* * * IMPORTANT NOTES and PRE-REQUISITES * * *

— To be most successful in gaining strength in math literacy, learners will need to be reading at an independent level AND familiar with beginning to intermediate one and two-digit addition/ subtraction.

— This course is not a ‘mental math’ course, but is centered around focusing on details and digging for what each number story is asking, all while using and developing math strategies as a group.

— While calculators aren't allowed, learners are welcome to use crayons/ pencils to illustrate/ visualize their math (‘Show Me What You Know’) to help them be additionally successful when tackling their number stories and strategies. I will be modeling in this exact same way.

Number stories, word problems -- it's all math literacy!

This course is all about making math literacy less daunting -- working carefully, breaking down our facts and applying our knowledge. In here, we ask (and welcome!) questions along the math journey and check our work when each problem is complete -- even if we are sure it's correct!

* * * CLASS STRUCTURE * * *
Each class will begin with a vocabulary 'warm up', noting/ discussing/ defining elementary math terms that will be seen in our daily word problems (i.e. sum, altogether, take away). As literacy is a large component of this math course, we will also hold class space for any moments where unfamiliar vocabulary pops up for a learner/ learners while reading any given number story/ word problem.

Each class will consist of a Level 1 and Level 2 number story; Level 1 being a straightforward math task (one addition/ subtraction equation), and Level 2 denoting a 'two step' problem (more than one addition/ subtraction component). 

-- Example of a Level 2:
Susie's pet turtle ate 7 leaves on Monday, double that on Tuesday, 4 leaves on Wednesday and 2 leaves on Thursday. At the end of the day Friday, the turtle had eaten a total of 35 leaves for the week. How many leaves did Susie's turtle eat on Friday?

Here, each learner would have to find out how many leaves the turtle ate Monday through Thursday, while determining they would then need to use a subtraction equation to find the 'missing' amount of leaves that Susie's turtle had to have eaten on Friday.

Each number story template will direct learners to first "Show Me What You Know" after reading the word problem, and then denote a space for working on and applying their base knowledge to problem solving strategies. All work (whether correct or incorrect) is highly encouraged to be shown, as being comfortable in the math literacy process goes hand-in-hand with arriving at the correct answer. Showing one's work also helps me greatly in meeting each learner where they are independently, and allows us to work together by beginning at the same place.

* * * SHOW ME WHAT YOU KNOW * * *
My experience with elementary math literacy/ number stories/ word problems is that learners tackling problem solving often feel less intimidated by the word problem as a whole when they begin their math by writing down what they already know from the text.

For instance, if we revisit the example above of the Level 2 number story, learners would note in their "Show Me What You Know" section the daily consumption of leaves Susie's turtle took it (i.e. Monday = 7) to separate the straight facts from the problem in order to apply and solve.

* * * WEEKLY NUMBER STORY THEMES * * *
While all number stories will be addition, subtraction or a combination of both, we will look forward to a new 'theme' of math literacy each week!

Week 1: Animals
Week 2: Nature
Week 3: Games
Week 4: On-the-Go/ Transportation
Week 5: Dessert