When I asked a third grader what they were excited about in 3rd grade, they told me, “This year we get Math textbooks!” and I couldn’t have been more thrilled with their response.
Everyday, 3rd Graders start out with 100 math facts. This repetition insures a solid Math foundation, which lessens Math anxiety. Addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division are the cornerstones of every Math student’s career. This comes as no surprise to athletes and musicians who can’t advance unless they master the basics. Our 3rd Grade Math facts have improved so much this year. I’m confident that every successive topic will be more easily accomplished and less feared.
Currently we are moving toward multiplication, and have grasped the concept of multiplication as repeated addition. The students have also observed growing patterns in multiplication using perfect squares. But our Math class is not all work and no play. To understand fractions, 3rd Graders used chocolate bars. Students explained how many pieces were eaten compared to the whole chocolate bar (pieces eaten/whole chocolate bar). My main focus is making sure all our 3rd graders are confident, Math-loving students.