Day 3: Teaching Fractions

 

 

A quick review:

Q: According to Richard Skemp, what is the difference between procedural knowledge and
    conceptual knowledge?

Simply put...

Procedural knowledge is knowing what to do.

Conceptual knowledge is understanding why you're doing it.

 e.g. Dayna  might know that in order to add fractions, she needs to find a common

       denominator, even though she has no idea why it's important. That's procedural

       knowledge.

 

But Marcel realizes that a common denominator gives each increment of the fraction equal weight, thus enabling him to add them. He has conceptual knowledge

It is important for children to acquire procedural and conceptual knowledge hand-in-hand.


Nuggets from Quiz 1

DO NOT confuse "enrichment" with "acceleration".

In enrichment, we provide more challenge so that the child can be more fluent
e.g. move from concrete to pictorial (draw AB repeat patterns)
       explore other possibilities (introducing a 3rd colour)
       looking for AB repeating pattern in the environment

DO NOT introduce concept of a higher level (teaching tomorrow's lesson)...that'll be acceleration!



Problem 11: Share equally among 4 persons

 

Q: Just how many ways can you divide a piece of chocolate equally among 4 persons?

A: Kim Yang and I folded our rectangular pieces of paper into 16 parts and found various

     ways

 

 

 

 

Clare shared her idea with the class....it was a smart way of using 1/16 to create 4 different shapes yet the same value: 4/16 = 1/4 

 

 

And now. to figure more ways to share that bar of chocolate equally among 4 persons...

 

 

 Dr Yeap's advice:

 

better to use concrete and proportionate materials such as ten base blocks

 

 

then abacus beads which are concrete but disproportionate

 

 

 

 

beginning to enjoy thinking like a mathematician ...