Thinking Blocks

Well I haven't really had a chance to see how the graphic organizers in the Go Solve Word Problems program, Asha Jitendra's book, and the Math Expression's textbook all compare.  From a very brief overview, it seems the graphics are different, although the core concept (teaching that word problems have a structure and using a graphic organizer to organize the information) is the same.  Another math coach got me re-interested in using Thinking Blocks to solve word problems that is a part of the Math Playground site.  The biggest bonus is that it is free.  Another thing is that it is similar to the Math Mountain graphic representation that our textbook, Math Expressions uses. 

Ocracoke

I went to my favorite vacation spot over the weekend, Ocracoke Island, NC.  I had a nice, relaxing time and will be posting some pictures to Flickr. 

2nd Grade Math Centers Based on Strands

I have an abundance of 2nd grade math task cards if anyone is interested.  Some of the cards would be appropriate for 1st grade as well.  (I actually have some that are 1st grade.)  I can send them to you via email.  I'm looking for task cards that deal with temperature at the moment. 

Word Problem Structures

Lately I have been interested in learning how to teach word problems by using schema-based instruction.  Using the key word approach and/or the pick a strategy approach are not successful if you want to produce real understanding grounded in relationships among numbers.  The schema-based approach teaches that word problems have identifiable structures or ways in which information is arranged.  These structures can be explicitly taught to students and later generalized to other problems.  Those who support the schema-based approach name specific types of structures and identify graphic organizers that can be used to help students understand the relationships between the information in the word problem and later solve the problem. 

Information I have found useful in understanding this way of teaching how to solve word problems:
- Book: Teaching Student-Centered Mathematics K-3 by John A. Van de Walle & LouAnn H. Lovin (Chapter 3: Developing Meaning For The Operations and Solving Word Problems)
- Article: Teaching Students Math Problem Solving Through Graphic Representations by Asha K. Jitendra http://www.asdk12.org/depts/step/disability/documents/Article5.pdf
- Book: Solving Math Word Problems: Teaching Students with Learning Disabilities Using Schema-Based Instruction by Asha K. Jitendra