This document discusses approaches for teaching mathematics at the elementary level. It includes 13 approaches: discovery approach, inquiry teaching, demonstration approach, math-lab approach, practical work approach, individualized instruction using modules, brainstorming, problem-solving, cooperative learning, integrative technique, looking for clues and key words, making a chart or table, and finding a pattern. The document also provides examples and explanations of techniques for teaching mathematics like using dramatizations, children's bodies, play, toys, stories, natural creativity, problem-solving abilities, technology, and assessments. [END SUMMARY]

1. Approaches in Teaching
Mathematics

2. OBJECTIVES:
 At the end of the session the participants will be able to:
 1. Decode word clues in four basic operation.
 2. Master the four basic facts of operations.
 3. Review primary steps in reducing fractions to lowest
terms using GCF.
 4. Review equivalent fractions.
 5. Review divisibility rules of 4, 8, 11 and 12.

3. “Teacher, can you spare a sign?”
My worst experience with a teacher was
during our Math class. I loved math and really
thought I knew and understood math. But my
math
teacher sent me home crying everyday
because
she marked my homework and test wrong
since I
used to get my positive and negative signs
wrong. I
knew how to do the problems, but I always got
my
answers with wrong sign.

4. Reflect: The scenario
illustrates the difficulties experienced
by some unfortunate learners. But can
we afford to let such kind of teachers?
They affect the way our learners feel
about math. Let’s hope not.

5. Therefore, it depends upon every teacher to strive to
improve her/his teaching style to increase the number
of children liking, and even loving Mathematics. Such
should start as early as in the elementary grades.
Furthermore, the use of varied and appropriate
teaching approaches can entice more learners to like
and love math.

6. Activity 1 (10 minutes)
 Group yourselves into 3 groups according to your grade level and name
your group by the name of any topic in Math i.e. Fractions, Addition,
etc. Prepare a yell for your group and shout your yell before your group
presentation.
 GRADE 4
 GRADE 5
 GRADE 6
 Open the envelope, match the correct meaning to the different
approaches.
 Present your output in a span of 1 minute.

7. Did each group answer the activity
correctly?
Is it difficult to answer? Why or
why not?

8. How did you feel about the
activity?

9. This session discusses educational
approaches for teaching Mathematics at
the elementary level. Included are
approaches such as; discovery approach,
inquiry teaching, demonstration
approach, math-lab approach, practical
work approach

10. individualized instruction using models,
brain storming, problem solving,
cooperative learning, integrative
technique, looking for clues and key
words, drawing a picture, finding a
pattern, guess and check, making a chart
or table and others, use dramatizations,

11. use children’s play, use children’s toy, use
children’s stories, use children’s natural
creativity, use technology and Use
assessments to measure children's
mathematics learning. All of which can be
used by educators to support Math
instruction.

12. 1. Discovery Approach
The ultimate goal of this approach is that learners learn how
to learn rather than what to learn.
•for developing their higher-order thinking skills.
•This approach refers to an “Inductive Method”of guiding
learners to discuss and use ideas
already acquired as a means of discovering
new ideas.

13. It is "International Learning”,
both the teacher and the
learner play active roles in
discovery learning.

14. 2. Inquiry Teaching
- providing learners with content-related problems that serve
as the foci for class research activities.
-The teacher provides/presents a problem then the learners
identify the problem.
-Such problem provides the focus which lead to the
formulation of the hypothesis by the learners

15. 3. Demonstration Approach
- providing learners with content-related problems that
serve as the foci for class research activities.
-The teacher provides/presents a problem then the learners
identify the problem.
-Such problem provides the focus which lead to the
formulation of the hypothesis by the learners.
-Once the hypotheses have been formulated, the learners’
task is to gather data to test hypotheses.

16. -The gathered data are being organized then data
analysis follow to arrive to conclusion/generalization.
-The teacher provides/presents a problem then the
learners identify the problem.
-Such problem provides the focus which lead to the
formulation of the hypothesis by the learners.

17. - Once the hypotheses have been formulated, the
learners’ task is to gather data to test hypotheses.
- The gathered data are being organized then data
analysis follow to arrive to conclusion/generalization.

18. 3. Math-Lab Approach
- children in small groups work through an
assignment/task card, learn and discover mathematics
for themselves.
The children work in an informal manner, move
around, discuss and choose their materials and method
of attacking a problem, assignment or task.

19. 4. Practical Work Approach
- The learners in this approach, manipulate concrete
objects and/or perform activities to arrive at a
conceptual understanding of phenomena, situation, or
concept. The environment is a laboratory where the
natural events/phenomena can be subjects of
mathematical or scientific investigations.

