How do Students Learn Mathematics? Math 1510 Post #5

 

Have you ever stopped to think about how students really learn math? How do they learn, and are we teaching in a way that matches up with how they learn? Now days classrooms are filled with a wide variety of academic levels and learning styles. It is important to recognize, understand, and adapt to the students you are teaching in order really teach effectively. Teachers need more knowledge of how children learn mathematics.

In this weeks reading we read an article called Tying It All Together by Jennifer M. Suh. The article focuses on classroom practices that promote proficiency for students in the area of mathematics. The article specifically lists five different areas that tie together to create proficiency in math. They called this "The Five Strands of Mathematics Proficiency." The five strands are; adaptive reasoning, strategic reasoning, conceptual understanding, productive disposition, and procedural fluency.  The article then goes on to explain each strand and its importance as well as discuses different teaching strategies that help teach math proficiently.

I feel that this was a wonderful article with a lot of very helpful, useful, and important information. With all of the different academic levels and learning styles it is so important for teachers to have to tools and the knowledge to really get through to all of their students. It is great to see a breakdown of the ways that students really learn math, it enables you to adapt your teaching styles and activities to meet the ways students learn creating a more proficient learning environment.