I'm dedicating my very first Math Blog post to that set of habits that all math students should work on and strive toward. The are called The Standards of Mathematical Practice.
The Standards of Math Practice (SMP's) are outlined in greater detail here, but it boils down to this:
I plan to dedicate future posts to individual SMP's, but here's a teaser: the low-hanging fruit for most 6th graders who want to be excellent mathematicians is #6. We make mistakes because we are sloppy in our work and/or thinking. We fail to find correct answers even when we have good skills and strategies. 6th grade students must do careful, precise work. Make sure your answer is correct!
- Figure out what the problem is really asking. Persevere in solving it.
- Solve math problems using abstract and concrete thinking.
- Discuss your work and that of others, offering meaningful critiques.
- Find and use relevant models to help you solve problems.
- Use appropriate tools to solve problems.
- Be precise in your work.
- Find and use number structures to solve difficult problems.
- Look for and use "rules" to solve problems in new contexts.
I plan to dedicate future posts to individual SMP's, but here's a teaser: the low-hanging fruit for most 6th graders who want to be excellent mathematicians is #6. We make mistakes because we are sloppy in our work and/or thinking. We fail to find correct answers even when we have good skills and strategies. 6th grade students must do careful, precise work. Make sure your answer is correct!