1. Please sign in at the back table, take a parent survey, and grab a green packet.
You may sit anywhere you like.
The survey can be completed tonight or returned to school in the next couple of days.
Welcome to Math Night!

2. What are my kids learning? HOW are they learning these things?
By the end of the night you will know
What are my kids learning?
HOW are they learning these things?
How can I help?
What’s the deal with AZ-Merit
Distribute family brochures and support materials [NOTE: One copy of these materials is included in this kit. Duplicate as many as you need. Materials also may be downloaded from the Figure This! Web site at
The Families and Support brochure has quotes by parents divided into specific headings. [These quotes are contained in slides ] Discuss parents’ quotes under the heading “Be positive about math.”
Then refer to the Math and Literature brochure and discuss ways in which reading books that highlight math can be a positive family experience.

3. What is math to your child?
Let’s Talk!
What is math to you?
What is math to your child?
You can make a difference. Studies show that when there is a high level of parent involvement, students do better in school.
No matter what your own experiences are with math, you can be a positive influence on your child.

4. You can make a difference!
Family Involvement is Important
You can make a difference!
Studies show when there is a high level of family involvement, students do better in school.
Multiplication & Division Fact Fluency is NECESSARY for future Math success!
Get involved!
You can make a difference. Studies show that when there is a high level of parent involvement, students do better in school.
No matter what your own experiences are with math, you can be a positive influence on your child.

5. Communicate with your child Communicate with me Stay positive
What can you do?
Communicate with your child
Communicate with me
Stay positive
Have high expectations
The math today is different than it used to be. Common core introduces several new strategies that you may never have seen before. When helping your child, that may be frustrating and I completely understand. There are lots of online resources that a free—videos and so on that you can watch with your kiddo and practice. Show them what you know best, try the new strategy, but otherwise just communicate with me what’s going on and I will help. If you’re really stuck and want to know more about a strategy, I can show you!

6. Important things to know about Math
Problems can be solved in different ways.
Wrong answers sometimes can be useful.
Take risks – see the value in trying to solve a problem even if you don’t get the right answer.
Being able to do Math in your head is important.
It is sometimes ok to use a calculator to solve problems or check your work.
One of the greatest problems any teacher will come across is a blank answer. How can I help if I do not know where the student went wrong? I guarantee you that the student knows something about this subject. There’s something called the “positive struggle.” Especially in reading, allowing a student to sort of struggle through and process the problems grants so much learning. This is the critical thinking. If they get it wrong, at least I can see their thought process on paper. For my mental thinkers, I know that “showing work” can be frustrating and I don’t always require this. Sometimes, however, it’s important to write these things down—ESPECIALLY if they’re confused.

7. Math at Home
Keeping the tone of math activities light will increase the likelihood that children will want to do them and make the activities seem less like homework!
Children develop positive attitudes toward math when they see that their parents and families value it. Find ways to show that you enjoy math.
You can have fun doing math by playing games together and working on your ILP goal at the same time!

8. New Math Strategies:
Multiplication

9. Distributive Property Multiplication
New Math Strategies:
Distributive Property Multiplication
Note: One of the purposes of this is that it helps students with the concept of taking a large item and breaking it into pieces. This is a precursor to fractions, which is traditionally one of the toughest subjects in any grade level. Truthfully, fractions are something I struggled with immensely for a long time as a kiddo. When I look at these new strategies, I wish they would have been around when I was learning. They seem scary, but the strategies really do work and they work at the level of a child.

10. New Math Strategies: Area and Perimeter
Note: One of the purposes of this is that it helps students with the concept of taking a large item and breaking it into pieces. This is a precursor to fractions, which is traditionally one of the toughest subjects in any grade level. Truthfully, fractions are something I struggled with immensely for a long time as a kiddo. When I look at these new strategies, I wish they would have been around when I was learning. They seem scary, but the strategies really do work and they work at the level of a child.

11. Struggling?
Note: One of the purposes of this is that it helps students with the concept of taking a large item and breaking it into pieces. This is a precursor to fractions, which is traditionally one of the toughest subjects in any grade level. Truthfully, fractions are something I struggled with immensely for a long time as a kiddo. When I look at these new strategies, I wish they would have been around when I was learning. They seem scary, but the strategies really do work and they work at the level of a child.

12. Struggling?
Note: One of the purposes of this is that it helps students with the concept of taking a large item and breaking it into pieces. This is a precursor to fractions, which is traditionally one of the toughest subjects in any grade level. Truthfully, fractions are something I struggled with immensely for a long time as a kiddo. When I look at these new strategies, I wish they would have been around when I was learning. They seem scary, but the strategies really do work and they work at the level of a child.

13. Struggling?
Note: One of the purposes of this is that it helps students with the concept of taking a large item and breaking it into pieces. This is a precursor to fractions, which is traditionally one of the toughest subjects in any grade level. Truthfully, fractions are something I struggled with immensely for a long time as a kiddo. When I look at these new strategies, I wish they would have been around when I was learning. They seem scary, but the strategies really do work and they work at the level of a child.

14. What is Study Island?
Study Island provide students to master state-specific, grade-level academic standards in a fun and engaging manner. Study Island combines rigorous content that is highly customized to specific state standards in math, reading, writing, science, and social studies with interactive features and games that engage students and reinforce and reward learning achievement
Online resource used in 3rd-5th grades that provides student opportunity to master state-specific, grade-level academic standards in fun and engaging manner.

16. Symbols on StudentTopic map give feedback and inform about remediation
Study Island also provides instant feedback (students have access to reports and receive stars after completing assignments). Also, students have built in remediation. If a student does not pass (in this case 70% or higher) than they are automatically given a foundation skill to complete. It will continue to remediate until able to complete.
Symbols on StudentTopic map give feedback and inform about remediation

17. Technology-enhanced item types designed to promote higher-order thinking and inquiry

18. Technology-enhanced item types designed to promote higher-order thinking and inquiry
Hot Text items require you to either click on a response option or drag a response option to another location. Other great technology enhanced types of questions used to promote higher-order thinking and inquiry include: Cloze (drop down menu), Audio and Video
Hot Text Items

19. Technology-enhanced item types designed to promote higher-order thinking and inquiry
TAKE A LOOK IN FOLDER for 21st century Types of Items

20. AZMerit Testing is coming up!!
Students can start logging on to practice tests at home now!

22. BEFORE YOU LEAVE TONIGHT...
Did you sign in on the sheet by the door?
Did you take an Out of Uniform Pass with you? (Don't you dare come home without it!)
Did you fill out the parent survey?
Do you have any questions regarding Math Night or strategies we learned? Fill out an index card in the back and leave it for me.