Brain Gym - Math 4/5: Math Talks, Critical Thinking Skills, Word Problem of the Day
In this ongoing class for Grades 4 and 5, learners develop number sense, practice mental math strategies, improve critical thinking and visual spatial skills, and apply math concepts to real-world situations by solving word problems.
Kate Hoefert
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:(371)
What's included
1 live meeting
40 mins in-class hours per weekClass Experience
US Grade 4 - 5
This class will help your learner improve all facets of their math brain. Each class will be broken into three parts: Math Talks, Critical Thinking Skills, and Problem of the Day. Math Talks are focused 10-minute discussions and instruction on mental math strategies. Learners will solve 3 to 5 mental math problems, exploring multiple ways to solve and discussing the most efficient strategies. The purpose of Math Talks is to provide learners with multiple strategies for solving so they can use the one that works best for them. The Critical Thinking Skills portion of class will alternate between solving logic problems, identifying and extending patterns, and improving visual-spatial thinking and memory. While not numbers based, this part of class will strengthen the logical-mathematical portion of your learner's brain. The final part of class is the Problem of the Day, the connection between learning math and using math. Learners will apply math skills to real world situations through a complex word problem. Different ways of representing the situation and solving the problem will be encouraged. MT (Math Talks), CTS (Critical Thinking Skills), POD (Problem of the Day) -Sept. 19: MT - addition strategies, CTS - visual patterns, POD - units of measure (customary length) -Sept. 26: MT - addition strategies, CTS - visual memory games, POD - perimeter -Oct. 3: MT - addition strategies, CTS - number patterns, POD - using a chart/table -Oct. 10: MT - addition strategies, CTS - auditory memory games, POD - reading a graph -Oct. 17: MT - multiplication strategies, CTS - visual patterns, POD - area -Oct. 24: MT - multiplication strategies, CTS - visual memory games, POD - units of measure (customary capacity) -Oct. 31: NO CLASS -Nov. 7: MT - multiplication strategies, CTS - number patterns, POD - units of measure (customary capacity) -Nov. 14: MT - multiplication strategies, CTS - auditory memory games, POD - units of measure (customary weight) -Nov. 21: MT - subtraction strategies, CTS - deductive reasoning, POD - fractions -Nov. 28: NO CLASS -Dec. 5: MT - subtraction strategies, CTS - visual patterns, POD - mixed numbers -Dec. 12: MT - subtraction strategies, CTS - visual memory games, POD - decimals -Dec. 19: MT - subtraction strategies, CTS - number patterns, POD - money -Jan. 2: MT - division strategies, CTS - logic problems, POD - equivalent fractions -Jan. 9: MT - division strategies, CTS - visual patterns, POD - volume -Jan. 16: MT - division strategies, CTS - number patterns, POD - multiplication -Jan. 23: MT - division strategies, CTS - visual memory games, POD - TBD -Jan. 30: MT - addition strategies, CTS - visual patterns, POD - division -Feb. 6: MT - addition strategies, CTS - visual memory, POD - perimeter -Feb. 13: MT - addition strategies, CTS - number patterns, POD - fractions -Feb. 20: MT - addition strategies, CTS - auditory memory games, POD - units of measure (metric length) -Feb. 27: MT - subtraction strategies, CTS - deductive reasoning, POD - units of measure (metric capacity) -March 6: MT - subtraction strategies, CTS - visual patterns, POD - units of measure (metric mass) -March 13: MT - subtraction strategies, CTS - visual memory games, POD - least common multiple -March 20: MT - subtraction strategies, CTS - number patterns, POD - add fractions with unlike denominators -March 27: MT - multiplication strategies, CTS - auditory memory games, POD - subtract fractions with unlike denominators -April 3: MT - multiplication strategies, CTS - logic problems, POD - fractions & percents -April 10: MT - multiplication strategies, CTS - visual patterns, POD - add mixed numbers -April 17: NO CLASS -April 24: MT - multiplication strategies, CTS - visual memory games, POD - subtract mixed numbers -May 1: MT - division strategies, CTS - number patterns, POD - reading a line graph -May 8: MT - division strategies, CTS - deductive reasoning , POD - composite area -May 15: MT - division strategies, CTS - auditory memory, POD - volume -May 22: MT - division strategies, CTS - logic problems, POD - composite volume -May 29: MT - order of operations, CTS - visual patterns, POD - classifying angles and triangles -June 5: MT - order of operations, CTS - TBD, POD - TBD
Other Details
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Joined January, 2021
4.9
371reviews
Teacher expertise and credentials
Maryland Teaching Certificate in Elementary Education
Eighteen years as a public school teacher in Maryland and two years as an Outschool teacher have provided me the opportunity to teach learners from diverse backgrounds with a variety of learning styles. I began my teaching career in elementary school, teaching all subjects and earning my Masters of Education with a certificate in Gifted Education from Johns Hopkins University. Later, I added both Middle School Math: 6-9 and ESOL Pre-K-12 certifications to my professional certificate. Most recently, I taught middle school math, working with both accelerated students and those with Special Education needs. Because of my varied experiences, I have many strategies to help all kinds of learners.
Math is my passion because while there may only be one correct answer, there are often many different ways to solve the same problem. Exploring those different ways and finding a method of solving with which each learner feels most confident is what I love to do. I like to incorporate hands-on strategies, games, and interactive activities into my lessons to make math less scary for reluctant mathematicians and more engaging for everyone.
When I’m not thinking about math, I enjoy baking, cake decorating, drawing, working in my vegetable garden, and sewing. In my spare time, I can be found hiking, kayaking, bird watching, doing a puzzle, or assembling furniture. I look forward to meeting your learner!Reviews
Live Group Class
$15
weekly1x per week
40 min
Completed by 55 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 9-12
2-8 learners per class
Financial Assistance
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