How might student-centered teaching methods in math impact students’ achievement in kindergarten?

Seminar Title

How might student-centered teaching methods in math impact students’ achievement in kindergarten?

Student-Centered Teaching

Kindergarten

1st Grade

Mathematics

Reading

I struggled with math too. Billy just does not have a brain for math. Have these words made you cringe at a parent/teacher conference? Are the brains of some people really better at math than others? Does it need to be either you get math or you do not? Numbers have always made sense to me. Now as a teacher I wonder why that is, and why do others struggle with math? Is it really how your brain works, or is it a lack of exposure and practice? In my review of the literature, I set out to find research on teaching math and numeracy to children in the primary grades, especially kindergarten. Using best practices and tips from top researchers in the field of mathematics, I have developed a student-centered math classroom where children believe math is fun. If you want to increase student-centered learning in your primary math classroom, this session is for you.

The question guiding my research is; How might student-centered teaching methods in math impact student achievement in kindergarten? A review of the literature suggested ways I could switch from whole group math to student-centered teaching. I have pursued the most beneficial and useful information on how to teach math in the primary grades. Areas I focused on developing my practice included: 1) improving the number sense of student, 2) building a positive learning environment, and 3) best practices for student-centered learning. To assess the success of these goals, I developed more formative assessments to include pre- and post-chapter tests and exit tickets. Summatively, I am interested in finding out the amount of student growth as well as their knowledge of the standards. Through my research, I have learned the importance of using pre-tests to create flexible ability groups. Once in these flexible groups, I am able to differentiate instruction to best meet the needs of my student. However, before flexible groups can even start, a sense of community and belonging along with strong routines need to be developed. By explaining and practicing expectations and routines, my students built a community for learning that can be used in any area of study, not just math. Once my learning environment was developed, I was able to move onto differentiating instruction to make math more meaningful and fun. Results so far have shown an increase in Fastbridge scores for all students. Overall, students are making their quarterly counting and number identification goals. As a result of my desire to focus on student-centered teaching, and how it can help my students see success in math, I am able to meet with students every day and focus on their area of need. Students are enjoying math through games, technology, and group discussions. Student-centered is the way I will continue to teach in the future.