From: Gail (for Teacher2Teacher Service)
Date: Mar 25, 2001 at 14:01:27
Subject: Re: Unit 7 of the Everyday Math Curriculum

Dear Lydia,
     I am not familiar with the term "TEKS" but I am imagining that it is an
acronym for learning standards of some sort for your state or locality...

As for what jumping around on the number chart does for students...   it
builds a sense of the relationships between the numbers.

For example, when you successively move vertically down the chart, you are
adding ten each time.  Moving up, subtracts ten.  Moving to the left
subtracts one, and moving to the right, adds one.

We take these observations for granted, but young children haven't any idea
that the relationships even exist until they explore the patterns in the
numbers.

Looking at the chart, there are all sorts of patterns evident.  Recognizing
patterns and relationships is the basis of algebraic thinking in the lower
grades.  When you help your students look for patterns, you are telling them
that mathematics is predictable, and that they have the power to anticipate
what the numbers will "do".  It is a very valuable lesson...  don't you
agree?  :-)

 -Gail, for the T2T service

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