Planning with RightStart Math – August 2024 Newsletter
Welcome to the 2024-2025 school year! We know that planning for the school year can be challenging and time-consuming. Planning with RightStart Math is easy with our free pacing schedules, designed to give you a head start on your math planning for the school year. Our pacing schedules are structured around a 5-day school week and a 35-week school year. They also include extra days for review, playing games, or to allow for holidays, providing flexibility to adapt to your classroom’s unique needs. These schedules will help you map out the school year with ease. Does your school year follow a different schedule? No problem! Contact us, and we’ll create a custom pacing schedule to perfectly align with your school’s calendar. Need Materials for This School Year? As you prepare your classroom for the new school year, you might find you need additional RightStart Math materials. Don’t worry! We are here to help! Let us know what you need, and we’ll quickly ship the materials to you. Remember, we are here to help you have a fantastic school year, whether it is planning with RightStart Math or purchasing additional materials. So, do not hesitate to contact us! Have a fantastic school year! Your RightStart Math partners, Teresa, Rachel, Maren, and Kathleen
Differentiating the Lesson Conclusion
In RightStart Math, the conclusion of a lesson is valuable for both the student and the teacher. For students, it’s a chance to review and reinforce what they’ve learned. It also allows them to make connections between the new material and what they’ve previously studied, helping them build a solid foundation for future lessons. For teachers, this time is an opportunity to assess whether students have grasped the material or to identify areas that may need further review before moving on to new content. But how can you make the Conclusion more engaging? Here are some strategies to differentiate your lesson conclusion: Whiteboard Responses When asking the conclusion questions, have your students write their answers on individual whiteboards. This keeps the activity interactive and allows you to see their responses instantly. Google Slides Use Google Slides, PowerPoint, or similar tools to display conclusion questions. Students can respond verbally, or you can provide multiple-choice options (a, b, or c) and ask students to raise their hands for the answer they believe is correct. Think-Pair-Share Pair students up and give each one an index card with conclusion questions. Have them answer independently, then discuss their responses with their partner. Another great way to add variety to the conclusion is by using Exit Tickets. What are Exit Tickets? Exit tickets are brief activities that help you assess what students learned, check for understanding, and get feedback on how your students received the lesson. They provide useful data on which concepts were understood and which may need further clarification. Here are a few ways to incorporate Exit Tickets into your lesson conclusions: Think-Pair-Share (Again!) Ask students to pair up and discuss what they learned, what challenges they faced, and what they enjoyed about the lesson. You can also have them ask each other questions from the conclusion. Game Suggested in the Lesson Sometimes, the most valuable data comes from observing students playing the game suggested in the lesson. If you need a written record, ask them to complete a form listing the equations they solved while playing. Check out our blog for game assessment ideas. Worksheets Assigned in the Lesson If the lesson includes a worksheet, its questions may mirror those in the conclusion. On such days, the worksheet can double as an exit ticket, allowing you to assess understanding based on their work. Post-It/Prove it Give each student a Post-It Note with one question or equation. Have them solve it on the sticky note and turn it in. This quick, informal assessment gives a snapshot of who has mastered the material and who might need more review. Consider using gride Post-It Notes, a half sheet of paper, or an index card. Writing in Journal Encourage students to journal about what they learned. Writing what they learned in their own words helps solidify their understanding. They can also draw pictures or diagrams to explain concepts. Journals can later be used as a personal review tool. The Student Becomes the Teacher Self-explaining is a powerful strategy that deepens understanding. Have students pair up or form small groups where they “teach” each other the lesson material. This deepens their understanding and gives you insight into how they think and learn. The conclusion is a vital element of every RightStart Math lesson. It provides students with a structured opportunity to review and reflect on what they’ve learned while giving teachers insights into areas that might need further instruction or practice. Looking for more ways to differentiate your lessons? Check out our other blogs on differentiating for the classroom, the strong student, the struggling student, and how to differentiate the Warm-Up Section of a lesson. Have your own creative ideas for making the Conclusion engaging? Share them with us so we can inspire others!
Differentiating the Warm-Ups
What can I do with the Warm-Ups in RightStart Math? Warm-Ups (sometimes called bellringers) are a fantastic way to start math class, helping students shift their focus from one subject to another. They not only prepare students to engage in new content but also allow for review of previously taught concepts. Warm-Ups can give you a quick snapshot of what math content is sticking and what might need a bit more practice. While many of the lessons in RightStart Math provide numerous options for Warm-Up content, it’s best to keep this part of the lesson to about 5-10 minutes. How can you differentiate the Warm-Ups? Here are some ideas: Think-Pair-Share Have students pair up, then give each pair index cards or sticky notes with the Warm-Up questions. Provide them with a journal page or note card to document their work. Students can work together to solve the problems or take turns asking each other the questions. Encourage them to note which problems they found challenging and which ones they were confident about. Bingo Card Though this one takes a bit of prep, it’s a hit with students. Create a bingo card with the solutions to the Warm-Up questions. As you ask questions, students mark the answers on their card. When they get bingo, you can celebrate all your students’ success and review the questions together, paying special attention to any areas where students might be struggling. Choral Answering or Alternate Answering When practicing skip counting, get the whole class involved. You can have everyone count together, or for more of a challenge, divide the class into two groups. Group A says the first number, Group B says the next, and they alternate until the series is complete. Add Physical Activities Add a movement component by having students circle up and pass around a ball or “hot potato” while answering Warm-Up questions. Another idea is to have your students do the bunny hop while skip counting. Written Responses Create a brief worksheet using the Warm-Up problems in the lesson to document what students remember. Use this sparingly—maybe just once a week—to gather evidence of their understanding without overloading them with paperwork. The goal of using Warm-Ups is engagement, not solitary work. Verbal Responses This updated, old-school option is good to mix in, too. Pair up students and ask one pair a question from the Warm-Up. They can discuss their answer with each other or use a “phone-a-pair” option to get help from another group if needed. Whiteboard Responses Ask the questions in the Warm-Up section and have each student write the answer on their personal whiteboard. When they’re ready, they can raise their boards to show their answers. This gives you a quick and clear picture of who’s on track and who might need extra help. By keeping Warm-Ups fun and interactive, students can smoothly transition into math class, feel prepared to tackle new concepts, and you gain valuable insights into their understanding. For more differentiating ideas, check out our blogs on differentiating for the classroom, the strong student, the struggling student, and the Conclusion section of each lesson. Have other creative ideas for differentiating Warm-Ups? Share them with us so we can spread the inspiration!
Improve Fact Fluency – September 2024 Newsletter
Research shows that parental involvement can greatly boost students’ math scores. So, how can you motivate parents to engage in their child’s math education without the burden of completing worksheets? Assign math card games as homework! These games are fun for both parents and students. As families and friends play math card games together, students improve fact fluency. We can provide a discount code for your school to encourage families to purchase a Math Card Games Kit for home use. Let us know if you’d like us to create a discount code for your school. Host a Game Night at Your School! Showcase the benefits of playing card games and encourage families to play at home by hosting a game night at your school. We’re happy to provide ideas on how to make your event a success. Just ask! Parent Letters Did you know we offer prewritten parent letters? You can send these letters to update them on what their children are learning in math class and how they can support learning at home? If you’d like to receive these letters, just contact us. If you are interested in learning how math card games improve fact fluency or if you are interested in more information about game night, let us know! Your RightStart Math partners, Teresa, Rachel, Maren, and Kathleen
