Making Mathematics Meaningful—For Students in the Intermediate Grades
Fostering Numeracy
by
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The examples incuded in the book are based on observations in classrooms, excerpts from videotaped lessons; lessons presented in classrooms; and on diagnostic as well as achievement interviews conducted with students. The suggestions in the book focus on: • Communicating orally and in writing. • Connecting ideas to previous learning and to settings outside the classroom. • Developing personal estimation and mental mathematics strategies. • Illustrating the power of learning mathematical ideas through problem solving. • Developing aspects of mathematical reasoning. • Strategies that foster visualization. • Development of number sense and spatial sense. • Illustrating how learning about mathematics can contribute to: language development; reading comprehension; and evaluative skills. • Strategies that contribute to: confidence, willingness to take risks, perseverance and exhibiting curiosity. • Assessment strategies for the critical components and the goals. • Suggestions for reporting about important outcomes.
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About the Book
Making Mathematics Meaningful—For Students in the Intermediate Grades is an invaluable resource for anyone interested in helping students reach the key learning outcomes of any mathematics curriculum. Developed through live and videotaped classroom observation and through diagnostic and achievement interviews with students, Making Mathematics Meaningful is a research-based guide to mathematics education that eschews outdated models based primarily and memorization and repetition in favor of a more holistic approach that encourages students to develop their mathematical reasoning skills through problem solving. This approach not only teaches students to become critical thinkers, but also contributes to language development, reading comprehension, and evaluative skills. Author Werner W. Liedtke offers advice on developing questioning strategies and creating practice tasks to ensure that students encounter the critical components of a mathematics program. For each topic, he provides assessment strategies and identifies key prerequisite skills and ideas that can be used for pre-tests, diagnostic purposes, or introductory teaching/learning settings. Making Mathematics Meaningful teaches students to • improve written and oral communication; • connect ideas to previous learning and to settings outside the classroom; • discover strategies for personal estimation and mental mathematics; • learn through problem solving; • develop curiosity, perseverance, and confidence.
About the Author
Werner W. Liedtke is a professor emeritus at the University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. He has taught elementary school and courses in mathematics education and assessment. His previous books include Making Mathematics Meaningful—For Children Ages 4 to 7 and Making Mathematics Meaningful—For Students in the Primary Grades.