Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Wordless Wednesday: Self-Created Math Problems! and P.S. For Jamberry



P.S.

7 comments:

JamBerry said...

Wow. I'm so impressed with Pamela, and with you and how you teach her!
I have a question, too. Does Pamela do as well with understanding 'word problems,' applying the math skills she knows to applying it to real life?? I assume so, but was just curious!

walking said...

Jamberry, if you double click the third picture, you can see it better. Pamela did this page from her math book. She did most of it without any help.

* She circles the numbers in the chart if they are not provided in the problem.
* She erases what she circled before starting the next problem.
* She recognizes certain keywords: altogether means add while how much more means subtract.
* She still needs me to guide her through problems with no keywords where you think in whole and parts.
* I had to remind her to answer the first question in problem 4. She also did not realize that second question requested two answers.

She knows how to apply much of this in real life. But, I should probably do things like let her help me double recipes and things like that for more practice.

JamBerry said...

That is SO way cool!!! Thanks for uploading the extra picture!! That REALLY helps me. Now I can totally see it!
Wow. Yall are just amazing. Someday maybe we'll get there!!!

walking said...

You will, Jamberry. Anyone who made it through the boat school will never give up the ship! :-)

JamBerry said...

No, but I just might mutiny!! ;o)

LAA and Family said...

Wow, Pamela made up those first problems?

I have been wondering how Samuel would do on word problems. He is just now able to distinguish between addition and subtraction equations. I should try some word problems.

walking said...

Someone asked me some questions that others might have:

Is Pamela doing the writing or is she dictating and you are doing the writing?

She is doing all of the writing. You can tell by handwriting style.

This is mine.

This is hers.

My child cannot handle that much writing, but he could tell me and I could write it down.

Actually that is what I did for BOTH kids. I started off with them dictating to me. In time, we would alternate and, after more time, we slowly transitioned to them doing all of the writing. The key is to think about what is in his zone. Can he write for five minutes a day? Then, that is what you do. After a month, could he try six minutes a day. Then, you very slowly increase the demand as he gets comfortable with his current level.

When I pulled Pamela out of school at 6.5yo, we spent one year doing no writing because they had her working way beyond her "zone of proximal development" (what is within reach). Then we spent two years on the Kindergarten level of Handwriting without Tears. I blogged her first three years
of writing and one of these days, I will do more:
Pre-School
Kindergarten

Our slow and steady, incremental approach has enabled her to write LOTS and LOTS in one day of her own free will:
Autobiography
Journal in a Box

In fact, when people see her handwriting (even Kindergarten teachers who work with autistic kids), they tell me how neatly she writes! She has come a LONG WAY!!!!

Has Pamela mastered long division?

She knows how to do it but needs more practice. However, once she nails something, she keeps it. We probably need another pass or two for long division to completely stick!

Also, is the print large, in MAKING MATH MEANINGFUL?

I think it is inconsistent. Some pages have LOTS of room. Others she ends up writing in the margins or on the opposite page. Making Math Meaningful has a page about placement.

CBD Books has sample pages for all levels of Making Math Meaningful!