Math TAKS 2000-2003

Steps in Thinking:

1. Concept

2. Operation

3. Problem-solving & Application

Teach the State Curriculum to (at least) the Application Level on all CONCEPTS.  Application Level means that the student must become Personally & Emotionally involved with the concept (See Clarifying Activities.)

NOTE: CONCENTRATIONS

• Multiplication --> Mastery by 3rd grade.  Must be an all-year event by 3rd grade.

  • 1st grade must have introduction

  • 2nd grade must have practice, practice, practice

• 3rd Grade Objectives most missed in the state ---> 3.12.B and 11.3.B

• 4th Grade Objectives most missed in the state --> 4.2.A

• 4th grade must Use Models

• 5th grade must generate Equivalent Fractions

• 6th Grade ---> Objective 2

• 7th Grade --> Objective 12

Look at all concepts from the "Tested Curriculum" and highlight all those Concepts that must be Mastered at your grade level (CM).

BEST PRACTICES

1. Introduce ALL CMs BEFORE November 1st

2. Teach concepts 45 mins a day and Problem-solving (applications) 45 mins EVERY day.

3. Plan intervention for students not on target.

4. 80% of errors coming from 20% of the classrooms.

5. Use the TEKS TOOLKits Clarifying Activities. These are "best practices" for the Texas TEKS.  Use textbook only for "best" activities.

6. Assessments must be aimed at SE for that 6 weeks "chunk". 

7. Analyze errors for level of thinking (of student).  The only way to analyze such errors is to SEE student "thinking" -- concrete clues on paper that tell you how student solved problems.  Refer to "Test-Taking Skills".

8. KNOW HOW students LEARN. (Refer to Learning Levels)

LEARNING LEVELS

Students best learn when concepts are introduced at the correct learning level.  Students MUST experience NEW materials in the following sequence.

• CONCRETE (blocks, cubes, bottle caps, clock face with hands)

• PICTORIAL  (picture of cubes, blocks, clock)

• SYMBOLIC  (1,2,3, *, /, %,  3:45pm)

• WORDS & NUMBERS (One, Two, Times, Divide, Three Forty Five)

If you skip from concrete to symbolic 

• for instance...students work with blocks at desk...then teacher writes a 3 + 4 on the chalk board....you confuse most students. 

• OR students work with manipulates and then teacher hands out a worksheet....you confuse most students.

• Or show a digital clock face (symbolic) and then a pictorial clock face....you confuse most students.

Worksheets introduced instead of having the students draw the pictures...is not a good practice.  Drawing pictures becomes a critical skill for most learners.  Students must learn to  draw pictures (graphs, charts, pies, etc.) and then read & interpret these pictures.

• 1/3 of TAKS Test is Computation & Correct Answers

• Correct Number Sentence

• Correct Equation

• Correct Model

• Correct Expression (find %)

• Correct Proportions

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