How to Teach Addition of Fractions Using LEGO Bricks

Guest blog post by Dr. Shirley Disseler

We know that current math standards require students to learn through modeling using manipulatives. I have been using LEGO bricks for many years to teach students math concepts throughout the elementary and middle school curriculum. It’s a perfect math manipulative, and students love using the bricks, since many students are very familiar with them. I’ve developed specific strategies for teaching math using LEGO bricks for modeling and have been thrilled over the years to watch students’ test scores improve after they learn math using these strategies.

In recent years, I’ve taught many graduate students at High Point University how to teach with these methods, and they also report great success for their students when they use the techniques as new math teachers. I’ve recently published a series of books that show how to utilize LEGO bricks to teach all the major math topics in elementary school: Counting and Cardinality, Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division, and Fractions.

Free LEGO Fractions Book
I’d like to share an example of how to teach using LEGO bricks. This is a strategy for teaching how to add fractions that have like denominators. It's one of the lessons in my book, Teaching Fractions Using LEGO® Bricks, which is a part of my Brick Math Series. If you'd like to see more fraction lessons, you can download the entire PDF of this book as a sample of the series! Click here to request your free copy.

Adding Fractions with Like Denominators
Teaching students to add fractions can be a challenge. Students must first understand that a fraction shows part of a whole. This method of modeling fractions with bricks helps students see clearly what the parts of the fractions mean, and how only the numerators are added, since the two fractions are part of the same whole.

Let’s add the fractions 1/6 and 2/6 together to show how the process works.

1. First, build models of the two fractions on a baseplate using LEGO bricks. The baseplate is an important component of Brick Math, because it keeps all the bricks in place. 
2. Start to model the two fractions, denominators first. Use a 2x3 brick (6 studs) to model the denominator of 6. Use two 2x3 bricks that are the same color, to help students understand that the denominators are the same. Leave a little space between the two 2x3 bricks.
3. Model the numerator of the fraction 1/6 by placing a 1x1 brick above the first 2x3 brick. Model the numerator of the fraction 2/6 by placing a 1x2 brick above the second 2x3 brick. Using different color bricks for the numerators helps to show they are not the same.





4. Now it’s time to model the action of adding the two fractions. Take another 2x3 brick and place it at the bottom of a baseplate. Place the 1x1 brick above this 2x3 brick. Then place the 1x2 brick above the 1x1 brick. Your model now shows 3 studs over 6 studs. Take three 1x1 bricks and stack them on each stud of the combined numerator bricks. Have students touch each stud to count 3 as the numerator of the solution fraction of 3/6 .

5. If your students are ready for it, you can demonstrate how 3/6  = 1/2 . Place a 1x3 brick on top of the three 1x1 bricks in the model and show students that the 1x3 brick (modeling the numerator) is 1/2 the 2x3 brick (modeling the denominator).





6. The final step in the process is to have students draw their brick models on baseplate paper. Drawing the models they have built helps students reinforce the visual depiction of the mathematical concepts. Baseplate paper is included in my book, Teaching Fractions Using LEGO® Bricks, which is a free sample of my Brick Math Series books.

When you take students through the modeling process, you give them a powerful way to visualize the action of the math. For both visual and tactile learners, this method helps student understand how to add fractions that are part of the same whole.

See Two Fraction Lessons in Action on YouTube
Watch the YouTube video below to see two fraction lessons demonstrated step by step.


Learn More 
If you want to learn more about how to teach using LEGO bricks, check the Brick Math program website. The books in the series are available as both printed books and as PDFs, and can be purchased on the website, on Amazon and Kindle, and on TpT. Brick sets that have been designed for the program are available from that site as well. You can also purchase individual LEGO bricks from LEGO Pick a Brick, or from online resellers of LEGO bricks such as www.bricklink.com or www.brickowl.com.

