 In this video, we will show you how to create a classroom environment rich in mathematical opportunities for numeracy. We will review each element step by step to help you create your unique environment that nurtures numeracy. These elemental components are absolutely essential to creating a nurturing risk-free environment where mathematicians are able to make meaning of real-world mathematics. As a consultant, when I'm working with teachers, it's very evident when I walk into a classroom that is literacy is definitely happening. But it's really important that our environments support the mathematical instruction as well. We need to think about the physical space. We need to think about our walls being that extra teacher that supports our students for their learning to optimize learning. So some of the things that we really need to think about is we need to take a look at our physical environment. So when we talk about a guided math classroom, we need to have an area where whole group instruction can occur. We need to have an area where we can pull small groups of students so we can have intentional math lessons with them. And we need to have areas in our rooms that support stations and learning where groups of children, you know, four or five can get together to really work together on a center or a station. How you physically arrange your classroom is important. Set up the furniture arrangement by designing work areas to support individual, collaborative, or whole group learning. When planning this physical arrangement of your room, consider creating a whole group meeting area. This is an area where the whole class can gather to engage in math talks involving new vocabulary, introduce new math stations, and participate in opening and closing activities. In this area, make sure you have access to resources such as chart paper, markers, sticky notes, a smart board, and large versions of math manipulatives. Next, create another area where a small group of students can meet for a guided math lesson. Often it is your kidney-shaped guided reading table, but it can be at the carpet or anywhere you can engage in targeted math instruction for a select group of students. Workshop stations or centers are areas of your classroom where small independent groups meet to work on games, activities, and or technology, while a small group of students are meeting with you, the teacher. It can be a cluster of desks moved together or a small table. In these areas, be sure to have access to manipulatives and spaces where students can move around freely and comfortably. When mathematicians decide to do three C, that's not a unit. That's not like three meters or three kilometers where we would normally see a letter. It means multiplied by. So when I have three C... Mathematics has its own language. If students don't understand the math language used in a math vocabulary term word, they can't use it to build future understanding. A math word wall is a powerful tool that promotes independence, develops vocabulary, and supports reading and writing in mathematics. Math communication is more than just words. When you display a math vocabulary word, include a picture or diagram to go along with it. This greatly supports our English language learners and low cognitive students. Your math word wall is an important scaffold for students. If they're working on writing their thoughts and can't spell a word, they can find it on the wall. If they can't remember how to draw a bar graph, they can find an example on the wall. These walls need to be a living part of your classroom, interactive and ever-changing. They grow and adapt to meet your students' needs. Refer to the word wall often in your math lessons and routinely play games and activities such as be a mind reader, bingo, or pictionary. So the students frequently utilize the math words. This word wall must become a part of their daily math communication. What we're seeing here is the lesson I was doing today was extending the learning from 2D shapes, moving it to 3D objects. So in previous lessons what I have is the word wall which was built on vocabulary and basics of the 2D shapes. So today what we did then is we added the terminology and vocabulary needed for them to solidify their understandings in the 3D unit. So what this does for the students is it's interactive in the sense that they now can come up and it becomes the visual cue. They can come up and actually manipulate and use the actual wording, vocabulary, diagrams in their learning as a tool to further and deepen their understandings. Creating a literature and math connection from fiction and nonfiction stories helps to extend students' thinking. During oral read-alouds, ask your students to share where they see math in a story or use a picture book as an opening activity to introduce a new math concept or topic. So now I have four of how many I need. The use of manipulatives are a powerful tool to gain a deep understanding of mathematics. Students make connections between concrete manipulatives and abstract mathematical ideas. You can tell me something that you will vote 2D shapes. Math anchor charts are visual resources that support instruction and anchor student thinking, reasoning, and problem solving. When you're a teacher and you're doing your planning a course, one of the things is you always want to make the connection between how numeracy and literacy connects to the real world. So when we're doing anchor charts, and specific this one, it's kind of beautiful for that, is I purposely left the real connection to the end part of the lesson. So that often I will do it at the beginning part, which I referenced to a lesson we did before, but in this case I ended with such that they understand that what they're needing to learn and to cover and what have has that real world connection. And because I use their voice, again that just anchors the importance of why we need to be innumerates in society. And so for me, that's why I asked them if they would, I could take ownership of what they put here so that it just connected their learning to the real world. It's important to have anchor charts throughout your classroom so a child has easy access and can refer to them quickly. Anchor charts can serve different purposes. They can focus on a mathematical skill, concept, or strategy. Often written on chart paper, anchor charts can function to provide support for socialization cues when working in a group, reviewing key vocabulary, highlighting a process for a math operation, or ways of thinking about a topic. Remember, anchor charts should be co-constructed with students, reflect recent math lessons needing scaffolding and support, support the development of math language, be organized and accurate, often containing more visual images than text and stay up during the entire unit of study for easy reference. Anchor charts cue thinking about students prior learning, helping to remember specific strategies, procedures and concepts, fostering independence and building new confidence in mathematics. Show me one way to solve two times five using equal groups. Math talks are an extremely valuable component of all numerous classrooms. When meaningful mathematical conversations happen, students construct knowledge, communicate what they know, and make stronger mathematical connections. Teachers no longer become the sole bearers of knowledge, but instead they help support and guide students to a deeper level of understanding. When we encourage students to be actively involved, meaningful learning occurs. Students move from being passive listeners to actively engaged participants, eager to ask questions, articulate and defend ideas, and analyze the reasoning of others. In the next video, we're going to take a look at how you as stewards of your own classroom can get started with small group guided math. See you next time, and thanks for watching.