Not every child can learn math with a piece of paper and a pencil, especially the special education students in my classroom. They need hands on materials so they can relate a written number to a quantity. Hands on materials are essential in helping my students understand the concept of numbers.
I service ten special education children within two general education Kindergarten rooms.
They all have individual needs that have to be met in different ways. One way that has proved to be successful for my students is hands on learning. When they are given items they can relate to written or spoken words it seems to "stick." They also have responded well to action based learning. With the materials chosen I will be able to do more action based learning. This allows my Kindergarten students time to get up out of their seat and stretch their little legs. Action based learning not only helps with educational material but it is also shown to decrease unwanted behaviors in the classroom.
My Project
The beanbags, as well as the ring toss will provide ample opportunities for them to show their knowledge of the curriculum in a different way. I like to stray from paper and pencil and allow them to show me what they know by "doing." The students will also be able to connect the written or spoken word with objects using the number train, number bead rings, and counting keys. This will help them to internalize and keep the information learned "stored" for future use. They will be able to not only look at the number two and give the name, but also able to connect that number with two objects. This is an important skill for them to learn and will help build the foundation for future mathematics success.
With these items my students will enjoy learning math as much as I enjoy teaching it.
They will be able to apply their knowledge of number sense to their everyday life and really understand what I am teaching them!
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