- Glen Acres ES
- Balanced Math at Glen Acres
Balanced Math at Glen Acres
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At GAE, math instruction is comprised of five components. Our common goal is to help children think mathematically and apply problem solving strategies to real life situations.
What is “Balanced Math”? A balanced (deliberate design of instruction and assessment) program is designed to produce mathematically powerful students – students who can solve problems and also communicate their understanding to others.
1. Computational Skills, Math Review & Mental Math:
- Emphasize the development of number sense.
- Practice procedural mathematics and computational skills every day.
- Practice computing problems mentally.
- Investigations: Quick Images, classroom routines and/or ten-minute math, and teacher resources.
2. Problem Solving:
- Provide structures for problem-solving activities related to a current unit focus.
- Gives students opportunity to communicate their mathematical thinking through words, pictures, and/or numbers.
- Investigations is problem solving based. (Other resources include Study Island, The Problem Solver, and teacher resources.)
3. Conceptual Understanding:
- Identify particular grade-level topics that are essential for student understanding. (based on district and state math standards)
- Topic becomes focus of conceptual math unit.
- Align instruction with end-of-unit assessment.
4. Mastery of Math Facts:
- Fact recall through student understanding of patterns.
- Program of accountability enabling all students to learn their facts by the end of elementary school.
5. Common Formative Assessment:
- Align school-based assessment for learning to math Power Standards.
- Provides teachers with valid feedback as to students’ current understanding of Power Standards in focus.
- Could include: performance assessments, Study Island benchmarking, District performance assessments, and teacher prepared assessments.