MATH ENRICHMENT

Because math is JUST THAT IMPORTANT! We use math in our lives every single day. As a matter of fact -- there’s not one day that goes by where you won’t use math at some point. There's the obvious times we use math every day -- like estimating the cost of our groceries before we reach the checkout line, balancing our checkbook, doubling a recipe for a holiday dinner, or deciding what time to to leave the house so we aren't late for school or work. And there's the not so obvious ones -- when we calculate how far to turn the knob on the hot water for a comfortable shower, how much water to give a plant so that it doesn't die from thirst or drowning, and how to program the DVR so you don't miss your favorite show. Math is a part of everything we do -- so it makes sense to practice it as much as possible.

The Standards for Mathematical Practice are the same eight standards across all grade levels K-12. They represent the “expertise that mathematics educators at all levels should seek to develop in their students.” In other words, they describe what it means to “do” mathematics and apply mathematical content. These standards represent the kind of thinking students do as they are learning the content and how we want them to engage with mathematics.

These are the Standards that build problem solvers -- and problem solvers are who will build a better future. So, these are the Standards that we will focus on every week in Math Enrichment.

The 8 Mathematical Practices are listed below:

1. Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them

2. Reason abstractly and quantitatively

3. Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others

4. Model with mathematics

5. Use appropriate tools strategically

6. Attend to precision

7. Look for and make use of structure

8. Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning

Kid-Friendly Version of Standards:

1. I never give up on a problem and I do my best to get it right

2. I can solve problems in more than one way

3. I can explain my math thinking and talk about it with others

4. I see the math in everyday life and I can use math to solve everyday problems

5. I know how to choose and use the right tools to solve a math problem

6. I can work carefully and check my work

7. I can use what I know to solve new problems

8. I can solve problems by looking for rules and patterns