Fifth Grade Math Strategies
Fifth grade is an important year in learning math concepts. Multiplication and division will be mastered, along with various properties of addition, multiplication, fractions and decimals. Keeping the interest of the fifth grader and using strategies that incorporate what the student already knows in addition to what he will learn are two main areas of concentration for teachers.
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Review Every Day
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Plan strategies that will enforce what each student has already learned. Do simple warm-up activities such as addition or multiplication worksheets with only 5 problems on them. Try to be aware of any student that has difficulty in these areas and go over any problem areas with the entire group of students.
Build on the Basic Foundation
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Build on facts already known Move on to the new lesson for the day. In lecture and discussion, tell how this new lesson will build on what is already known. Show how to do the new lesson on the chalkboard or overhead. Do a few, using words sparingly or in various tones of voice. Give the class a new problem to solve on their own when it is fairly certain all understand the new lesson. Be sure to move around the room and offer any help needed to those students who do not completely understand the new concept.
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Work in Groups
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Arrange the classroom to work in groups as it becomes known who understands new concepts more quickly than others. Try to group at least one student to each table that has a good understanding of the math being worked on. Using three or four students to a group, have them work together to solve the new problem. Working together will give struggling students a chance to see and hear how others work on new problems.
Give Extra Help to Those who Need It
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Every other day, if possible, group students by who needs extra help and who does not. Give the groups that seem to understand math assignments extra practice by handing out worksheets or math puzzles to work on. Work with the groups that need extra help by going over new math problems step by step once again. Have each child work on the problem and note as he goes through the solving process, where the problems he may be having occur.
Give a Short, End of Class, Quiz
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At the end of each class period, give a short quiz. Make the first questions of the quiz basic math problems that the students are sure about. One or two easier questions before the newest concept problems will aid students in re-centering their thinking and seeing how what they already know links to what they are learning.
Use Homework as Practice, Not a Grade
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If you must give homework, keep it to a minimum or use variety in homework assignments. Students who are having trouble in math often do not have anyone at home who can consistently aid them in homework assignments. Doing an assignment wrong will only hinder a student's learning. Instead of math problem worksheets or pages from the textbook, have the student find a math-related item in a newspaper or household activity. Grading homework, especially as a large part of a student's grade, is not advisable. Homework can be practice but cannot be graded fairly unless every student's home life and abilities are the same. That is rarely going to happen. Grade wisely and fairly.
Keep the Classroom Interesting
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Keep students interested The most important strategy for teaching math to any group of students is to keep the topic interesting. Use activities in the classroom that make math fun. Many students enjoy puzzles such as Sudoku. Make math games for the class to do as groups or as an entire classroom. Do not make learning math a chore. Allow students to see interesting ways they can use numbers and math in their everyday lives.
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References
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