 Anyone's natural inclination with many math manipulatives is to play with them—to create interesting designs and structures. Rather than threatening students that you will take them away if they play, direct their natural inclinations by including play throughout the instructional sequence. Let them show their answers to problems in creative ways. For instance, with base 10 blocks, they could make three digit numbers in the form of a robot or insect. For added interest, have them make their pictures symmetrical. With the fraction bars, pictured here, they could created a structure and then add up the fractions in the structure. They could compare the structure they made with that of their neighbor. Have the students discuss what they made and why they designed it as they did. Compare and contrast structures. I'm not saying that the entire lesson needs to involve play, but if you want them to remember what you are trying to teach, active engagement should be the goal. Art play is a great way to get there!
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 A common language arts lesson is to review vocabulary words and then read an excerpt that has the same vocabulary words in it. Whether this process is interesting or boring is up to the teacher. The arts can electrify an otherwise sterile instructional sequence. Let the students explore the word, how it sounds, how it feels to say it. Say it using a variety of inflections and expressions. Change the volume, tempo, and pitch. Clap the syllables. Sing it, like an opera singer or like a pop star. Spell the word. Write it in the air. Then, act out each word and its definition. Write the word and do a quick draw for the definition. Divide into groups and create skits or tableaus. Create a motion or pose to accompany each word. Then, when you read, do the motion or pose when the word comes up. Be sure to read with expression (vocal, facial, gestural).
One day I watched a pre-service teacher teaching compound words with first graders. She had the students put one word in one hand and the other word in the other hand and then everyone clapped the two words together while saying the compound word. Then they put one word in one foot and another word in the other foot and jumped them together into the compound. They could also put one word in their hip and a neighbor could put another word in their hip, and then bump the words together for the compound word. Or in hands and high five them together. Oh, the possibilities! |
Vincent BatesI teach elementary arts integration at Weber State University in Ogden, Utah. Archives
May 2018
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