math

Our math curriculum covers calendar, weather, counting, patterns, time, and addition. So everyday we do a bit of all of that. Counting on a hundreds chart (rows of 10 up to one hundred) from a random starting point to another random ending point and then backwards…still having problems going backwards from the 40 to 39 (well all of the _0 to _9)…so we just keep repeating. Time has been just on the hour but we’re getting that pretty well. Addition started with the double facts (1+1, 2+2, etc) and then did the +1 facts (0+1, 2+1, etc). I made them flashcards to take home and practice—since there were only 5 students that wasn’t too difficult or time consuming. We’ve been doing flashcards in class…even when I think they know the answers they count it out on their fingers (which drives me crazy). Even the +1 problems get counted out. And they don’t count out the way that I learned and probably most of you did. They count out each number on the sections of their fingers on one hand. So one hand can add up to 14 (each finger being 3). So 8+5: they will start with their pinkie of the left hand and count to 8 (middle of middle finger) and then count out 5 (one of the thumb sections) and then they have to count all of the sections again continuously to get 13. it takes ages and I’m not sure whether to teach them a different way to count it out on their fingers or try to get them to memorize and already know the facts.