Change
Student Names to Multiplication Facts for a Day
One
day a term I have a 'name change' day where the students must refer
to each other as the answer to an algorithm.
How to
do it:
1. Discuss
how being able to see a number fact & say its answer instantly
(See It, Say It) might lead people to be more positive towards
maths.
2. Discuss
how knowing the multiplication tables in order is rather inefficient
in calculations as often people have to run through the whole
table to arrive at an answer. Is this something you do?
3. Our goal
is to achieve 'automacy' - 'See It, Say It'.
4. Call
out a multiplication table e.g. the 7 times table OUT
OF ORDER!!!& the students record their answers.
5. The students
then have to choose a fact that they acknowledge they 'need to work
on' in order to achieve automacy for that fact. The idea being that
by the end of the day that fact will be known.
6. They then use
a large texta to create a badge with their algorithm on it e.g. 7
x 9 =..... ( I use sticky labels for this that you can get from
office supply stores).
7. Explain to
the children that they are now no longer allowed to use the person's
name and they must refer to them ALL DAY as the answer to the
algorithm written on their chest. NB The teacher also must also
stick to this rule.
8. For added interest,
have the students devise a consequence that will aid learning of number
facts for each time they forget to refer to the number. You'll find
they can be rather creative here.
My
students once my students built complements into the consequence where
they had to say a phrase like '63 you are so clever' five times.
9. Have fun with
it and never lose sight of this being just another memorisation strategy.
