As students progress through the intermediate grades, math instruction focuses on increasingly complex processes and clarity of communication. A foundational skill for students navigating intermediate math is knowing their facts for addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. While it is not a “requirement” to memorize math facts, as per the curriculum, it is very useful to be able to recall facts quickly and accurately when working through multi-step problems.
Division 5 is going to have access to a couple of different programs to support math learning. Ms. Sam is working with students to learn how to access Boddle, and I have set the students up with access to XtraMath.
XtraMath focuses on learning math facts for addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. The idea is that they have about ten to fifteen minutes of “skill and drill” practice each day at whatever level is appropriate for them. Students can work on their skills at home and at school, and parents and teachers can have access to their progress. Students will bring home a form today explaining how to access this practice at home.
Here is a video explaining more about XtraMath.
Division 5 planned and created chalk mandalas this week. When I came across this giant box of 64 different chalk colours, I KNEW we had to do this project!
In September students learned how to write numbers in binary (a base-2 number system). Today students learned that letters can also be coded in binary! Each student mapped out their names on grid paper, chose their colours, and beaded their names into a bracelet.