Dr. Shirley Disseler is an associate professor at High Point University and chair of the Department of Elementary and Middle Grades Education, and the STEM coordinator for the BA to MEd program. She is a LEGO® Education Academy Trainer and has been instrumental in developing and testing several LEGO® Education products. Disseler serves on the LEGO® Education Ambassadors Panel and is the trainer for the High Point University Teacher Academy for LEGO® Education. She has over 25 years of educational experience from elementary school teaching through higher education, including gifted education and exceptional children. She has recently started a new business called BrickEd on the Move that offers camps, field trips, and events based on learning with LEGO bricks.

Why I Stopped Criticizing Common Core Math

Guest Post by Adrianne Meldrum at The Tutor House

One of my favorite scenes in Disney's Tangled is when Rapunzel makes the decision to leave her tower.  She isn't sure whether she should feel guilty or gleeful.  If you don't remember this scene (or just want to watch it again--because it's so awesome...watch below).


Tangled up in emotions.
I relate to those feelings oh so well when I look back at my experience with the Common Core Math Standards.

Much like Rapunzel, I was wide eyed and excited to learn about these math standards. I knew that because we were such a transient culture that it could help more children be at the same place academically when they moved to a new city. I was giddy at the idea that children were going to dig deeper into math as well.

Then my own children experienced Common Core Math.  (cue the scary music)  Suddenly, I felt myself getting angry at the way they were teaching my children to do math. I also felt like we were going against the way we were taught.  What was wrong with the way we were taught?

Math became  hard and confusing at times for my children and me. To make matters more complicated, I am a private math tutor. For goodness sake--I should be able to figure this stuff out! And honestly...I did, but it took some time and thinking. I wanted desperately to go back and have things stay the same.

One night, my son brought me his homework and he was marked wrong (yet again) even when his work was correct. After dealing with my frustrations, I realized what she was trying to teach my son something very important. She wanted him to attend to precision. The very skills that I demand in  my own students when they came to tutoring!

And so the pendulum swung for me this previous school year while I sorted out my feelings and own misconceptions about Common Core Math. I decided to confront some of my own thoughts and frustrations. I started to read Common Core Standards beyond the grades that I tutored.  I read the suggested pacing guide and got a more complete picture. While reading, I discovered something that teachers should be telling parents...the standard algorithm that we grew up using is in there! Imagine that. Starting in third grade, the standard algorithm shows up. Students are expected to know how to add and subtract the "old school" way.

"Fluently add and subtract within 1000 using strategies and algorithms

based on place value, properties of operations, and/or the relationship

between addition and subtraction." (3.NBT.2)

I could feel the joy bubbling up inside of me. I cannot emphasize enough how important it is for teachers and parents to know where we have been in grades previous and where we are heading. We need to see the full picture. I know that celebrities and comedians like to paint a picture of students using number parts and number lines as adults, (ahem--Stephen Colbert) and I laugh right along with them...because using those methods as an adult is crazy. The point is, the methods being taught in lower grades enables students to do mental math thus freeing up their mind to do harder mathematics. I spend a lot of time as a middle and high school math tutor waiting for a child to tell me what 6 x 8 equals. I've seen a change with some of my students that are younger. They have fluency with math facts whereas, the older students do not.

Common Core Math Mindset

To bring my feelings full circle, I made a choice to attend a mathematics conference this summer.  Phil Daro, the lead author of the Common Core Math Standards, was our keynote speaker. He made excellent points about the teaching children to be critical thinkers and less worried about answer getting. Our world needs more critical thinkers. He emphasized teaching math with this mindset:

You Do:  The student explores a problem and comes to conclusions on their own.

We Do:  The teacher leads a discussion about the conclusions students make. Students are encouraged to share their ideas and the teacher guides them towards the concept being taught.

I Do:  The teacher then steps in and teaches the mathematical concept and provides exercises for students to practice.

No matter what your feelings are about the Common Core Math Standards; it takes time for teachers, children, and parents to adjust. Even if you are hopeful that Common Core will just be a blip in history, we need to stop putting our heads in the sand and get comfortable with these ideas that are not new in any sense.

