Common Core – Susan Midlarsky

Common Core - Common Core State Standards - dyscalculia - Fractions - Homeschool - Math Education - Middle school - Multiple Intelligences - Professional Development - Special Needs - Tutoring

Fraction Jacks! Or if you’re British, Fraction Stars.

August 16, 2023 - By susanrm

A common problem educators face is to make fractions fun and intuitive, especially if their own education was lacking in this respect. One activity I developed that helps with this, and can be done with children of a variety of ages, is Fraction Jacks. What are fraction jacks? They are not the game with the bouncing ball and the funny-shaped pieces, though I’m sure something great could be developed with those. Instead, they are a physical activity that uses kinesthetic intelligence and mind-body connections to understand fractions. Here is how to do them. If you or your students have figured…

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Common Core - Common Core State Standards - learning - Math Education - Mindset - Professional Development - Teaching

Mathitudes, a.k.a Fixed vs. Growth Mindset in Math

October 12, 2018 - By susanrm

Ever since I heard this story, I’ve been working to change my communication with children about what is important. I think this comic says it better than my soapbox speeches. And you can substitute anything else for math, but I chose math because I hear that all the time. *If you’re stuck on helping your child with a concept, try khanacademy.org or other sites like mathplayground.com to refresh your skills and make learning fun for both of you. For more on why this is important, see this Scientific American article titled The Secret to Raising Smart Kids. It has some citations to research showing…

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Common Core - Math Education - Math facts - Multiple Intelligences - Singapore Math - Special Needs - Teaching

Math Doubles and Squares Fun Time

June 23, 2016 - By susanrm

If you teach math, or want to enrich your children’s understanding of numbers, here is a set of activities that children will enjoy while learning a lot. You may have heard about Multiple Intelligence Theory. One thing it tells us is that we evolved to have intelligence not only in verbal and mathematical learning, which are the main focuses in our schools, but in a number of different areas. That’s why some of us learn better through music, or nature, or art, or bodily movement. This activity is a kinesthetic (movement-based) way to teach some important number facts. I’ve found…

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Common Core - Common Core State Standards - Math Education - New York education - Professional Development - Reviews - US Education - Writing

Independent Common Core Math Curriculum Reviews

March 4, 2015 - By susanrm

I’m pleased to report that an independent non-profit organization, EdReports.org, is reviewing new Common Core math curricula. I sometimes get asked about my opinion about the different options, but it’s hard to respond when there are so many new materials that I haven’t seen, and I am only one person. While the reviews don’t address every curriculum, they do address many of the available Common Core options. If your district is considering adopting a curriculum, please consider the detailed reports here. They also have a graphic that shows the alignment in a visual format. Click the thumbnail to view it.…

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Common Core - Common Core State Standards - learning - Math Education - New York education - Parents - Professional Development - Singapore Math - US Education

New Eureka Math Books Available

December 6, 2013 - By susanrm

Yesterday, an exciting package came in the mail: the first two published modules of the Common Core math curriculum for Grade 2, complete with my name on the inside! Even though it was only listed for Grade 2 (I’m writing on the Grade 5 team too), it was nice to see my name on another publication. While all of the modules can be downloaded and printed for free from NYSED, it may save money and time for schools to buy the printed books. Print editions are available from Great Minds, or you can order individual books for homeschooling, enrichment, or preview from Amazon.…

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Common Core - Common Core State Standards - iPad - learning - Math Education - Technology

Websites and Apps from NYSCATE 2013 Presentation

November 26, 2013 - By susanrm

Here is a list of websites and apps demonstrated during my session at NYSCATE 2013. EngageNY.org: where you can download the full curriculum modules for free. commoncore.org: access Eureka, the interface for the full math curriculum modules. Number Pieces (Free): Virtual Base 10 blocks and whiteboard AL Abacus ($1.99): Virtual abacus, sometimes called a Rekenrek 10 Frame Fill (Free): Basic ten-frame game/app. Virtual Manipulatives! (Free): Fraction, decimal and percentage tiles Teaching Table ($2.99): Smartboard-like manipulatives and interactivity for math presentations Number Bonds: Addition & Subtraction to 99 ($1.99): Number bonds app for composing and decomposing numbers Bugsy Kindergarten Math ($2.99):…

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