20. Activities can be done in the garden, in the yard, in
the field, in the school grounds, or anywhere as long
as the safety of the learners is assured. That’s why
elementary schools are encouraged to put up a Math
park.
The learners in this approach, manipulate concrete
objects and/or perform activities to arrive at a
conceptual understanding of phenomena, situation, or
concept.

21. The environment is a laboratory where the natural
events/phenomena can be subjects of
mathematical or scientific investigations. Activities
can be done in the garden, in the yard, in the field, in
the school grounds, or anywhere as long as the safety
of the learners is assured. That’s why elementary
schools are encouraged to put up a Math park.

22. The environment is a laboratory where the natural
events/phenomena can be subjects of mathematical
or scientific investigations.
Activities can be done in the garden, in the yard, in
the field, in the school grounds, or anywhere as long
as the safety of the learners is assured. That’s why
elementary schools are encouraged to put up a Math
park.

23. 5. Individualized Instruction Using
Modules
- This permits the learners to progress by mastering steps
through the curriculum at his/her own rate and
independently of the progress of other pupils.
- Individualizing instruction does not imply that every
pupil in the class must be involved in an activity
separates and distinct from that of every other child.

24. There are many ways of individualizing
instruction: grouping, modules- self-learning
kits/materials, programmed materials, daily
prescriptions, contracts, etc.

25. 5. Brainstorming
• teacher elicits from the learners as many ideas as
possible but refrains from evaluating them until all
possible ideas have been generated.
• It is an excellent strategy for stimulating creativity
among learners.

26. 6. Problem-Solving
• a learner-directed strategy in which learners “think
patiently and analytically about complex situations in
order to find answers to questions”.
When using problem-solving for the first time:
select a simple problem that can becompleted in a
short amount of time.
Consider learners’ interest, ability level, and
maturation level.

27. Make sure resources (materials or equipment) are
available.
Make sure that learners are familiar with
brainstorming before you implement problem solving.

28. 7. Cooperative Learning
•eliminates competition among learners. It encourages
them to work together towards common goals.
•It fosters positive intergroup attitudes in the classroom.
It encourages learners to work in small groups to learn.
•The group learns a particular content/concept and every
member is expected to participate actively in the
discussion, with the fast learners helping the slower ones
learn the lesson.

29. 8. Inquiry Teaching
-providing learners with content-related problems
that serve as the foci for class research activities.
The teacher provides/presents a problem then
the learners identify the problem.
Such problem provides the focus which lead to the
formulation of the hypothesis by the learners.

30. Once the hypotheses have been formulated, the
learners’ task is to gather data to test hypotheses.
The gathered data are being organized then data
analysis follow to arrive to conclusion/generalization.

31. 9. Integrative Technique
-The Integrated Curriculum Mode (Integrative teaching to
some) is both a “method of teaching and a way of
organizing the instructional program so that many subject
areas and skills provided in the curriculum can be linked
to one another”.

32. Techniques in Teaching
Mathematics

33. 1. Looking for clues and key words
 In every word problem, there is always a clue or key word that
will help you solve the problem no matter how hard it is.
ADDITION
• sum
• more
• in all
• altogether
• plus
• combined
• total
• more than
• Increased
SUBTRACTION
• take away
• fewer than
• less than
• Difference
• Less
• Shared
• Gave away
• Decrease
• Change
• left
MULTIPLICATION
• Product
• Times
• Each
• Twice
• Factor
• Same
• Double
DIVISION
• Share
• Each
• Quotient
• Every
• Half
• Dividend
• Same
• Group
• Equally

34. Example:
There are seven pencils on the
desk. John drops off 2 more
pencils. How many pencils are
there in all?
7 + 2 = 9
There are 9 pencils in all.

35. Example:
There are nine pencils on the
desk. Alison comes along and
takes 5 pencils. How many pencils
are left?
9 - 5 = 4
There are 4 pencils left.

36. Example:
There are four pencils on the
desk. Mark doubles the number of
pencils. How many pencils are
there now?
4 x 2 = 8
There are 8 pencils.

37. Example:
There are 8 pencils on the desk.
Julia decides to share the pencils
with her 3 friends. How many
pencils will each person, including
Julia, receive?
8 ÷ 4 = 2
Each person receive 2 pencils.

38. 2. Make a chart or a table
Helps you to organize information
in a word problem. It also helps
you see pattern within the
problem.

