You have probably heard that we are working on multiplication. We have moved past practicing multiplication facts to "multi-digit multiplication". That's right! Two and three digits time two digits. "Zero Hero" is now a daily member of our class! :)

The kids and I like to practice math on the white boards. There is just something "magical" about those boards. Things seem so much easier when you can just wipe a mistake away. It doesn't feel as permanent as a pencil! :)

Look at this concentration! Working, working, working! Can't you just see the "thinking" going on here?Sometimes, the students are the teachers. (I can't do all the work!) They actually love to go up front and show their thinking!
If you are looking for something to do with your kiddos, make up some math problems for them. You will be so amazed and impressed!

Fun in the Sun!

Fourth grade is hard work!! There is so much to learn and practice every day! I think it's easy to forget that they are 9 and 10 years old and, well....sometimes, a kid's gotta be a kid! The weather has cooperated so nicely this year. We can't really pass up a quick afternoon break.

Ok...sometimes the teacher might need it more than the kids!

I love this class! Every recess, half of them head to the playground equipment to play a game they have created called "infected" and the other half heads to "kickball". I have so much fun watching them. They truly know how to play together and no one really ever gets mad when it's just our class playing. They all have an "oh well" attitude. So fun to watch!
You know..we all had choices to make in life about what we wanted to do when we "grow up". I think I made a pretty good one!

Problem Solving in Math

The kids have been working super hard at learning their math facts and how to multiply with bigger numbers. They are all showing progress and doing great!!
The next step is to apply those skills to "real life" situations. It is important to be able to understand what a word problem is asking you to do. We have been practicing some "problem solving" strategies. Most recently, we have been using "Try, Check and Revise".
First, the students took some time to work on the problem by themselves.

Thinking, thinking, thinking! I love it!
It's ok to use numbers, pictures and/or words to solve a problem. Check out this labeling!

Next, it was time to get together in groups and share each other's thinking. How did you solve this problem?
The discussion about how each person got their answer was fantastic! If they can explain their thinking, they are one step closer to "getting it"! It's so much fun when they realize that there can be more than one way to solve a problem.
After each group shows their work on their chart paper, it's time for a "Gallery Walk". How did all of the other groups solve theirs? More explaining of thinking. So awesome!!
This process sure builds confidence in math. "Do it....solve it...share it!"