Chapter Six

I read the Chapter Six article on first and second graders understanding of linear measurement. First of all, thanks Dr. Shafer for giving us an article related to lower elementary. Although I can usually relate the middle/high school articles to my own teaching in some way, it's nice to be able to read something more directly related to the things that I teach. I really liked the article and I think it made some great points. I liked the way that the teacher was continually prodding her students to find out what they were really thinking and she was making mental notes of what to cover in the next lesson. I really liked the way she tied the concept of "half" to birthdays. Having worked with 1st grade in the past, I know how important that "half" mark is to them and they really get what that means. I think it really helped her students to have that concept to relate to. Many students struggle with partioning and fractions in general, and I think it's good that she made her students understand it instead of just brushing it aside and letting the next teacher deal with it. Measurement is such a life skill that students need and I like how she used real world examples like buying wood at Home Depot to help students see the importance for accurate measurements.