math morning
Increase Miller Elementary’s cafeteria was filled with soft chatter, a little laughter and the tap-tapping of game pieces. It was a Math Morning, a before-school gathering for kindergarteners and their families.
The event was all about encouraging families to spend time enjoying and playing math activities.
“We want to introduce parents to simple games they can play at home that give children the opportunity to apply math skills in meaningful situations,” said Selina Hedigan, district staff developer for mathematics, who led the event with Lisa Burroughs, the district’s K-2 math curriculum leader.
IMES hosted two more family math mornings: first graders came to play on May 23 and second graders on May 31.
Approximately 40 kindergarteners and parents arrived in the cafeteria for their special time.
First stop: picking up up a bag provided by the school PTO that held a game packet, a deck of cards, two dice, and 10 playing pieces—everything that was needed for games including Make 5, Dots & Boxes, Shut the Box and PIG!
Second stop: choosing a snack and finding a place at one of the long tables.
As families began playing, Hedigan and Burroughs circulated throughout the room, checking in and modeling conversations that reinforced learning.
A student playing Make 5 with his mom glanced at his dice and said “nine!”
“How do you know?” asked Hedigan. “Can you show me on your fingers?”
At 9:15, kindergartners headed to their classes and families stayed for a math chat with Hedigan and Burroughs.
The educators stressed the importance of incorporating math into children’s everyday life—from playing verbal math games during car rides to having conversations in the kitchen about recipe measurements or in the store about prices. “Families can play a key role in developing a positive association with math and helping children see how math is relevant to their everyday world,” said Hedigan.
The educators showed examples of the important math concepts children learned this year and will be learning in the coming year.
Burroughs, a kindergarten classroom teacher, spoke to the differentiated instruction children receive at school. “We tailor instruction to students' learning needs; we look for ways to keep each student challenged and learning at their own level.”