39. Example:
 Sally walked ¼ of a mile before lunch
and 2/8 after lunch. How far did she
walk in all?
- Express your answer in lowest term.
1/4 = 2/8
+
2/8 = 2/8
4/8

40. 1
1/2
1/2
1/4
1/4
1/4
1/4
1/6
1/6
1/6
1/6
1/6
1/6
1/8
1/8
1/8
1/8
1/8
1/8
1/8
1/8
1
1/2
1/2
1/4
1/4
1/4
1/4
1/6
1/6
1/6
1/6
1/6
1/6
1/8

41. Example:
 Sally walked ¼ of a mile before lunch
and 2/8 after lunch. How far did she
walk in all?
- Express your answer in lowest term.
1/4 = 2/8
+
2/8 = 2/8
4/8 or ½
Sally walked ½ of a mile in all.

42. 3. FIND THE PATTERN
 Patterns are found everywhere in
our world. Patterns can be a pair
of item, shapes, colors, images or
numbers. Sometimes a set of
things are created to form a
pattern.

43. Example:
 A florist puts 4 flowers in a vase on
Monday, 8 flowers on Tuesday, 12 flowers
on Wednesday, and 16 flowers on
Thursday. If this pattern continues, how
many flowers will he put into a vase on
Friday?
Answer: 20

44. Divisibility Rules of 4, 8, 11
and 12

45. Divisibility Rule of 4:
 If the last 3 digits of a number is a multiple of 8, or the
last three digits are zeros.
Divisibility Rule of 8:
 If the last 2 digits of a number is a multiple of 4, or the
last two digits are zeros.

46. 4. GUESS AND CHECK
 When two or more things in a word problem
are unknown, we have to try and try again
to get proof that our answer is a right one.
But be careful, guesses should be educated
guesses hence, it should make sense to the
problem.

47. 5. Use Dramatizations
 Invite children pretend to be in a ball (sphere) or box
(rectangular prism), feeling the faces, edges, and
corners and to dramatize simple arithmetic problems
such as: Three frogs jumped in the pond, then one
more, how many are there in all?

48. 6. Use Children’s Bodies
 Suggest that children show how many feet, mouths,
and so on they have. Invite children to show
numbers with fingers, starting with the familiar,
"How old are you?" showing numbers you say,
showing numbers in different ways (for example,
five as three on one hand and two on the other).

49. 7. Use Children’s Play
 Engage children in block play that allows them
to do mathematics in numerous ways, including
sorting, creating symmetric designs and
buildings, making patterns, and so forth

50. 8. Use Children’s Toys
 Encourage children to use "scenes" and toys to
act out situations such as three cars on the road,
or, later in the year, two monkeys in the trees and
two on the ground.

51. 8. Use Children’s Stories
 Share books with children that address
Mathematics but are also good stories. Later, help
children see Mathematics in any book.

52. 9. Use Children’s Natural Creativity
Children's ideas about mathematics should be
discussed with all children.
Ask children to describe how they would figure
out problems such as getting just enough scissors
for their table or how many snacks they would
10.Use Children’s Problem-Solving Abilities

53. need if a guest were joining the group.
Encourage them to use their own fingers or
manipulatives or whatever else might be
handy for problem solving. discussed with all
children.

54. 11. Use a Variety of Strategies
 Bring mathematics everywhere you go in your
classroom, from counting children at morning
meeting to setting the table, to asking children to
clean up a given number or shape of items. Also,
use a research-based curriculum to incorporate
a sequenced series of learning activities into your
program.

55. 12. Use Technology
 Try digital cameras to record children's
mathematical work, in their play and in planned
activities, and then use the photographs to aid
discussions and reflections with children, curriculum
planning, and communication with parents. Use
computers wisely to mathematize situations and
provide individualized instruction.

56. 13. Use Assessments to measure children’s
mathematics learning
 Use observations, discussions with children, and
small-group activities to learn about children's
mathematical thinking and to make informed
decisions about what each child might be able to
learn from future experiences.

57. REFLECTION:
• Choose the best strategy
suited to you and your
students. Explain how will
you employ it in your
class.

58. Revised Multiplication Table

59. When using the revised multiplication table, teachers must first
build a good foundation regarding COMMUTATIVE PROPERTY OF
MULTIPLICATION.
“ The order of the factors does not affect the product. ”
Examples:
4 x 5 = 5 x 4 7 x 9 = 9 x 7 8 x 6 = 6 x 8
20 = 20 63 = 63 48 = 48

60. Courtesy of: Mr. Isagani D. Paunillan
Revised Multiplication Table

61. Activity 2: (5 minutes)
Share your learning insights about
the topic being discussed.

62. A certain problem has a corresponding
certain solution. Just make sure that you are
not part of the problem.
- Jacinto S Quirabo Jr.