Reasoning & Constructing Arguments
Practices # 2 & 3 for KINDERGARTEN
How do we help students make sense of mathematics?
The focus of our training this year is to help teachers create the conditions that will help us build mathematically proficient students. We have spent the first half of the year building your understanding of Problem Solving and Number Talks. These two practices are the pillars of mathematical thinking. All of the rest of the Standards for Mathematical Practice serve to support and deepen those practices.
When teachers create the opportunities for students to experience mathematics through The Standards for Mathematical Practice, our students will build a deeper understanding of the skills and concepts that will help them make sense of mathematical ideas.
This month we will consider the following 2 practices:
Practice # 2: Reason Abstractly and Quantitatively
Practice # 3: Construct Viable Arguments and Critique the Reasoning of others.
These two practice serve as pathways that allow students to become effective problem solvers and effectively communicate their mathematical ideas.
READ THE ARTICLE BELOW TO DEEPEN YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE FOLLOWING IDEAS:
- It is through reasoning that children learn that math makes sense
- Reasoning and sense making are intertwined
- Effective questioning helps students see the connections between ideas without telling them too much
- Conjecturing, generalizing, and justification are fancy terms that are really practices that students must use to make sense through reasoning