Grade One: Math Observation

By: Kate Moldofsky & Saleha Iqbal

ED/EDPJ 1100 C 3.0

Mathematics in the Primary-Junior Divisions

Professor Lana Parker

Thursday, November 3rd, 2016

 Math Observation Name: Student A Grade: 1 Date: Fall 2016
Assignment
Strand/Unit of Study: Data Management and Probability
Curriculum Learning Goal(s) Continuum of Learning
Expectations*
-By the end of this class, 1. What has the student been working on?
General: students will collect data - Student A has been working on collecting data from classmates,
1.Collect and organize from classmates to make recording data, and organizing it and presenting it in graphs, charts,
categorical primary data and a concrete bar graph and tables. This involves generating questions to ask classmates,
display the data using (asking who likes bananas, titling and labelling graphs and charts, and understanding that
concrete graphs and a yes no/question) and objects have attributes (colour, size, shape, etc.) which can be used
pictographs, without regard charts of who likes cats or to sort data.
to the order of labels on the dogs (a categorical
horizontal axis. question), organize and - Student A has also been working on drawing conclusions based on
display the data (on a bar graphs and tables and interpreting data so as to answer simple
Specific: graph and in a chart), questions and understand more than and less than.
acknowledging the
different attributes and 2. How is the student struggling? (concept/strategy)
1.collect and organize
read the graph/table and - Student A has limited letter/sound association and the teacher is in
primary data (e.g., data
collected by the class) that is draw conclusions from contact with parents and school principal about starting the process
categorical (i.e., that can be the data. of obtaining an IEP and psychological assessment.
organized into categories (What does the graph tell
based on qualities such as you? Students will be able
- While Student A understands the concepts being taught when
colour or hobby), and display to answer based on the
title and labels used in the demonstrated visually, Student A has difficulty demonstrating and
the data using one-to-one
graph/chart, as well as the communicating his understanding of concepts. Student A struggles
correspondence, prepared
with recording data on paper and presenting data clearly.
templates of concrete graphs method of recording
and pictographs (with titles (shaded bars/columns of
and labels), and a variety of names).
- Furthermore, Student A has a good understanding of mathematical
recording methods (e.g., concepts (objects having different attributes, sorting and
arranging objects, placing categorizing datas, more than/less than), Student A's difficulty with
stickers, drawing pictures, expressing himself in speech or writing makes it difficult to assess his
making tally marks) math progress traditionally. He also struggles with using and
sometimes understanding the mathematical language.

3. Where is the student going?

- The teacher is in the process of securing an IEP for Student A, as he
has not improved in letter/sound association in the first two months
of school, which communicating about math difficult for him.

- Student A will be working towards increasing his understanding of

objects having attributes.

- Student A will work towards more accuracy and clarity in his recording
and presentation of data.

- Student A will continue reading and interpreting graphs, tables, and

charts, moving towards posing questions based on what is presented
in the chart and drawing conclusions.
- Student A will also work towards making predictions about the
probability of future data and likelihood of certain events based on
the data (e.g. if most of the class likes bananas, will most of the class
also like apples?).

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Possible Interventions and Connection to Continuum of Learning

1. Student A is sociable and working with a partner (who is patient with his communication) is helpful for him. Due to Student
As strength in understanding the majority of the math work, having a partner to help put answers into words is helpful for
him. Moreover, Student A benefits from one-on-one work with a teacher or other adult, who can assist him with recording
data clearly and putting his answers in words down on paper as this students work samples were completed with some
teacher assistance.

2. Student A is a visual learner; hence, pictures and physical manipulatives are very helpful for him for an activity such as who
likes and dislikes bananas (Sample Work A). Thus, we will provide Cubalinks where he can attach 17 cubes together and align
them on graph paper. This will help him physically see how many students like or dislike bananas; ultimately stopping him
from colouring more than 17 squares on the graph paper.

3. For the activity regarding which students like dogs and cats (Sample Work B), providing opportunities to create and
discuss people graphs, concrete graphs, and pictographs (Page 20 of A Guide to Effective Instruction in Mathematics)
would be a more suitable option for Student A when categorizing the data. Thus, instead of writing his peers name,
Student A can draw how the person looks, or be provided with a picture of each classmate where he is required to
categorize which peer belongs in which column.

Concepts
Key concepts in this strand include:
- organizing objects into categories using one attribute
- collecting and organizing categorical data
- reading and displaying data using concrete graphs
and pictographs
- describing the likelihood an event will occur
Strategies
Strategy 1 can be referred to as Shared Mathematics from the Early Math
Strategy Report 2003 (page 40).
Strategy 2 can be referred to as using Manipulatives from the Concrete
Materials section of the Developing Mathematical Literacy TIPS4RM -2005
document (page 22), with insight from our mentor teachers.

