Teaching Decimal Place Value – Use the Point
A frustrating math moment I remember as a ten year old is decimal numbers and understanding both place value and value of the digits (numbers) to the right of the decimal point. I vividly recall sitting at my kitchen table trying to understand why the first place value location directly after the decimal point was not the ‘oneths’ place but the tenths. Whole number place value begins with the ones, tens, hundreds and so forth as we add digits to the left, then why did the decimal digits not symmetrically repeat to the right of the decimal point?
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Pick a Number. Any Number. Now - Why is that Number Important?
I am thinking of a two digit number between 30 and 40 that is both an even number and a multiple of 8. Can you guess the number? As elementary teachers we have all played these fun games with students and are pleased when they work out the correct answer.
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What does “Numerical Fluency” mean?
In the world of public education vocabulary – terminology and words often possess multiple definitions and/or subjective definitions hat all too often result in ambiguity and misunderstanding in conveying actions. There are many words and terms all educators use to subjectively describe a condition or a thing in public education, and of course, I am just as guilty as the next person. I am aware when I use common education words it means something different to my spouse, also a principal, than it does to me.
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Why is Teaching so Difficult?
When I was in my late teens, I worked part-time at nights and weekends in a grocery store while attending university. One of my nightly tasks at the store where I worked was cleaning and preparing whole chickens and placing them end to end on spits, so they were ready for cooking the next day. Each spit held 5 whole chickens and since there were six spits, I cleaned and prepared 30 chickens each night. One evening, the night manager came into the meat room where I was working and stated, “You sure are fast at cleaning chickens.”
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