Image Map

Friday, March 2, 2012

Think Math: Number Line Hotel

As you know I’m on my district’s math textbook selection committee and last week we heard from Think Math. The presenter displayed this…and I was like... Man! A number chart that makes sense! I love it! Higher numbers are higher…you don’t go down the chart to find ten more. The numbers are stacked in chunks of ten, the teen numbers are together. When adding ten the students can see it’s basically a vertical jump up..which makes more sense than going down to add ten. Maya Angelou says: “When you know better, you do better”. Thoughts anyone????

In other math news…this year I’ve really been researching the best practices in math instruction. In addition to the other books I’ve shared , I’ve found three new books that have really helped my  instruction. They’ve helped me  cultivate ways to get my first graders thinking critically about math. They’ve also helped to nurture wonderful classroom conversations around problem solving. Check them out if you have the chance. I hope to be back tomorrow with some freebies for my peeps, and give you a peek at our week. Happy Friday!
Math Matters: Understanding the Math You Teach Grades K-8, 2nd Edition

Classroom Discussions: Using Math Talk to Help Students Learn

How to Assess While You Teach Math: Formative Assessment Practice and Lessons, Grades K-2: A Multimedia Professional Learning Resource

19 comments:

  1. Awesome share! I am curious if you have tried the number chart with your kids ...I wonder if it would confuse them after using the other style or if it should be used from the beginning...?
    Jennifer

    First Grade Blue SKies

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love that you shared a very different hundreds chart. I remember a few years back using Marilyn Burns' 100 chart which starts with zero at the top. (So it is actually a 99 chart.) When I shared it with other teachers on my team, they didn't like it at all because it was different than what they were used to. So I was delighted to see your post today!!
    My opinion: Yes, this bottom to top makes sense. It seems like it woud be intuitive for children to understand that larger numbers would be "higher". But I do wonder if this would make it confusing for children as they are counting to 100 (99) because they have to start at the bottom. We work so hard to teach them to start at the top when they are reading, would it be hard for them to start at the bottom when counting. Not sure ... I am just beginning my pondering of this chart. Are you going to try it with your class? If you do, please blog about how it goes! Again, thank you for sharing this with us. I love to be challlenged to rethink things that are traditionally done a certain way.
    Camille
    An Open Door

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love Classroom Discussions. I read it way back when during my student teaching days, and it's been a staple in my classroom since. Getting these kids to feel comfortable talking about their reasoning and taking risks with their discussion is so important in first grade!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh, and I LOVE the hundreds chart idea. It makes so much more sense! It reminds me of a strategy I heard of during a math training about creating a number line to display in your classroom. Starting with 0, make each number just a little bit larger than the on that came before it. It is a great visual for greater than/less than.

    Happy weekend!
    Meghan
    mustloveteaching.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  5. I really like the number line hotel! My curriculum is not super dependent on the 100s chart, so I think my class could adapt to this form of the 100s chart. Thanks for sharing!

    Marvelous Multiagers!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I like the chart. It does make sense ... But like Camille said, it might pose problems when some kids are still learning to read and write from top down. Hmmm. Not sure. Glad you shared it though.
    Like the book choices!
    Barbara
    Grade ONEderful

    ReplyDelete
  7. I like the idea of a number line chart. I am sure that a child dependent on a number line could use the visual to "see" the progression. This would be great in a resource classroom for some of our students.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I love all the information you packed into this post. I love the number chart. It visually shows the numbers getting "higher" and starts with zero. I also can't wait to find out more about accessing while teaching.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I love the idea of the higher numbers higher on the hundreds chart. I'm thinking I may have to abandon my old hundreds charts next year and switch it over.
    ☺ Tanya
    fantabulous1stgr@aol.com
    First Grade is Fantabulous!

    ReplyDelete
  10. I've given your blog an award! Come on over to check it out!

    ~Ashlee

    ReplyDelete
  11. Just to say Thanks for all you do to share your resources with the rest of us…You've been awarded the Lovely Blog Award…Please hop over and take a look! You're thought of in a very special way!
    Swamp Frog First Graders Lovely Blog Award

    ReplyDelete
  12. I have been looking for new resources and ideas for math. Thanks for the post.
    I have given your blog an award.
    Check it out.
    http://myheartbelongsinfirst.blogspot.com/2012/03/my-first-award.html

    :) Tamera

    ReplyDelete
  13. I have been using the "Think Math" curriculum for 4 years now. Once the children are introduced to the Numberline Hotel and grasp onto the concepts or jumping up a floor is +10, jumping down a floor is -10, they love it. My class uses it to add 2 digit numbers together. For exaample, 32 + 25. They start at room 32 and now understand that 25 means go up 2 floors and over 5 rooms. Like I said, my children love it. I think sometimes teacher have a harder time with change than the children.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree 100% with yout last statement. I would add only edit it to read "teachers AND PARENTS have a harder time with change than the children."

      Delete
  14. Haha...just looking at your previous comments on here, it looks like you get awards all the time but...I have awarded you the Lovely Blog Award!

    You were one of the first blogs I ever looked at and you definitely got me hooked on blogging!


    If you have a chance, stop by my blog and check it out!

    Thanks!
    Sarah
    www.thefabulousfirstgrade-sarah.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  15. Our building just started using Think Math this year. The first year is especially rough to have both students and teachers acclimate to new vocab and ideas like the number line hotel. I would LOVE it if others used this format! I have made my own chart using the bottom up method to go with many of the cute 100 chart designs and 10 more, 10 less-not much out there!

    ReplyDelete
  16. We are also adopting a new textbook series, which I unfortunately didn't get on the committee! It is between HMH Expressions, or McGraw-Hill- My Math, what are you looking at?

    ReplyDelete
  17. At my school we have a Project AIM grant (Achievement in Math). We just finished the Math Talks book study - it has transformed discussions in my classroom, the 5 major talk moves...they WORK!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Thanks for the text book suggestions, I'm always looking for new books to read that'll help my instruction!

    I've never seen a number line like that but it sure does make more sense!

    ReplyDelete

Kind words are appreciated here.