Our work with four second graders having difficulties in math.

April 27th, 2005

Luz Maldonado and I worked with four second graders who were having difficulties in math, for about 10 weeks. Each of us got together with them once a week, on separate days. What follows are my reflections on working with these four children. As you will see, our work soon turned to diagnosing and developing base-10 knowledge, a key construct in elementary math.

Table of contents:

Introduction

Why this case study?
What is mathematics?
Why not direct instruction?

Session 1

Problem set #1.
We begin our work together.

Session 2

Problem set #2.
I discover a ‘lack of number sense’ is really a lack of base-10 understanding.

Session 3

Problem set #3.
I make the problems too difficult, the children don’t listen to each other.

Session 4

Problem set #4.
Quick problems to begin session 4.
Developing 10 as a unit.

Session 5

Problem set #5.
Today, we focused.
One dime is 10 cents, and 10 cents is one dime.

Session 6

Problem set #6.
Progress!

Session 7

Problem set #7.
Frustration!

Session 8

Problem set #8.
Extending the children’s thinking.

Session 9

Problem set #9.
True/false number sentences.

Session 10

Problem set #10.
Our last session together.

Alternatively, you can begin here and follow arrows to later posts (in the upper right corner).

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