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Differentiate Math: Getting Started

Working with a student who is bored in math? Quickly finishing lessons? Needs something more? Here are three ways you can get started differentiating in math. 1. Accelerate Gifted students are, by definition, ready for thinking and content beyond their current grade level. This research from several different states found that 11% to 30% of […]

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Making Awful Graphs

Sometimes we can learn a lot by doing something the wrong way. Here are six ways your students can purposefully design awful, misleading graphs.

Creating A New Mathematical Operation

Do your students realize that addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division are all examples of the same idea: an operation? And that it’s quite possible to create a brand new operation? Let’s do it!

Differentiate Math: Getting Started

Working with a student who is bored in math? Quickly finishing lessons? Needs something more? Here are three ways you can get started differentiating in math. 1. Accelerate Gifted students are, by definition, ready for thinking and content beyond their current grade level. This research from several different states found that 11% to 30% of […]

Thinking, Not Memorizing, In Math

Creativity and math may seem completely incompatible. Math is when students follow predefined steps to arrive at an exact answer! Here are four ideas for quick math warmups that encourage students to use divergent, creative thinking.

Identify and Support Young Mathematicians

Attention kindergarten, first, and second grade teachers: You likely have a budding and brilliant mathematician among your classroom ranks! That child may sit quietly while the other students “catch up” and learn basic math concepts covered by early primary curriculum, or he might refuse to do the work and goof off during math time. This behavior may suggest that this child is behind, but the following points will help determine if this is a valid conclusion.

Communicating Work In Math

Many wrote in to add that showing work is important as a way of communicating to an audience. But, whether we realize it or not, the only audience many students are performing for is a test scanner. So, teachers, let’s put our money where our mouths are and give them a chance to experience that showing steps is vital to communication. And give them this chance daily!

Cooperative Exploration In Math With Clues

I’m beginning to teach the dreaded geometry unit featuring complementary, supplementary, adjacent, and vertical angles. Historically a confusing topic, this year is going to be different. I’m going to use a new tactic: cooperative reasoning with a set of “clues.”

Differentiate Math With Complexity and Novelty

Looking for some ways to challenge your advanced mathematicians? If you’d like to keep them on the same topic as the rest of your class, consider increasing the complexity of your current unit. If they’re in need of more advanced curriculum to keep their creativity flowing, try to bring in novel ways of looking at math.

To Show Or Not To Show Work In Math

We must be careful not to admonish our intuitive learners for being intuitive. As teachers of the gifted, we must set up learning environments that are best for our students. And if they’re doing it all in their heads (and getting it right!), then the environment needs to change.

Differentiating in Math: Running Multiple Groups in One Class

100%, 100%, 100%. If you’ve ever taught gifted students math, you’re probably familiar with those kids who can knock perfect scores out week after week. You’ve probably also questioned what good you’re doing for those students. A differentiated math program may be just what you need.