September's Math Practice of the Month

Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them

Click here for a student friendly poster explaining what this practice means.

This math practice is a great focus for the beginning of the year because it implies that we create a classroom culture where struggle is okay, where students take the time to analyze and explain rather than rushing to a solution and where making mistakes and rethinking the process is all part of the pathway to greater learning.  This can provide a solid foundation for all of our math instruction.

What's the standard? 

Mathematically proficient students: 

• Start by explaining to themselves the meaning of a problem and looking for entry points to its solution. 
• Analyze givens, constraints, relationships, and goals. 
• Make conjectures about the form and meaning of the solution and plan a solution pathway rather than simply jumping into a solution attempt. 
• Consider analogous problems, and try special cases and simpler forms of the original problem in order to gain insight into its solution. 
• Monitor and evaluate their progress and change course if necessary.
• Use multiple representations (concrete objects, diagrams, equations, verbal descriptions, tables, graphs, etc.) to help conceptualize and solve a problem.
• Check their answers to problems using a different method, and they continually ask themselves, "Does this make sense?" 
• Understand the approaches of others to solving complex problems and identify correspondences between different approaches.

What does it look like and how do we teach it? 

Here is a video from The Teaching Channel showing how one 3rd grade teacher approaches teaching this math practice.

Click here if you can't see the video.

There are additional videos available on the Inside Mathematics website that you can check out if you have the time and inclination.

Additionally, I have posted some graphic organizers (including the one used in the video) on the WCSU Math Tools and Templates page of our district's math website.

As I visit classes this month, I will be looking for ways that we are addressing and assessing this practice to share out with you all.  If you have something you are burning to share please comment below or send me an email at edorsey@u32.org.

I can't wait to see your ideas!