First published 1 Feb 2009
Once again, I thought I'd share some observations in two different schools with Year 4 boys, around 8 years old, who were constantly in trouble for their poor behaviour in math.
Once again, I thought I'd share some observations in two different schools with Year 4 boys, around 8 years old, who were constantly in trouble for their poor behaviour in math.
I'd been asked to sit in with them to assist, thinking that they were perhaps finding the math hard or struggling to manage the literacy skills needed for the problem solving. The teachers were both very angry that they were constantly interrupting or messing about.
Now I qualified as a math teacher so thought I might be able to help.
Whispering quietly "What are we supposed to do?"
"We're adding on in tens, starting at different numbers"
OK, I thought, then this can't be too difficult, one-to-one.
"Can you do this?" I asked
"Yes, it's too easy"
I often hear pupils say it's too easy or it's boring, which often translates "I can't do it"
"Can I check that you can do this just for a little while"
I confirm with the teacher that we're doing the work, to get the attention away from us.
"Can you add on 10 from 30, 50, backwards for 20, 80, add on from 37, 82, take off from 91, 53"
All answered in a flash
"What about add on 20 from 35, take off 40 from 80?"
Again all done mentally without hesitation.
"Do you find this sort of stuff easy?" I ask, knowing the answer - I was one of these in school too
"Yes, it's just boring"
"I understand that. Can we try some other things?"
And on we went, juggling numbers, he and I setting tasks for each other for the whole lesson.
We finished up with 4 x 3 digit numbers to add up. They looked like this.
356 +
858
392
794
-----
-----
And you have guessed it, he could do this. He did need a pencil, on my suggestion to make a note of the carries, but he could do this in his head! Adding on in tens then, should we carry on with the original lesson? It's 2400, by the way.
It's written down like this
21
--28
---20
-------
2400
-------
What comment did we get back from the teacher - "You don't add up from the left-hand side"
"You do if you're doing it in your head" I added, and we carried on, lost in numbers
In the other school, there were three boys, all in trouble, one was reading his book under the desk. Guess what I found out there too?
In another lesson, the pupils were doing rounding up numbers, again 3 digit additions, on paper and then checking them with their calculators.
Teacher writes up 3x3 digit numbers.
Nathan shouts out "Eight hundred and seventy two" and then puts his head down again
"Remember to put up you hand when you want to tell the class your answer. Nathan, we need to work out to the nearest hundred."
"It's Eight hundred and seventy two", and it was!
"I think he's added it up mentally to the correct answer, rather than rounding it up" I politely say for all the class and the teacher to hear
"Very good, now who can tell me to the nearest hundred"
"What's the point says Nathan?"
I nod and agree
Now I qualified as a math teacher so thought I might be able to help.
Whispering quietly "What are we supposed to do?"
"We're adding on in tens, starting at different numbers"
OK, I thought, then this can't be too difficult, one-to-one.
"Can you do this?" I asked
"Yes, it's too easy"
I often hear pupils say it's too easy or it's boring, which often translates "I can't do it"
"Can I check that you can do this just for a little while"
I confirm with the teacher that we're doing the work, to get the attention away from us.
"Can you add on 10 from 30, 50, backwards for 20, 80, add on from 37, 82, take off from 91, 53"
All answered in a flash
"What about add on 20 from 35, take off 40 from 80?"
Again all done mentally without hesitation.
"Do you find this sort of stuff easy?" I ask, knowing the answer - I was one of these in school too
"Yes, it's just boring"
"I understand that. Can we try some other things?"
And on we went, juggling numbers, he and I setting tasks for each other for the whole lesson.
We finished up with 4 x 3 digit numbers to add up. They looked like this.
356 +
858
392
794
-----
-----
And you have guessed it, he could do this. He did need a pencil, on my suggestion to make a note of the carries, but he could do this in his head! Adding on in tens then, should we carry on with the original lesson? It's 2400, by the way.
It's written down like this
21
--28
---20
-------
2400
-------
What comment did we get back from the teacher - "You don't add up from the left-hand side"
"You do if you're doing it in your head" I added, and we carried on, lost in numbers
In the other school, there were three boys, all in trouble, one was reading his book under the desk. Guess what I found out there too?
In another lesson, the pupils were doing rounding up numbers, again 3 digit additions, on paper and then checking them with their calculators.
Teacher writes up 3x3 digit numbers.
Nathan shouts out "Eight hundred and seventy two" and then puts his head down again
"Remember to put up you hand when you want to tell the class your answer. Nathan, we need to work out to the nearest hundred."
"It's Eight hundred and seventy two", and it was!
"I think he's added it up mentally to the correct answer, rather than rounding it up" I politely say for all the class and the teacher to hear
"Very good, now who can tell me to the nearest hundred"
"What's the point says Nathan?"
I nod and agree