Journal Blog

     In the 'Measuring Penny' article, the author discusses the importance of tying in literature when it comes to teaching mathematical concepts. Children typically start open pages to a book and making inferences based on the pictures at a young age. Regardless of whether or not they can read the words, the students can begin to tell their own story based on the images throughout the story. Not only does this help develop a child's comprehension skills, but it can also guide students to engage in prior knowledge when it comes to teaching mathematics. If students feel that the story is based on real-life experiences, they are more motivated to learn the concept that is being taught.

    The article begins by telling us how a class of kinder-gardeners had a difficult time measuring length. They were given multiple objects, such as paper clips and toothpicks, and asked to use them as tools for measurement. At first, the students were not understanding the concept of using the same object to compare the differences, nor did the understand where to start or end their measurements. The teacher then decided to bring in literature in order to help the student understand measurement.

    Essentially, the story is about a girl who wants to know the length of her dog in comparison to other dogs. By doing this, the students were able to work together and read along with the story in order to find out how long the dog truly is. The students completed a variety of activities in order to justify their answer.

    I find this activity to be a useful one in the classroom. Not only does it bring two content areas together, but it allows for many concepts to be achieved through one story. The students had to work on their collaborative skills in order to get an answer that could be represented. 

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