Schofield Scoop
March 3, 2024
It has been a few weeks since the last 'Scoop. Mr. Dintino has had lots of important news coming home, and we are mindful not to inundate you with lots of notices and newsletters. See the Forestdale Events below to check out important happenings this week at Forestdale.
This week's photos show 2, 1 and K students busy engaged with math. They are playing games, working on chrome-books, and learning in small groups. So much math happens throughout our day. Young elementary students learn with repeated hands on learning activities, and then solidify skills through hands on paper pencil tasks. Math learning can take place through play (patternblock building), games (memory match, spin to find....) and hands on small group activities (unifix cubes, base 10 blocks, linker chains). Ask your student what math activities they did this week.
-Kara Schofield
Forestdale Events
2nd graders have been learning about and working with money through hands on coin activities and fun games such as "I have...who has.." and matching games. They've also been working with increasingly larger numbers - adding and subtracting within 1000. Classes participated in a "join 1000 chain links" activity - extending the chain throughout a large portion of our 2nd grade wing. This hands on activity provided movement, a real-world problem solving challenge, teamwork, conversation, complex counting and most of all - lots and lots of fun!
First graders worked with numbers up to 120, finding 10 more than and 10 less than. Students used hands on manipulatives such as base 10 blocks and unifix cubes to initially help with the problem solving. The next step in working with 10 more and 10 less is to use a 120 chart without using cubes to help solve the problems. Many first graders can then find 10 more or 10 less using mental math. Challenge your first grader to find 10 more or 10 less (or 20 or 30) within numbers 1-120. This is a great way to extend the mathematical learning that is going on in the classroom.
Kindergartners have been working with writing numbers up to 20, adding numbers up to 10, and problem solving with numbers and shapes. Activities this week involved a variety of hands on activities - using unfix cubes and 10 frames to add up to 10, making shapes with elastics and geoboards, filling an outline with pattern blocks, and exploring and building with pattern blocks. You may see your kindergartener use their fingers to solve math problems. This is just one strategy they can use to help them solve math challenges up to 10. You can challenge your kindergartner by doing basic (up to 5) math problems for them to solve "in their head" -which they might also use their fingers. Activities like this will help kinders become more automatic with their addition and subtraction problem to 5 (and then 10).
Feedback time!
Share feedback here: kschofield@sandwich.k12.ma.us Thanks for all your great suggestions and ideas.