Tips and More Tips

Look at what I received yesterday!  My very own "tip jar".  Thank you very much to Angelina who made this for me and brought it in.  Since I give out many tips to assist the students with their work, it is nice to know that I can also receive tips too!  Stay tuned for further developments.






Math tips - During the last few weeks, I have realized that many of my students are confused about what multiplying means.  The students now know that the order of the factors in a multiplication sentence is crucial.  See what I mean below.

3 x 4 = 12          $$$$      $$$$      $$$$  (3 groups of 4)

4 x 3 = 12          $$$     $$$     $$$     $$$  (4 groups of 3)

While it is true that the same product is the result in both cases, the simple graphic representations illustrate how these number sentences mean very different things.  

Consider this problem:  Four children each have three dollars in their pocket.  How much money is there altogether?

Which number sentence from the samples above would be the correct one for this problem?

If you decided on the second one (the green one) you are correct.  The first example would show that three students each had four dollars.  A very different situation.  Understanding this concept can mean the difference between achieving a level 3 or 4 in some situations.

Have you checked out the new anchor charts on our website?

Don't forget that tomorrow afternoon we welcome you to school for the Meet the Teacher social event.  I look forward to meeting all of the families in our classroom between 4:30 pm and 6 pm.  Your child will be able to give you a tour of the room, their desk, and their locker as well!