Mathematics

We believe conceptual understanding is not built in one or two days.  Conceptual understanding is developed after repeated exposure to a mathematical idea with students having the opportunity to engage in productive struggle and to apply their knowledge in new ways.  Each day, through practicing skills, working on real-world problems, experiencing productive struggle, having rich conversations using academic vocabulary and reflecting on our learning, we move toward conceptual understanding.

The Six DO’s for Families and Their Math Students

  1. Be positive--You wouldn't say that you're bad at reading; don't say you're bad at math
  2. Link mathematics with daily life
  3. Make mathematics fun
  4. Learn about mathematics-related careers
  5. Have high expectations for your students
  6. Support homework—don’t do it!

This document, used by teachers, on Asking Effective Questions can easily be adapted to the home. 

All PS196Q students have access to the GOMath through TeachHub. When you log into TeachHub, look at the section called Curriculum Resources for the icon called ThinkCentral.

DREAMBOX: All PS196Q students have access DreamBox Learning Math, an adaptive program they can use both at school and at home.  Contact your child’s teacher for log-in information. If you need help logging into DreamBox, use this document.

THE KAHN ACADEMY: From basic arithmetic to advanced calculus and everything in between, The Khan Academy is filled with nearly 3,000 videos on a wide range of topics.

ALLMATH: There’s a flashcard section, several useful metric conversion tools, a math glossary and a multiplication table, among other offerings.

FUNBRAIN MATH ZONE: “Math Baseball” and “Math Car Racing” are only two of the 25 educational games you can play at FunBrain! The first time you go, click on “New to Math Arcade?”

PRIMARY MATH GAMES: From “Dress Up Math” to “Spending Spree” to “What Time is it”, this is a valuable site for practicing math skills through games.

MATHCATS:  An impressive site with many interactive math activities.  Mathcats is billed as:  “A site for children that promotes open-ended and playful explorations of important math concepts…”  Try the magic chalkboard section for a daily math problem.  There’s also a section for “older cats” where parents (and teachers!) can get info on approaches to math teaching at home and a selection of activities.

MATH IS FUN:  With topics ranging from data (charts, graphs, etc.) to money, algebra, measurement and more, Math is Fun is a great site for learning and practice.

COOL MATH GAMES: While not all the games on this site are of equal value, there are some (especially in the easier skills) that will be quite engaging for students.

HOW TIME WORKS:  Find out why there are sixty seconds in a minute and twenty-four hours in a day, learn what am and pm mean, and discover why telling time is so important.

WEBMATH/HOMEWORK HELP:  From number basics, to fractions and decimals, this site has it all.  It also offers math homework help.

If you come across a great math web site, please let Ms. Jarrat Koatz know so that she can add it to the list.