We all know how important math is in a young learner’s education. We also know how difficult it can be to teach basic math skills; it’s such a complex subject and challenging to find new ways to ingrain the concepts and proper understanding in students. They often become consumed with finding the correct answer and miss the vital learning steps in building a solid foundation in the basics of math.
In my last blog post, “Common Core State Standards and Visual Learning: Part 1“, I focused on incorporating visual learning and thinking techniques in English Language Arts subjects to meet the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). I’d like to now discuss the value in using visual thinking and learning tools to achieve not only the Standards for Mathematics among early learners, but how these tools will help enforce basic math skills that will help them succeed in high school, college and the work force.
Introduction to the Standards in Mathematics
How do you know if a student’s truly achieved mathematical understanding of a problem or concept? Sure, he or she may have worked through the equation or problem and produced the correct answer, but do they fully grasp the reasoning behind the mathematical process or math concept?
The Common Core State Standards for Mathematics define what a student should accomplish and understand based on the grade level they’re in. Similar to the English Language Arts Standards, the CCSS have a set of requirements for each grade, K-12, under the Mathematics Standards. These broad, “umbrella”-like requirements apply to all grades.
The Standards of Mathematics:
- Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them
- Reason abstractly and quantitatively
- Construct viable arguments and critique reasoning of others
- Model with mathematics
- Use appropriate tools strategically
- Attend to precision
- Look for and make use of structure
- Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning
According to the Common Core State Standards Initiative, the Standards “stress not only procedural skill but also conceptual understanding, to make sure students are learning and absorbing the critical information they need to succeed at higher levels.” In grades K-5, the Standards provide a strong foundation in whole numbers, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions and decimals. These early math findings are critical to build the foundation and solid skill-set in math for student success in middle school, high school, college, and the work force.
Five Visual Math Tools that Help Meet the Standards
Visual learning and thinking techniques are effective and beneficial in helping students succeed in math and meet the Common Core State Standards. For K-5 students, visual math tools can help them grasp essential, challenging math concepts.
Inspiration Software’s Kidspiration® takes the proven principles of visual learning to mathematics with five visual math tools. These tools focus on the core conceptual foundations of counting, place value, computation and geometric thinking.
Color Tiles:
Color Tiles are used to count and compare, explore properties of number and operations, and develop computation strategies. With Kidspiration Color Tiles, students learn to solve area and perimeter problems and model number patterns and the four basic operations.
Example of Color Tiles
Pattern Blocks:
Pattern Blocks help look at shape properties and attributes through composition and decomposition. Students can produce patterns and tessellations, explore similarity and congruence, experiment with symmetry and represent fractions.
Example of Pattern Blocks
Base Ten Blocks:
Base Ten Blocks help introduce students to counting, comparing, grouping numbers, dividing and creating equivalent representations of whole numbers and decimals.
Example of Base Ten Blocks
Fraction Tiles:
Fraction tiles can be used to compare and order fractions and to understand equivalent fractions. Students discover common denominators, improper fractions and mixed numbers, and learn to model basic operations with fractions.
Example of Fraction Tiles
Fraction Boxes:
Students use fraction boxes to represent fractions visually and build a strong conceptual foundation for future work with fractions. Students compare, order, simplify and find equivalent fractions.
Example of Fraction Boxes
Let’s look at a Math Standard and see what visual tools can be used to meet it…
Grade Level: Kindergarten
Standard: Understand addition as putting together and adding to, and understand subtraction as taking apart and taking from.
Color Tiles, Pattern Blocks and Base Ten Blocks are three tools that help a student meet this standard and understand the concept behind it. By using these tools in Kidspiration, students can visually demonstrate the addition and subtraction with the math manipulatives in Picture and Math View. For further assistance, students can work through the Kidspiration activities, “Adding it up,” “Subtracting Apples,” and “Subtraction with Blocks”.
Example of “Subtracting Apples” Activity
Core math skills are necessary for success in all grade levels, life and work and must be developed over many years. These fundamental skills are difficult for students to grasp and thus a challenge to teach. Visual math tools are just one of the ways that you can help students grasp these difficult concepts and lay a foundation of understanding that can be built upon as a child progresses through their education. Start building those skill-sets now with visual math tools. How are you using visual learning and thinking techniques to meet the Math Standards in your classroom?
