Math Communication Cards
Is it weird that I'm super excited that this is my first Math blog post? Two years ago, if you had asked me if I loved teaching Math I would have said "That's a hard no." Now it is one of my favourite subjects to teach and I can't wait to share some of the successes and challenges I've had with it.
One of the big things that I do in my Math program is focus on communication. We do this through our Math journals, quick writes, talking at the carpet, doing think-pair-shares and through sharing out solutions to our open-ended problems. 3-4 times a week students work in groups or pairs to solve a problem. During the consolidation part of the lesson, when we come back together on the carpet, students present their solutions and their classmates are expected to ask questions about it. An area that I felt I neglected was explicitly teaching my students what types of questions to ask their classmates. This is where my Math Communication Cards come in.
Math is communication.
In order to be effective problem solvers students need to be able to communicate orally and in writing. My product contains 20 math prompts and corresponding 8.5x11 posters that will help students learn how to ask questions during the consolidation part of the lesson, specifically when other students are sharing their problem-solving strategies with the class. Using a few cards at a time will familiarize students with the types of questions they can ask when communicating about math.The end goal is for my students to select and use these prompts independently and fluently in large and small group situations.
How to Use the Communication Cards
1. Print off cards onto coloured paper or cardstock. Laminate if desired.
2. Select a few cards (3-4 is a good number) that would fit with the open-ended problem the students were assigned.
3. Pass the cards out to a few students who will ask the question on his/her card during
consolidation when other students are sharing their thinking.
4. Use the full-size versions of the cards to post in your classroom for students to refer to later
The questions range from basic Knowledge/Understanding questions like "What steps did you use to solve the problem" or "What math terms did you use?" to questions that require them to make connections and apply their learning like "How could you use this math at home? School? Somewhere else?" and "What would have happened if you missed a step?"
I would start with 2 or 3 basic questions and use them for a few classes, passing them out to different students, before introducing a new set. I love that it enables all students to be successful with questioning since I'm actually giving them the question ahead of time. Posting the posters on my Math Wall is a way for students to access these questions later on when we are working in small-groups or when other students are sharing their solutions.
Click here to access my Math Communication Cards. I'd love to get some feedback or hear how you are using them in your classroom!
One of the big things that I do in my Math program is focus on communication. We do this through our Math journals, quick writes, talking at the carpet, doing think-pair-shares and through sharing out solutions to our open-ended problems. 3-4 times a week students work in groups or pairs to solve a problem. During the consolidation part of the lesson, when we come back together on the carpet, students present their solutions and their classmates are expected to ask questions about it. An area that I felt I neglected was explicitly teaching my students what types of questions to ask their classmates. This is where my Math Communication Cards come in. Math is communication.
In order to be effective problem solvers students need to be able to communicate orally and in writing. My product contains 20 math prompts and corresponding 8.5x11 posters that will help students learn how to ask questions during the consolidation part of the lesson, specifically when other students are sharing their problem-solving strategies with the class. Using a few cards at a time will familiarize students with the types of questions they can ask when communicating about math.The end goal is for my students to select and use these prompts independently and fluently in large and small group situations.
How to Use the Communication Cards
1. Print off cards onto coloured paper or cardstock. Laminate if desired.
2. Select a few cards (3-4 is a good number) that would fit with the open-ended problem the students were assigned.
3. Pass the cards out to a few students who will ask the question on his/her card during
consolidation when other students are sharing their thinking.
4. Use the full-size versions of the cards to post in your classroom for students to refer to later
The questions range from basic Knowledge/Understanding questions like "What steps did you use to solve the problem" or "What math terms did you use?" to questions that require them to make connections and apply their learning like "How could you use this math at home? School? Somewhere else?" and "What would have happened if you missed a step?" I would start with 2 or 3 basic questions and use them for a few classes, passing them out to different students, before introducing a new set. I love that it enables all students to be successful with questioning since I'm actually giving them the question ahead of time. Posting the posters on my Math Wall is a way for students to access these questions later on when we are working in small-groups or when other students are sharing their solutions.
Click here to access my Math Communication Cards. I'd love to get some feedback or hear how you are using them in your classroom!
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