Educating Parents About Common Core Math

What can you do as a teacher to help implement and educate parents about common core math?

1.  Host a Parent Math Night
At the beginning of the year, show parents how Common Core Math is being taught to their children. Reassure them that the way they learned how to do math is being taught right along side other methods. Laura has a great free resource about how to host such a night like this. Download it here.

2.  Include Parents During Math
If you are having discussion about math with your students, don't be afraid to invite parents to come and watch so they can see the value in what you are teaching their children.  Specifically ask for volunteers to come to class during math as well!

3.  Give Parents a Math Glossary
I've seen many awesome math vocabulary packs on Teachers Pay Teachers, why not take it a step further and allow parents to have their own copy of math vocabulary in a glossary. Make sure the definitions also include examples so that parents can refer to the glossary when an issue arrives with homework.

4.  Provide Quality Articles and References
There are a lot of misleading images and articles floating around on the web. Parents are confused! Help them get some clarity by sharing articles and references that you've found are helpful. If you have a class website, provide an entire page dedicated to links that will help parents understand Common Core more fully. Here are some suggestions:

Americans Are Bad at Math, but It's Not Too Late to Fix It
Common Core Math Standards in Action
Truth About Common Core
The Common Core Savvy Quiz

Bottom line, implementation of Common Core Math Standards is key. If we don't take the time to properly educate and introduce parents to these standards, we will always be facing resistance.

What about you?  How have you educated parents?


Adrianne is a private tutor and creates materials for tutors and teachers alike.  She authors The Tutor House, a blog aimed at helping tutors run an effective business.

3 Mindful Classroom Teaching Strategies

No Tricks or Gimmicks: 3 Mindful Classroom Teaching Strategies

Guest post by Shelley of the Write Stuff Teaching Blog

If you are anything like me, you have tried every class management trick in the book. After 20+ years of teaching, that adds up to a lot of time spent on tricks and gimmicks to be able to run your classroom smoothly and effectively. I've tried group points, individual strategies, treats, moving desks around (a lot), classroom bucks, phone calls to parents (both positive and when students are struggling) and many, many more. Even though classroom management is a strength of mine, it is still a difficult challenge, especially now, as our students enter the room with more and more challenges.

Unfortunately, support is not as good as it used to be and teachers are left to deal with the consequences. The trend is towards differentiated learning for each one of our students.  How can we possibly do that when we spend so much of our time on getting kids to focus and learn and less time teaching curriculum? I would like to share with you 3 teaching strategies that I use together that incorporate three popular programs. It can be used with kids from K-8 by adapting these strategies for your own grade level.

I always knew that "intrinsic" motivation (doing something because you want to not because you will get a reward) was more effective than "extrinsic" motivation (earning prizes and points) based on research I had read during my student teaching. But just how do you do this when there are 24+ students who all come from different backgrounds and families with different values and expectations?

1. Teaching Self Awareness

I was watching a program on TV one day and Goldie Hawn (the actress) was on talking about her days in school. At the time, the Vietnam War was on and she became scared and worried. She began to realize that because she was worried, she couldn't learn to her potential. As a result of her experience she created the MindUP program. (This is available at Scholastic for grades K-2, 3-5, 6-8). I knew that this was something near and dear to my heart as I watched many of my learners suffer through episodes of anxiety. I did the training and realized very quickly that implementing it in my classroom would be an easy fit into everything I do and not just another program I didn't have time for.

So, the first mindful strategy I implemented was MindUP. I started by teaching the students about their brains. I didn't know much about that myself but after doing lots of reading and providing books for the kids to read – we all got very excited about this!

I began creating things that would help the students learn about their brains more and to be self aware of their learning. Here is a free Brain Lift the Flap Book that I created that you can have students put together to celebrate their strengths in learning. It’s a great back to school or #geniushour activity.

Every day we do brain breaks. Not the “get up and move around” brain break but a true “let yourself go and be still” brain break. We use a resonating chime and we find a comfortable position to sit and we just breathe with our eyes closed so that our brains aren't working. Kids love how good this feels. Even the “busiest” kids finally have this figured out by the end of the year.

