Shandele

Mahi
ITE 324 -412
Child Study
ITE 324: Elementary Mathematics I
1. My mentor teacher wanted me to work with Ashley because she was one
of the struggling students in math.

ACAS
1. Description of the classroom
a. Im currently observing a general education classroom of first
grade students. There are 20 students in my classroom. Among
those 20 students there are 12 girls and 8 boys. Only one of
those students is considered an ELL student and at this moment
there are no students who are SPED. I noticed that there is one
more adult (other than my mentor teacher) who comes into the
class after lunch to pull the ELL student out and work with him in
another classroom.
2. Common Core Standard
a. Add and subtract within 20.

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CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.1.OA.C.5
Relate counting to addition and subtraction (e.g., by counting on
2 to add 2)
b. Work with addition and subtraction equations
CSS.MATH.CONTENT.1.OA.D.8
Determine the unknown whole number in an addition or
subtraction equation relating three whole numbers. For
example, determine the unknown number that makes the
equation true in each of the equations 8 + __ = 11, 5 = __ - 3, 6
+ 6 = __
3. Data collected October 2, 2014
Student uses cubes to show
Yes
equation

Student used the cubes they

chose to represent equation
to help them add

Yes

Student was able to look at given

equation and use cubes to
represent the numbers in the given
equation (e.g., if the equation was
7 + 4 =__ ; The student used 7
green cubes to represent 7 and 4
blue cubes to represent 4

The student started with the bigger

number and counted the amount of
cubes one by one from the smaller
number

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Student was able to see the
difference between a
number in the equation and
the answer after figuring out
the equation using cubes

Yes

Student could determine the

unknown number (5 +2 =
__) using manipulatives

Yes

Using different colored cubes

student was able to tell me how
much more cubes they needed to
get the answer

4. Analysis of the data you collected

a. My mentor teacher wanted me to work with this student
because she is one of the students who struggle in math. I
noticed that when I observed her work she would count one
more or one less when adding or subtracting. When I worked
with her for this assignment I made an equation for her using
number cards. I then asked her to show me the equation using
cubes. She very easily counted the number of cubes to match
the equation. I thought that she would have a difficult time
adding the cubes because she has been struggling with adding
and subtracting but was surprised to see that she had little
problems. I remember her having a difficult time counting two
digit numbers with one digit numbers in her stepping stones
workbook. She couldnt grasp the idea that if you added two
numbers and started with the bigger number it would be easier.
However, when I worked with her in this activity she had no
problem explaining to me why it would be better to start with the
bigger number. I think that the manipulatives helped a lot
because she was able to see which number was bigger by just
looking at the cubes she placed together. After she added the

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numbers together and showed me the answer using cubes I
then had her compare the two numbers being added and the
answer. I had her do this by stacking the two numbers being
added together and then placed that stack next to the stack she
made, which was the answer. I then asked her questions like If
this is 13 (green cubes) and this is 10 cubes (blue cubes) how
many more blue cubes do you need? She was able to answer
this because she saw the 3 cubes (red cubes) on top of the blue
stack and knew that was the difference.
2. Objective Observations
a. Relational understanding
i. Student can orally say numbers like 3 tens 8 ones but has a
difficult time writing out the number thirty-eight
ii. Student has a hard time understanding that two hands
represent one group of ten
iii. Student can use manipulatives to make ten
b. Mathematical proficiency
i. Student needs to work on adaptive reasoning. She sounds
unsure of herself when she comes to an answer and does
not know what to do to check it.
ii. I think my student needs to work on productive disposition
because she has the drive to figure out the math problems
the first time. However, when she is asked to fix something
and try to figure out what the answer is she seems confused
and not as driven to figure out the answer.
iii. Student needs to work on conceptual understanding of
groupings of ten. She doesnt understand that 3 groups of
tens make thirty etc.
3. Interview and Topic
a. The 10-20 minute time is scheduled after my teacher explains the
math assignment for the day to the class. While students are
working on their Stepping Stones workbook, I will be working with
Ashley.
b. Content Area: Counting and Place Value
4. Activities (All found in Van De Walle)
a. Activity 11.2 Groups of Ten (main activity)
i. In this activity it says to prepare bags of counters of different
types. However, I think that I would use the same type of
counters and different amounts in each prepared bag. The
student empties the bag and counts the items. Student will
record the amount as a number word. Then the counters are
grouped in as many tens as possible. The groupings are
recorded on the form.
b. Activity 11.1 Counting in Groups (easier)

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i. Find a collection of items that are countable between 25 and
100 and have the student count the items. Ask the student
how we could count these items in some way that would be
easier than counting by ones? Casually suggest counting by
tens if student does not come up with this solution.
c. Activity 11.4 Can You Make the Link? (harder)
i. Show a collection of materials that are partly grouped in sets
of ten. Ex: 5 chains of 10 links and 17 additional
unconnected links. Student will count the number of chains
and the number of singles in any way. Ask How many in
all? and record responses and discuss how student got their
answer.
5. Hi Ashley. Thank you for helping Miss Mahi learn more about math. Id
like to learn a little bit more about how you are thinking so Im just going to
take some notes. Im going to have you do some tasks and then try to
explain to Miss Mahi why you did that ok?
a. Can you please take out all of the pieces in the bag for me?
b. Can you please count the items for me?
c. How many ____ are there?
d. Can you write the number word for me?
e. Now can you please make groups of ten for me?
f. Why should we make groups of ten?
g. Can you please count the ____ for me?
h. How many groups of ten are there?
i. Are there any singles left?
j. How many singles?

