Introduction
Conceptual knowledge and procedural fluency are essential in mathematics learning. Setting a routine is also vital as they give structure and ease of management of the class (Dickenson-Coddington, 2019: 63). In the video, Professor Louanne Myers assesses a first-grade student in her addition facts and trains her to be confident and develop her procedural fluency in learning mathematics ( Teacher Prep Tech, 2019) . The child shows different strengths and weaknesses (Needs), as well as employing various strategies to aid her in solving simple math.
Strengths
Her firsts strength is counting. She is familiar with the numbers and can identify and pronounce all of them (from zero to nine). She is also able to use her fingers to add simple numbers whose results range from one to seven. However, when the results of the additions surpass seven, she is unable to comprehend the answer and gives a wrong answer, or admits defeat.
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Strategies
The child uses her finger as a strategy of aiding her counting. She also vocalizes the numbers coherently, keeping a working memory, which aids her counting and addition. Furthermore, she knows the concept of zero and the additions of one and equates them to ‘nothing’ and ‘adding one more,’ respectively. These acts as a strategy for solving all additions involving zeros and ‘one more.’ She also states that her other strategy is starting with the simple numbers first, then adding the larger numbers.
Needs
The needs for the students are better counting aids and rewording of a math problem. The student shows great strengths in counting, and when she is relaxed and guided using ‘how many more’ statement, she gets the right answers. She uses her fingers to count. However, her fingers are limited to ten, and numbers that surpass that trouble her. She needs counting aids like sticks or any simple plastic items.
How I would use number talks to develop the student’s mathematical fluency
I would use the number of talks as the daily routine to develop the student’s counting ability. Number talks allow the children to express themselves and the teacher to listen and note their strengths (Dickenson-Coddington, 2019: 73). The student shows great strength in understanding number talks. First, I would present a real-life problem that would get the students to think. Secondly, I would give the time (about three to five minutes) to work independently as they record their answers mentally or on boards. Thirdly, I would allow them to share their answers with their friends. Lastly, I would allow them to engage in group discussions and share with the whole class their findings, as well as correct themselves.
How the number talks routine addresses the Common Core Math Standards
The number talks routine addresses the standard practice of making sense of the problem. However, its number talks best meet the reasoning abstractly and quantitatively standard. This is because number talks allow strategic thinking, the conceptualization of numbers, flexible reasoning and correlating numbers, and the real world (Dickenson-Coddington, 2019: 73).
References
Dickenson-Coddington. (2019). Teaching Outside the Box: Technology Infused Math Instruction . [VitalSource Bookshelf]. Retrieved from https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781524985837/
Teacher Prep Tech. (2019, September 4). Math Fluency Assessment. Retrieved June 7, 2020, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOEovK1Nxho&feature=youtu.be