After students learn about their own brains, I move to their 5 senses. I give students opportunities to smell, taste, see, hear and touch items to have them really hone their observations skills. (Not only is this a Science concept but it works great at Writer’s Workshop when I am having students learn about Word Choice and improving their colorful adjectives and vivid verbs – bonus!) Once students got the hang of self-awareness, I moved to awareness of others.

2. Teaching Kids to Become Bucket Fillers

The 2nd mindful strategy was to find a way to encourage students to look beyond themselves and outward toward others. I wanted them to be kind, compassionate and empathetic. I had to teach them this. Enter Have You Filled Someone’s Bucket Today?, a book by Carol McLoud and David Messing and a very popular book and program today. The intermediate version is called Growing up With a Bucket Full of Happiness: 3 Rules For a Happy Life.

I read the students this book and they kept a mindful journal of thoughtful things and new learning about themselves and their brains. They fill out “fill a bucket” coupons to give to their friends and one student a day writes a compliment to the VIP on the whiteboard daily as part of our morning message. Once they understand the classroom kindness, I extend it further.  Have you filled your Mom’s bucket? Your Dad’s? The school custodian or secretary? Truly, the students are really genuine and honest and really get it! Afterwards, we learn about multiculturalism and people around the world to extend their thinking even farther.

So now, my students are becoming self aware and aware of others.  But something was still missing.  It was the knowledge of who they are as a person and how their feelings, emotions and behaviors can affect and impact themselves and others.

3. Fostering Flexible Thinking

Enter strategy number 3 – SUPERFLEX! Superflex is a program that was developed by Stephanie Madrigal and Michelle Garcia Winner and is a very popular program for all elementary grades. I love to introduce this program after MindUP and Bucket Filling because you really need to be able to be open and understanding and willing to accept things about their own personality in order to grow.

Superflex is a superhero that is a “super flexible thinker.” He defeats Rockbrain (stubbornness) and other Unthinkables by using social strategies. Examples of some Unthinkables that I introduce them to are:  Worry Wall (great for students with anxiety), Energy Harry (you know the ones!) Mean Jean (a hard one to admit), Brain Eater (students really relate to this one because there are SO many distractors) and Glassman (students who cry or get really angry for minor things).

For primary learners, I have the students create their own version of themselves as Superflex. This seems to empower them to want to learn more and to feel in control of their own actions.

We do roleplaying based on the suggestions for strategies in the book. One student wears a cape and is Superflex and one or two others are the Unthinkable of the day. Students LOVE watching these skits because they either see themselves in them or they see them as ridiculous but true.

Mindfulness and Classroom Management

So what do mindful and brain based learning, bucket filling and kindness and being a flexible thinker have to do with classroom management? All of these strategies provide a framework for self-awareness that allow a learner to really understand themselves and work with the strengths they have and work on the areas of difficulty they experience by giving them the tools they need. Talking about uncomfortable things really helps students to become better versions of themselves and leads to happier learners. Happier learners are more efficient learners. Check out this link from Edutopia on the neuro science behind this:   http://www.edutopia.org/neuroscience-brain-based-learning-emotional-safety

This all adds up to a team of classmates who are all supporting each other which helps the teacher to free him or herself up to teach more effectively and add rigor to their lessons while also helping to differentiate for those in need.

When your students can learn efficiently and are aware of their skills, they are more able to set goals, self assess and prepare portfolios of their learning journey to share with others.

I created a set of mindful posters that you can grab for free by clicking here or clicking the image on the right. One shows mindful students and the other shows the mindful teacher.

Remember that if you teach your students to be mindful, you won't need any tricks or gimmicks for classroom management!

Shelley Rolston teaches in a suburb outside of Vancouver, BC. She loves to teach literacy and enjoys adding a social learning and character piece to most things she teaches. Visit her blog, The Write Stuff Teaching, to learn more about mindfulness in the classroom.

Teaching Children Not to Be Rude!

