional qualification courses in Elementary Mathematics • Staff Meeting focus on Mathematics Improvement Planning • School-Wide focus on Problem Solving ‘POWS’ • Ongoing communication and family events focused on improving attitudes and achievement in Mathematics Family Math Nights Coming Soon!

What are Children Learning in Mathematics in 2014? Five General Goals for Mathematics are: • that all students learn to value mathematics, • that students become confident in their own abilities to do math, • that they learn to represent and reason about quantities and shapes, • that they learn to devise and solve mathematical problems, • that they learn to communicate what they have learned 13

Content is organized in 5 interconnected strands. . .

Making Connections • Helping students make connections between each of the strands is key to long term mathematical success • Students who are able to see patterns, relationships and connections between math topics have been proven to be more successful long term in learning (and enjoying) mathematics.

Making Connections

SHADE TO UNCOVER PATTERNS AND PROBRABILITY + 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

4+3 3+3 3+4 4+4 3+2 4+2 5+2 3+5 4+5 2+2 2+3 2+4 2+5 5+3 5+4 5+5 2+1 3+1 4+1 5+1 6+1 2+6 3+6 4+6 5+6 1+1 1+2 1+3 1+4 1+5 1+6 6+2 6+3 6+4 6+5 6+6 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Mathematics Assessment A student’s mark in Math depends on their being able to. . . • solve problems • understand the concepts • apply the concepts • communicate their answers

How Can Parents Support Their Children with Math ? “ Do not worry about your difficulties in mathematics. I can assure you that mine are still greater. ” - Albert Einstein

“Numerous studies provide data to indicate that there is a positive correlation between attitude and achievement in mathematics”. Pg 13 Early Math Strategy 23

Good Mathematics is not about how many answers you know, but about how you behave when you don’t know.

Have high expectations! Everyone can succeed at Math

Just what kind of parental involvement and how much involvement -- truly helps children with their homework? 26

Fostering responsibility and independence The most useful stance parents can take is to be somewhat but not overly involved in homework. The emphasis needs to be on parents' helping children do their homework themselves -- not on doing it for them. 27

Fostering responsibility and independence Accept the struggle as a normal part of doing math, just as you accept the struggle to become better in sports. Problem solving is like mental pushups for the brain. 28

Remember: Problems can be solved in different ways. Though a problem may have only one correct solution, there are often many ways to get the right answer. 29

Fostering responsibility and independence Be patient; incorrect answers tell you that you need to look further, ask questions, and figure out what you do not understand. 30

Talk With Someone at School If Problems Come Up If homework problems do arise, everyone needs to work together to resolve. . . Don’t let homework problems go on for a long time. Send a note to your child’s teacher or make an appointment to come in and talk about it. We are a team! 31