• Worksheet
• Alternatives To Math Worksheets

Dianne Maxine November 24, 2020 Worksheet

Math worksheets are often assigned as an independent activity, however research indicates that communication and discourse are needed to build a deep understanding of math topics. Students need opportunities to explore mathematical ideas in different ways and to build their own connections. This involves communicating their ideas, listening to the ideas of others, arguing a viewpoint, describing, and explaining. Math worksheets are rarely used as a catalyst for conversation. Instead of assigning worksheets, find activities that encourage discourse, such as ”number talks,” or collaborative group work. During the session, be sure to require students to explain their thinking and listen to the strategies and thinking of their peers. If you are fortunate enough to have an interactive whiteboard in your classroom, using it with interactive math software creates many opportunities for group discussion and student participation. Teachers can can begin by posing problems and modeling approaches, and then ask students to work together to find solutions. Then have them come to the board to demonstrate their solutions in front of the class. These days, many examples of how to teach math concepts on an interactive whiteboard can be found online in the various whiteboard community sites, educational sites, YouTube, etc.

Numerous research studies have found that when students are actively engaged with the content, they have a much better chance of understanding and remembering what they have learned. Unfortunately, math worksheets tend to bore most students, especially those who need the most help in math. Engagement entails much more than rote repetition of a procedure. Math worksheets tend to present very similar problem types over and over, leading to mundane practice of disassociated skills. For students who understand the material and successfully complete an assignment, another worksheet becomes meaningless. On the other hand, for the students who don’t understand the material, an alternative method of instruction is what’s needed. Another worksheet simply adds to the student’s frustration, or worse, contributes to a belief that ”I’ll never understand math.” A cute image or a ”fill-in-the-blanks” riddle does nothing to increase engagement or learning (and let’s face it, those riddles are not funny!). Instead, teachers need to increase engagement by providing students with exercises in which they discover patterns and relationships, solve problems, or think creatively about math relationships.

For parents, printable math worksheets are a great tool for drilling their own kids in those same skills. Make no mistake, printable math worksheets are not a relic from the past that needs to stay buried. They are useful, focused tools for the classroom or at home. You can find resources all over the web for worksheets. Finding answers for worksheets, however, is not that easy. For that you often have to use paid subscription services.

The primary problem with most math worksheets is that the problems are already written out and the child need only write the answers. For learning and practicing the basic skills of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, it is much more beneficial for the child to write out the entire fact and say the entire fact out loud. A child will learn a multiplication fact much faster if they are writing out 6 x 8 = 48 at the same time they are saying ”six times eight is forty-eight” than if they just see 6 x 8 = ___ and only have to supply the 48.

Rather than using worksheets, a better method is to use individual size white boards and have the child writing entire facts many times. Having a child writing 9 x 7 = 7 x 9 = 63 while saying ”nine times seven is the same as seven times nine and is equal to sixty-three” is many times more successful than a worksheet with 9 x 7 = ___ and the student just thinks the answer once and then writes that answer on the duplicate problems.

Using current word processing programs and computers allow worksheets to be created using colorful graphics that children will find very enticing. This makes them more comfortable and relaxed the worksheet can look more like a game than a test. Using this colorful format, kids are able to feel eager to learn. The most exciting part is now they are developing online worksheets that have animated graphics. These can be access on a website from anywhere they have computer access which makes it an attractive solution to entertain your child while learning.

RELATED ARTICLES

High School Common Core Math Worksheets

Dec 25, 2020

Math Commutative Property Worksheets

Dec 25, 2020

Grade 9 Math Polynomial Worksheets

Dec 25, 2020

Christmas Worksheets Middle School Math

Dec 25, 2020

Homeschool Free Worksheet Kindergaten Math

Dec 25, 2020

Gifted And Talented Math Worksheets

Dec 25, 2020

Cbse Class 6 Maths Worksheets Free Download

Dec 25, 2020

First Grade Math Concepts Worksheets

Dec 25, 2020

Photos of Alternatives To Math Worksheets

EDITOR PICKS

Math Analysis Honors Worksheet 50

Dec 25, 2020

Homeschool Free Worksheet Kindergaten Math

Dec 25, 2020

Fashion Design Math Worksheets

Dec 25, 2020

Gifted And Talented Math Worksheets

Dec 25, 2020