Guest Blog Post by Julia Cook

As a school counselor, I would often have kids come into my office and expect me to wave my magic counseling wand and solve their problems for them.  A good counselor, a good teacher, a good parent gives the wand to the child and teaches her how to wave it herself!

Rudeness is a learned behavior. Infants are born adorable, innocent, and teachable, but they are also selfish since all they know is their own tiny world. Without adults guiding them, they will never grow out of this self-centered perspective and will grow into rude children. It takes a village to help a child realize that the world is full of other people, and other people have feelings.  Having good social skills is necessary for school success. Good social skills affect how the child will do on the playground, in the classroom, in the future work place, and in life in general.

What causes people to be rude?
Before we can help students overcome rudeness and learn to be more caring, it’s helpful to understand why people are rude. According to The Civility Solution – What to Do When People are Rude, by P.M. Farni,  there are 11 causes of rudeness:

• Individualism and a lack of restraint – I’ll do it my way and I don’t care about what you think!
• Inflated self-worth – People who are self-absorbed don’t value others except as a means to fill needs and desires.
• Low self-worth – Being hostile and defensive is often a sign of insecurity
• Materialism – The quest for money and possessions is more important than showing kindness
• Injustice –An injustice may create feelings of envy, demoralization, depression, or outrage.
• Stress – People who are overworked or overwhelmed may be indifferent to those around them.
• Anonymity – If I don’t know you, it doesn’t matter how I treat you.
• Not needing others – We are becoming content with electronic isolation
• Mental health problems
• Anger
• Fear

How do we teach children not to be rude?
We fail to guide and protect our children when we don’t teach them manners and respect for other people. One of the most valuable tools that we can give kids is the ability to connect with and relate to others. Rudeness damages others by creating stress, eroding self-worth, creating relationship problems, and making life difficult.  When we are treated rudely by others, we often become vulnerable and self-doubting.  Teaching children to be polite is not an all or none, but a continuum. Teaching a child just one single strategy toward politeness will better that child!

• Start by setting a zero tolerance for rudeness in your classroom. Explain to your students that it is your job to help them grow to become the best that they can be. Let students know that rudeness is a damaging learned behavior, and you can and will teach them to unlearn it!
• When you see a child acting rudely, go back to the list above and try to figure out why they are choosing to act that way. If you can figure out the cause, it is much easier to develop the most effective solution. Use incidences of rudeness as teaching opportunities to better your students.
• Model politeness in every way possible – you are their coping instructor! If you are ever rude, recognize your behavior publically to your class and apologize.
• Show and feel empathy – based on the cards that child was dealt in life, he may be playing the best hand that he can to win the game of life. Teach children from where they are in the world, not from where you expect them to be.
• Read stories to your class that model positive behavior that counteracts rudeness. Have students point out how the characters acted rudely and discuss why they may have chosen to act that way, if they knew they were being rude, and what they did to overcome their rudeness.) Often times, if a child in a story book has a problem and learns to solve the problem, the reader can identify with the strategies used in the book and apply them in real life.

Your Thoughts are Private, but Behavior is Public
I often tell kids that “Your thoughts are private, but behavior is public.”  You can think whatever you want to think, but the minute you let your thoughts out of your head through your words or your actions, they become public information. A great visual to explain this is the Toothpaste Squirt.

Toothpaste Squirt Lesson

Materials Needed:

• Small tube of toothpaste
• Small plate

Directions:

1. Choose one student to come forward and squirt all of the toothpaste onto the plate.
2. Ask the student if he/she can then put all of the toothpaste back into the tube.
3. Explain that once the toothpaste comes out of the tube, you cannot get it all back in.  This is much like a put-down or rude comment.  Once a put-down comes out of my mouth and goes into your ears, I cannot take it back.
4. Go onto explain that for each put-down a human hears, they must hear 10 pull-ups (or sincere compliments) to get back to where they were emotionally prior to the put down.  (i.e. if a child gets 3 put downs in one day, he must get 30 compliments to get back to where he was…30!)
5. Reiterate that thoughts are private, but behavior is public and the next time you think about giving a put down, think again and screw your lid to your toothpaste tube on tight!

