Novel Math
Every day, after we solved our six blackboard math problems, our class read orally for twenty minutes.
The first novel we explored was The BFG. I used this book to assess my students' phonetic skills and hear them read individually.
Typically, each student read about one page while I listened; over a month, I heard every student read three or four times.
Listening to them read the first fifth of the book allowed me to evaluate whether they could master the standard vocabulary expected of a grade five student.
Throughout the rest of the novel, I listened to see if they could analyze and decode Roald Dahl’s "gobblefunk" words.
Students who struggled significantly with these invented words were then referred to a reading professional for further testing.
I soon realized that most of my students read very well; their previous teachers had clearly done a wonderful job.
Over time, I came to realize that it was imperative for my teaching style that every novel in a class set was identical. These books eventually became essential tools for learning math and science.
I generally kept a minimum of thirty identical novels in a set.
Inside the front cover of every book, on the top right-hand side, I wrote a number from one to thirty.
My own copy was always number thirty.
On the first day of school, I assigned each student a number that matched their alphabetical order on the class list.
If a student moved away, their specific number was retired.
Each student’s assigned number corresponded directly to their book number.
Once I set the timer, students had five minutes to quietly gather their novel, calculator, pencil, ruler, and paper to find a comfortable spot in the room.
I sat at the main table and organized my class list, my "number 30" novel, a sticky note pad, and a pencil.
For the first quarter of The BFG, we read at a normal pace. However, once we reached page 49, I began the integration of math and science.
When we reached the end of the first paragraph on that page, I instructed the "timer master" to pause the reading clock.
I then informed the students that I was setting a second timer for five minutes.
My first question was, "Is 49 a prime number or a composite number?"
I explained that prime numbers were vital because they acted as the building blocks of all whole numbers.
During the first two weeks, I had taught them the composite number rules for even numbers, as well as the rules for three and five.
The students analyzed 49 and felt sure it was a prime number.
It was only when I told them to use their calculators to find the square root of 49 that they realized it was actually a square number.
When the secondary buzzer sounded, the timer master restarted the reading timer.
By the end of my career, my "number 30" novels were filled with math and science prompts, such as:
What is the area of the cover?
How much does the book weigh?
What is the weight of a single page?
On average, how many words are on a page?
Approximately how many words are in the entire book?
Based on our pace, on what date will we finish this book?
This was just a small sample of the questions I asked.
The key was having calculators ready on their desks so they could learn to master the machine as a tool for discovery.
Always remembered: for this to work, every novel in the set has to be exactly the same.
The first novel we explored was The BFG. I used this book to assess my students' phonetic skills and hear them read individually.
Typically, each student read about one page while I listened; over a month, I heard every student read three or four times.
Listening to them read the first fifth of the book allowed me to evaluate whether they could master the standard vocabulary expected of a grade five student.
Throughout the rest of the novel, I listened to see if they could analyze and decode Roald Dahl’s "gobblefunk" words.
Students who struggled significantly with these invented words were then referred to a reading professional for further testing.
I soon realized that most of my students read very well; their previous teachers had clearly done a wonderful job.
Over time, I came to realize that it was imperative for my teaching style that every novel in a class set was identical. These books eventually became essential tools for learning math and science.
I generally kept a minimum of thirty identical novels in a set.
Inside the front cover of every book, on the top right-hand side, I wrote a number from one to thirty.
My own copy was always number thirty.
On the first day of school, I assigned each student a number that matched their alphabetical order on the class list.
If a student moved away, their specific number was retired.
Each student’s assigned number corresponded directly to their book number.
Once I set the timer, students had five minutes to quietly gather their novel, calculator, pencil, ruler, and paper to find a comfortable spot in the room.
I sat at the main table and organized my class list, my "number 30" novel, a sticky note pad, and a pencil.
For the first quarter of The BFG, we read at a normal pace. However, once we reached page 49, I began the integration of math and science.
When we reached the end of the first paragraph on that page, I instructed the "timer master" to pause the reading clock.
I then informed the students that I was setting a second timer for five minutes.
My first question was, "Is 49 a prime number or a composite number?"
I explained that prime numbers were vital because they acted as the building blocks of all whole numbers.
During the first two weeks, I had taught them the composite number rules for even numbers, as well as the rules for three and five.
The students analyzed 49 and felt sure it was a prime number.
It was only when I told them to use their calculators to find the square root of 49 that they realized it was actually a square number.
When the secondary buzzer sounded, the timer master restarted the reading timer.
By the end of my career, my "number 30" novels were filled with math and science prompts, such as:
What is the area of the cover?
How much does the book weigh?
What is the weight of a single page?
On average, how many words are on a page?
Approximately how many words are in the entire book?
Based on our pace, on what date will we finish this book?
This was just a small sample of the questions I asked.
The key was having calculators ready on their desks so they could learn to master the machine as a tool for discovery.
Always remembered: for this to work, every novel in the set has to be exactly the same.