In the attached activities, Student A was working on

organizing objects into categories using one attribute.
Classmates were organized based on their answers to a
yes/no question, where yes or no is one attribute.

By putting classmates' name into a chart based on

whether that classmate likes cats or dogs is collecting and
organizing categorical data.

Student A displayed data on a bar graph (a concrete

graph using a template).

Tools/Manipulatives
Student A has not yet done work regarding likelihood and
Tools/ manipulatives for the strategies and interventions discussed require graph paper, Cubalinks, and/or pictures of classmates.
probability.
Furthermore, an essential part of Student A successfully meeting the curriculum requirements includes allowing the class to
understand the importance of Shared Mathematics, and the notion of helping one another.

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 Math Observation Reflection
Through this observation, we learned that students are most engaged in math when it is

connected to their lives. We examined the Ontario curriculum and believe that this has been

relatively easy to do in the data management and probability strand as the students have been

graphing the answers to questions about themselves and their personal preferences. Thus,

through analyzing this strand we recognize the importance and opportunity to build more math-

to-self connections as it would allow students to play a more active role in the stream of data

management and probability, as well as mathematics as a whole.

In this classroom, math is usually taught near the end of the school day, at which point

the first graders tend to be tired and find it difficult to focus. Contrastingly, teaching and learning

math directly after the afternoon recess seems to work more effectively as the students have had

a break from the classroom. We examined and realized that at the grade one level, the majority

of these students are still engaged and excited for math and don't (yet) find it boring or scary.

They perform best when given enough time to work through questions and enjoy working with

partners. They enjoy collecting data from their classmates as this is usually an active activity

where they get up and move around the room to get their peers' answers. Thus, as future

teachers, we hope to use partners at the Junior levels of elementary school as this may be the

reason why fourth, fifth, and sixth graders begin to dread math.

Furthermore, often after the students complete their math activities, the teacher will have

the students move to the carpet and have a math chat, which is an opportunity for them to talk

about and share their work with others. The teacher will have students discuss what they did in

the activity, what they learned, and what they enjoyed or found difficult. This was an interesting

aspect to note as it made math a community activity, and allows students to summarize and recap

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what they have done, in order to synthesize it. Moreover, it also allows the teacher to assess

student understanding and adjust future activities and lessons as needed.

This student was chosen because they are a visual learner who struggles with recording

data clearly and accurately, as well as writing in math. This provided an opportunity to explore

how visuals and manipulatives could be used. Additionally, this student benefits from working

with a partner, which challenges the idea that learning in math particularly is a solitary activity.

The reality is many students learn best when they have the opportunity to talk about math and

learn from each other. This student of promise also raised the question of what to do when a

student has some understanding of a concept, but difficulty demonstrating this understanding

using traditional methods.

The process of creating an intervention for this student of promise was an interesting

notion to experience. This is because although it was not difficult to find possible interventions

and strategies, finding the most suitable strategy is what made us critically analyze our decisions.

By searching for interventions, we learned the idea that sometimes it is not about the difficulty in

finding the strategies, rather it is about taking out the time to acknowledge the need for better

interventions. This is because we identified that with Sample Work A, depending on the

outcomes of his teacher's efforts to obtain an IEP, modifications for student A could include

analyzing a one-to-one correspondence graph instead of a many-to-one correspondence graph.

Hence, we learned that the accountability a teacher holds in regards to her/his students learning

is incredibly substantial. Further, we learned that all three of the interventions we identified were

not limited to students that have limited letter/sound association, rather it can work for all of the

students in my classroom. Ultimately, this assignment allowed us to understand strategies to help

students become successful learners, alongside help us become better teachers.

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Sample Work A

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Sample Work B

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 References
A Guide to Effective Instruction in Mathematics: Kindergarten to Grade 3, Data Mangament and
Probability 2007. Retrieved October 14, 2016 from
http://www.edugains.ca/resourcesLNS/GuidestoEffectiveInstruction/GEI_Math_K-3/K-
3_DataManagementProbability.pdf

Early Math Strategy: The Report of the Expert Panel on Early Math in Ontario 2003. Retrieved
October 14, 2016 from http://eworkshop.on.ca/edu/resources/guides/ExpPanel_K-
3_Math.pdf

Implementation and Planning Supports for Revised Mathematics: Grade 7, 8, 9

Applied, 10 Applied. Retrieved October 14, 2016 from
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/studentsuccess/lms/files/tips4rm/TIPS4RMDevMathLit.pd
f

*The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 1-8, Mathematics [revised] 2005. (n.d.). Retrieved October 13,
2016, from http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/elementary/language18currb.pdf

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