Teaching Math: A Breeze when Incorporating Favorite Interests
- Stumble This
- Digg This
- Share on Delicious
- Share on Facebook
- Tweet This
Teaching math in the Elementary classroom can be a challenge, as all elementary math teachers know, but when favorite activities of students are incorporated into the curriculum, it can be a breeze. When students have a required learning skill to attain, and they incorporate their favorite interests, then there is inspiration – and the student becomes “self-motivated”. This is a great First Item to address with the rounds of new students returning for the fall season. Find out Learners’ Favorites, and keep the list in a special file.
Then, as the year progresses, if a student is having a challenge learning a particular new math lesson, Teachers can refer to the student’s personal file of “Favorites Activities List”. At this time, then, introducing the association and how that interest relates to the new lesson.
Example No. 1: Young Matthew enjoys playing or watching the game of baseball. That is included in their list of favorite activities. November rolls around, and the lesson of drawing shapes in geometry arises, but Matthew is not grasping the concepts. If looking down onto a Baseball Diamond from an aerial perspective, the shape of Square is easily seen in the formation of the 4 bases on the ball field. As well, the shape of the bases individually, is a square.
Then show in sequence what happens when the player runs to first base, second, third and fourth, demonstrating the making of a Straight Line 4 times, and in consecutive order. Within each corner, while the player stands on the base, the player looks down at both straight lines that connect, and the player can then see a perfect Right Angle of 90 degrees. Drawing a line across from the base to the left to the base t the right demonstrates a perfect Right Triangle.
Suddenly a light is switched on in the child’s brain, and Matthew is on the way to understanding the concept of geometry. Not only do they understand it on paper in 2-D form, but now in 3-D form, in the context of a baseball game, in a real life scenario.
Example No. 2: Ashley likes archery. Archery is included in her favorite activities list. While imaging and practicing her archery skills, she sees concentric circles – one inside the other. When a line is drawn from her bow to the target, she demonstrates a perfect straight line. Hence, she has a different yet equally effective association of a favorite interest to relate to the concepts in geometry - as Mathew’s love of baseball. Imagine now that Susie, not only is attaining the required skills the in geometry lesson, but is also having fun while doing it, and has developed self-motivation and interest in learning math.
In these examples, both sides of the Brain are exercised, (Left Right Brain Learning and Thinking) new neural connectors and dendrites grow, and you have encouraged the growth of a healthy developing young brain.
http://www.funderstanding.com/brain/right-brain-vs-left-brain/.
http://www.oecd.org/edu/ceri/neuromyth6.htm.
Start the school year off right, and find out what your students’ favorite activities are. Keep the lists on file, and refer to them from time to time during the school year. You may be surprised at the effectiveness of this subtle teaching tool.
For one of Our Fun Learning Math Games, feel free to visit here:
http://math-lessons.ca/activities/index.html
http://math-lessons.ca/activities/Geometry.html
http://math-lessons.ca/activities/chocolate.html
