Math Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Math Education - Essay Example First, have the students place each M&M into a line of 15. As they place each M&M down, have them count, â€Å"1†¦ 2†¦ 3†¦Ã¢â‚¬  etc. Once they have counted to 15 and placed down each of the 15 M&M’s have them count the M&M’s again while pointing to each one to reiterate the notion that each one M&M they point to corresponds with one number they count. The order irrelevance rule can be introduced by having children count the M&M’s from 1 to 15, going backwards from right to left instead of the usual left to right. Although they are counting the M&M’s in a different order than before, they count the same way: â€Å"1†¦ 2†¦ 3†¦Ã¢â‚¬  etc. To reiterate this rule, have students group the M&M’s by color. Have them start counting with the reds one time, have them start counting with blue’s the next time, and so forth. No matter what order they count the M&M’s, it’s always the same. In order to understand the cardinality rule, students need to learn that by counting properly in order, the last number they count to represents the total number of things they just counted. This can be accomplished by having students count the 15 M&M’s: â€Å"1†¦ 2†¦ 3†¦Ã¢â‚¬  etc. and after the reach the final, 15th M&M, ask them how many M&M’s there are on their desk. The answer is the same as the last number they counted: 15. This process can be repeated by taking an M&M away each time so that there are totals of 14, 13, 12 and 11. To assess students’ ability to count rationally, ask students to count with you to 15. Count slowly, so that everybody can stay at the same pace. Every couple of numbers, don’t say the next number; instead cue the students to say the appropriate number. Repeat this process several times, leaving numbers out each time. Next, have students sit on the floor in a straight line, and stand up when pointed at. As you point to each kid they should say one number each, starting at 1 and