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Part 2
6. During Interview

7. After the Interview

For this activity I had the student count different kinds of items for me. All
of the items were mixed up in a bag (pennies, star stickers, and beads).
First I had the student separate the items into cups so that it was easier
for the student to count. Then I asked the student to count each item. The
student proceeded to count each item group individually. She first counted
the stickers, then the pennies, and finally the beads. When she was done
counting a group of items she wrote the amount on a worksheet that I
made for her. This part was probably the easiest for her because all she
needed to do was write down the number numerically. This shows me that
the student knows her numbers

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I then asked the student to write the number word for the amount she
found for each item. The student seemed to have a little difficulty here. For
example I would ask her how many pennies there were and she would
verbally say thirty-three; however, when she wrote the number word
down she wrote threety-three. Ashley did the same thing with the
number of beads. Instead of fifty-five she wrote fivety-five. During this
part she needed some guidance and I had to ask her to say 55 verbally a
couple of times before she understood that it was not fivety-five.
The last part of this activity was for the student to write down the groups of
tens and ones. I told Ashley that we needed to find the group of tens and
ones for each item group and I asked her how can we do that. She told
me that she could put the items in ten groups. When she started
counting she was counting and making groups of tens. Sometimes she
didnt make groups of ten and instead made a group of 9. Even though
she said to make ten groups I still think she needs to work on understand
what a group of ten is. When she finished grouping in groups of ten for an
item she would count it, pointing to the group 10, 20, 30 Ashley would
then count the remaining ones but I think counting this way confused her.
For example there were 33 star stickers, she would count 10, 20,
30one, two, three. Thirty-four? Im not quite sure why this happens. I
also notice that when she comes to her final answer she would say it as if
asking you if that was the correct answer. I noticed that she is very
hesitant when telling me what she thinks the answer is.
8. Two Instructional Activities
a. Short-term Counting Rows of Ten (Van De Walle)
i. This activity will require a 10x10 array of dots. Since you
would be working with the child individually you would not
need to use a projector for this activity. You would then
cover all the dots except for the first two rows and say How
many tens? Two tens is called twenty. The student would
repeat you. Keep showing rows. Three tens is called thirty.
Four tens is called forty. Five tens could have been called
fivety but is just fifty You would continue this until you get up
to 90. Then you would show, for example, four full lines,
forty. Then you would show a dot in the fifth row. Four tens
and one. Forty-one. Add more dots one at a time. Four tens
and two. Forty-two. When the pattern is established, you
can repeat this part of the activity with other decades form
20-90.
b. Long-term Expand That Number! (NCTM)
i. In this activity you would write down the number word on the
board (e.g. thirty-six). Ask the student to write the words in

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digits. Have the student say/write down anything they know
about the number 36. Encourage the student to make
observations about each digit and what the digit represents.
There are two digits
There are tens and ones
3 is in the tens place
6 is in the ones place
It is bigger than 30
ii. Using base ten blocks have the student model the number
36 using the fewest base ten blocks. Explain that a rod
represents 10 and a unit represents 1. After the student
finishes, count the value of the blocks. Ask, How many rods
do you have? [3.] What is the total value? [30.] Continue
this with the ones.
iii. This activity continues further but in this case I would adjust
the activity (stop here) so that the student can practice her
understanding of groups of tens and she can see how the
spell the different decades.
9. Rolfes Model
a. What was my role in the situation?
i. Overall I think that the activity went smoothly. My role in this
activity was to ask the student questions in order to help her
understand that counting in groups of ten is efficient. I also
wanted to go back and have her count by ones again
because students need to understand counting before than
can begin to understand how to count in groups of ten, which
I notice this student still struggles with.
b. What should I have done?
i. This activity may have been too much too handle for this
student. I think that I should have broken this into smaller
parts in order for the student to fully grasp the concept of
counting, number word, and grouping by tens.
c. What do I need to do to improve situation/prevent recurrence?
i. I think that if I ever work with this student again I should give
the student maybe only one kind of item to count. That way I
can really work with this student on writing the number, the
number word, and making groups of ten. I could also try
using only two colors for the manipulatives. For example if I
give the student 43 items to count then have 40 of the items
be red and the 3 ones be blue.