Building Math Confidence to Foster Success:
One of the difficulties that many students experience, a piece that is detrimental to developing Math confidence, is being unsure of how to read numbers and how to identify the value of specific digits in numbers. The resources below can help to address this basic understanding of number values.
Place value and numeration resources:
What’s Your Number is a class activity that builds opportunities to creatively talk about Math, using Math Vocabulary, examining the relationships between numbers.
VISUALIZING NumberS and comparing their placement on the number line:
Use these number lines to give a visual representation for numbers. You can make a classroom master number line (perhaps enlarged), with each column cut out and pasted above the previous column and point out to students that the vertical number line actually continues endlessly up and endlessly down – a good introduction to the term ‘infinity’.
It’s important to explain that the page of vertical numbers represents how we can visualize numbers increasing up and decreasing down. Also clarify that the vertical number line is in sections, each to right of the previous one, just to fit them all on one page.
The number lines can be used to help students ‘see’ relationships between numbers, allowing them to better understand and express inequalities.
Example: It is clear that 65 > 29 (since it is higher up on the number line). Students’ natural sense of higher being bigger is stronger than the idea of numbers to the right are larger (as is used on a horizontal number line). As well, the number lines can be used as an aid in rounding numbers, to the nearest 10, or the nearest 100 – they can actually see which 10 or 100 is closest to the number. As in, 38 ~ 40 (it is closer to 40 than it is to 30).
The same comparison and rounding skills with decimals can be made more clear using the Decimal Vertical Number Lines page.
Vertical Number Lines
Decimal Vertical Number Lines
Factors and Multiples Resources:
Building number knowledge is one of the most important aspects of Math literacy. Recognition of how each number is made up of other numbers can reduce anxiety about large numbers and leads to greater confidence with mathematical calculations.
Understanding the relationship between factors and multiples of numbers is a skill that transfers well into Algebra skills.
The following chart visually reduces the important multiplication facts to half as many facts as is usually presented – as each fact is presented only once, instead of twice. There is no need to memorize 3 X 4 as well as 4 X 3!
These tables can be used to engage students in identifying which questions they still need to work on, as well as offering encouragement to them when they’ve improved their timestables knowledge. Using Triangular Flash Cards to test themselves is also a successful activity. (Look online for samples of triangular flash cards for Addition/Subtraction, as well)
Timestables Blank Spaced.doc
Timestables with Answers.doc
SAMPLE Triangular Flash Cards Multiplication
BLANK Triangle Flash Cards Multiplication
Use these I Have – Who Has cards to practise mental math. One card is given to each student. Begin with one student reading their card, and others look to see if their own card holds the solution to the question. They then read out their card, and so on.
It is recommended that you clarify the value of students helping each other. If no one volunteers their card with the answer, take the time to show how the answer to a question can be identified, talking through the process with the entire class and asking for ideas for solving.
(TIP: One way to ensure that you get back the entire set of cards, is to collect the cards from each student immediately after they have been read.)
Included on the page is a blank page to be used for new questions that the teacher (or interested students) can devise.
I have who has game
Slam Dunk Math Games:
Rock, Paper, Number
Cross Out, Salute
Fraction Kit Games
Excellent Equivalents Games
Excellent Equivalents Code Sheet
Excellent Equivalents Cards.
Excellent Equivalents Updated Extras
Four in a Row Game.
Target Add and Subtract
Word Question ActivitIES: (Simple directions and vocabulary)
Teaching specific vocabulary that is associated with Word Questions helps students to approach solving them with more confidence.
Word Question Strategies.doc
Word Question Strategies-french.doc
Word Question Vocabulary
Word Question Vocabulary-fr.doc
Place Mat Activity.doc
The Appointment Clock can be used to pair up students for varied activities.
Appointment Clock Use Description
An explanation of how to describe positive and negative numbers (Integers) to students:
Seeing How Integers Work.doc
These are instructional pages of simple Sudoku, helpful for teaching how Sudoku is played:
StartUPMath2010-Sudoku Page 1.doc
StartUPMath2010-Sudoku Page 2.doc
StartUPMath2010-Sudoku Page 3.doc
StartUPMath2010-Sudoku Page 4.doc
This method of recognizing the meaning of double digit multiplication can help students who have difficulty with completing multiplication with carrying and borrowing:
Practise Multiplying by Powers of Ten
Using Powers of Ten to Understand the Multiplication Algorithm
Mental Math Tricks (including Memory Wizard)
Memory Wizard Game sheet
Students can be shown the first few lines of the Math Patterns, and then challenged to insert (and verify) the following lines. Cool Math Patterns