Episode #315: Why Early Math Matters & How All Grade Level Teachers Need to Hear This: An Interview with Sue Looney
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How can we blend curiosity, deep understanding of the stages of counting to transform early math learning?
In this episode of the Making Math Moments That Matter podcast, Sue Looney joins hosts Kyle Pearce and Jon Orr to share her personal journey and highlights the importance of curiosity-driven learning, especially in early childhood mathematics. Many educators face the challenge of moving beyond rote memorization, especially when teaching foundational concepts like counting. This episode addresses how understanding the stages of counting and fostering curiosity can set the stage for future mathematical success.
Whether you’re an early childhood educator or someone looking to strengthen your teaching approach, this episode provides practical strategies for assessing students’ understanding of numbers and supporting them through critical learning phases.
- Discover why curiosity is key to unlocking a deeper understanding of math concepts.
- Learn how to assess students’ counting abilities and build a solid foundation for their mathematical growth.
- Gain practical strategies for incorporating counting tasks that go beyond memorization and promote critical thinking.
Tune in now to explore how fostering curiosity and returning to foundational concepts like counting can transform your students’ math journey!
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Episode Summary:
Exploring Math Concepts and Overcoming Dismissal
Sue shared her’math moment’ from her second-grade experience with subtraction using number lines. She questioned the teacher’s explanation and felt her curiosity was dismissed. Later, in 7th grade, she learned about negative numbers and felt vindicated, realizing her initial idea was correct. Sue expressed her desire to understand and explore math concepts, even when they were not encouraged by her teachers.
Encouraging Curiosity and Lifelong Learning
Sue emphasized the importance of curiosity and understanding what others know. Kyle discussed the need for educators to create opportunities for students to continue learning, even when they don’t know the answer to a question. He also shared a personal experience with his daughter, who was learning about powers and roots, and how he encouraged her curiosity and extended her knowledge. The conversation ended with Kyle and his daughter discussing the concept of square roots and the possibility of extending it to other roots.
Early Childhood Math Education and Counting
Sue and Kyle discussed the importance of understanding counting in early childhood mathematics education. Sue emphasized the complexity of counting and the need for a deeper understanding beyond rote memorization. She highlighted the lack of focus on early childhood math in teacher preparation programs. Kyle agreed and stressed the importance of recognizing different stages and routines in counting to identify and address student struggles. Sue’s upcoming summit session aims to present research on the significance of early childhood math and practical strategies for incorporating counting routines that foster curiosity and exploration.
Assessing Cardinal Understanding and Counting Tasks
Sue discussed a specific task used to assess a child’s understanding of counting, which involves counting objects and identifying the total number. She demonstrated how to modify the task to test the child’s understanding, such as moving objects around and asking the child to recount. Sue emphasized the importance of this task in determining a child’s cardinal understanding. The conversation then shifted to the topic of extending the counting phase to include fractions, decimals, and different units, with Sue suggesting that introducing new numbers should be accompanied by a return to the counting phase to ensure a strong foundation for the future.
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DOWNLOAD THE 3 ACT MATH TASK TIP SHEET SO THEY RUN WITHOUT A HITCH!
Download the 2-page printable 3 Act Math Tip Sheet to ensure that you have the best start to your journey using 3 Act math Tasks to spark curiosity and fuel sense making in your math classroom!
LESSONS TO MAKE MATH MOMENTS
Each lesson consists of:
Each Make Math Moments Problem Based Lesson consists of a Teacher Guide to lead you step-by-step through the planning process to ensure your lesson runs without a hitch!
Each Teacher Guide consists of:
- Intentionality of the lesson;
- A step-by-step walk through of each phase of the lesson;
- Visuals, animations, and videos unpacking big ideas, strategies, and models we intend to emerge during the lesson;
- Sample student approaches to assist in anticipating what your students might do;
- Resources and downloads including Keynote, Powerpoint, Media Files, and Teacher Guide printable PDF; and,
- Much more!
Each Make Math Moments Problem Based Lesson begins with a story, visual, video, or other method to Spark Curiosity through context.
Students will often Notice and Wonder before making an estimate to draw them in and invest in the problem.
After student voice has been heard and acknowledged, we will set students off on a Productive Struggle via a prompt related to the Spark context.
These prompts are given each lesson with the following conditions:
- No calculators are to be used; and,
- Students are to focus on how they can convince their math community that their solution is valid.
Students are left to engage in a productive struggle as the facilitator circulates to observe and engage in conversation as a means of assessing formatively.
The facilitator is instructed through the Teacher Guide on what specific strategies and models could be used to make connections and consolidate the learning from the lesson.
Often times, animations and walk through videos are provided in the Teacher Guide to assist with planning and delivering the consolidation.
A review image, video, or animation is provided as a conclusion to the task from the lesson.
While this might feel like a natural ending to the context students have been exploring, it is just the beginning as we look to leverage this context via extensions and additional lessons to dig deeper.
At the end of each lesson, consolidation prompts and/or extensions are crafted for students to purposefully practice and demonstrate their current understanding.
Facilitators are encouraged to collect these consolidation prompts as a means to engage in the assessment process and inform next moves for instruction.
In multi-day units of study, Math Talks are crafted to help build on the thinking from the previous day and build towards the next step in the developmental progression of the concept(s) we are exploring.
Each Math Talk is constructed as a string of related problems that build with intentionality to emerge specific big ideas, strategies, and mathematical models.
Make Math Moments Problem Based Lessons and Day 1 Teacher Guides are openly available for you to leverage and use with your students without becoming a Make Math Moments Academy Member.
Use our OPEN ACCESS multi-day problem based units!
Make Math Moments Problem Based Lessons and Day 1 Teacher Guides are openly available for you to leverage and use with your students without becoming a Make Math Moments Academy Member.
Partitive Division Resulting in a Fraction
Equivalence and Algebraic Substitution
Represent Categorical Data & Explore Mean
Downloadable resources including blackline masters, handouts, printable Tips Sheets, slide shows, and media files do require a Make Math Moments Academy Membership.
ONLINE WORKSHOP REGISTRATION
Pedagogically aligned for teachers of K through Grade 12 with content specific examples from Grades 3 through Grade 10.
In our self-paced, 12-week Online Workshop, you'll learn how to craft new and transform your current lessons to Spark Curiosity, Fuel Sense Making, and Ignite Your Teacher Moves to promote resilient problem solvers.
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