The most important skill that we can teach children to help them succeed in life is the ability to get along with others in society. To do that, it takes a village. If we fail, the rest of the world will let us know, and our kids will be subjected to a life of ridicule, isolation, and despair. As a teacher…you are your students’ coping instructor! Model politeness, say NO to rudeness and keep making a positive difference!

Julia is nationally recognized as an award-winning children’s book author and parenting expert. She holds a Master's Degree in Elementary School Counseling, and while serving as a guidance counselor, she often used children’s books to enhance her classroom lessons. Julia has written dozens of books that teach students to become life-long problem solvers. Many of her books can be used to teach kids not to be rude, including Cell Phoney, My Mouth is a Volcano, Teamwork Isn’t My Thing and I Don’t Like to Share, and I Want to Do it My Way! She enjoys visiting schools and talking with kids; in fact, she's done over 800 school visits! You can learn more at her website, www.juliacookonline.com. Julia will also be presenting two sessions at the Elementary School Conference next week. 

3 Easy Ways to Wrap up the School Year

Guest Blog post by Krystal Mills

I know that some of you lucky-ducky teachers have finished for the year already, or are close to it. I, myself, have a solid month left in the classroom. Don't feel too bad for me - we don't go back to class until September! Regardless, if you're like me, it's time to reflect back on the year that was, and maybe even look ahead a little toward next year.

So much has happened this year and my students have grown in so many ways, as I'm sure yours have. I encourage you to make time for a discussion with your students about what each of them has learned this year. What do they know now that they didn't know before? It'll make for an interesting conversation at the very least, and will provide the platform needed for you to try any of the three ideas I have for you below.

Three easy (and low prep) ideas to incorporate into your class as you wrap up your school year!

1) "Our Quilt of Knowledge"

Give each of your students a square of paper and have them write one or more things on the square that they are glad to have learned this year. It doesn't have to be academic! It could be sports related, extracurricular, social, behavioral or a life lesson. Students could also draw a little something on their square, color it with markers and/or make a border around their square to make it a little special.

Then, take the squares and arrange them to create a "Quilt of Knowledge". Laminate, if possible, and make sure to show next year's group at "Back to School Time" all of the exciting things that they will learn in their new grade. This would be a perfect "Back to School" bulletin board idea!

2) "A Little Advice for Surviving Grade ___..."
After reflecting back on the year that was, have your students write a short "advice column" to next year's class. Advice should be practical things for the new students - things that your current students wish that they would have been told.

Be sure to take the best "advice columns" and share them with your new class in the fall as a bit of an ice breaker activity. Again, this could make a great display for your new students next year. Two birds - one stone!

3) "A Simple Simile"
After students have had a chance to talk about their year, have them create a simile comparing their school year to something either positive or negative (it's more entertaining to have a mixture of both). Of course, you may have to review what similes are, but it's always fun to see how students have viewed their year. There are always a few sourpusses - that's to be expected. Most students, however, will remember the fun times, the many things that they have learned and compare their year to something positive.

Examples:
"Grade five was like a roller coaster ride - ups and downs, but mostly just fun!"
"Grade six was like making a really hard jigsaw puzzle, it took a whole year and it wasn't easy, but I finally got all of the pieces in the right places."

Similes could be written on to poster board and laminated, again, looking toward next year's students.

I hope that you have had a fabulous year with your students and that you've learned as much as you've taught! I know I have, as I always do. To those of you still finishing up the year (like me) hang in there - I can see the light!

Krystal Mills is a Grade 7 teacher in Prince Edward Island. She is the author of the Lessons From The Middle blog where she shares lessons from the classroom, and occasionally from her life as a mom of two young boys. The goal of this Canadian teacher blog is to share middle school lessons, activities and ideas from her classroom and to collaborate with the wonderful online community of teachers out there as well!