M4+HEM4+1C5

Many will point to math as something that builds upon itself.
Rightly so, But there is also something about math
that weaves in and out of itself.
It is truly a sandbox - where we move sand, pile it, mold it, spread it out,
and restack it differently.  Math is perplexing and interwoven.
That's where other skills come into play.
That's where problem solving skills and processes enter the stage:
creative thinking, synthesis, evaluation, and attention to details.
​Yes, at some point, we need a foundation (One Potato),
but soon, we must move beyond the rote (Two Potato, Three Potato).

I've tried to put things in an order below,
along with a supplemental section at the end,
​but events may require that we revisit sections as the year progresses.

One Potato

We are fourth graders - who should already be fluent with multiplication facts but mostly haven't.
​Here are some of the basic tools we will use to "remaster" these skills.

​Steve Wyborney's complete Multiplication Course, 156 short videos to support multiplication comprehension and fluency, is on YouTube, as well:

The Multiplication Course

Two Potato

While our school district has an adopted math program, there are always certain processes
that will help us achieve deeper understanding and higher abilities.
These math processes are universal in that they are used at every level and in every type of math.
We will briefly cover these directly at the beginning of the year, but again,
we will attempt to revisit them, in context, throughout the year.

​Math Processes are described here:
​Through the years, I have come to understand that real math does not come as easily as math on a worksheet or in a lesson.
Real math requires the mathematician to recognize the problem and solve it.
​
These links help students understand why I do not always set up and solve problems for them.

Three Potato

Here are some more open-ended activities a teacher may use to progress a little further:

...More

Here are some helpful tools to supplement our program when needed: