Athena Harrison

FRAMING GRAPHIC: Defining a Learning Progression

Learning Progression in Math
Is about.. Operations an A!gebrai" #hin$ing% &nerstaning an using nu'bers.
Novice: K- 1
st
grade
Defining CONCEPT(S):
eginning
Co!nting Cardina"it# and $asic
o%erations
Practitioner: &
nd
- '
th
grade
Defining CONCEPT(S):
Deve"o%ing
(sing n!)$er %atterns and
!nderstanding ho* the# re"ate
*ith the fo!r o%erations+
,nde%endent-E.%ert: /
th
grade
Defining CONCEPT(S):
E.%ert
A%%"#ing 0no*"edge of n!)$er
%atterns and the fo!r o%erations
to inter%ret $eginning n!)erica"
e.%ressions
Essentia" DETA,1S
egins *ith ear"# co!nting and
te""ing ho* )an# in one gro!%
of o$2ects3 and !nderstand
addition and s!$traction+
E.a)%"e:
13&343'5++
1 6 & 7 4
/ 8 4 7 &
Essentia" DETA,1S
There are t*o 0ids of %atterns:
re%eating and gro*ing+
Patterns a""o* !s to %redict
*hat *i"" co)e ne.t and assist
!s *ith so"ving %ro$"e)s+
1earning to "oo0 for these
%atterns *i"" he"% *ith )a0ing
connections3 %redicting *hat9s
ne.t3 and %ro$"e) so"ving+
St!dents *i"" !se the fo!r
o%erations *ith *ho"e
n!)$ers to so"ve %ro$"e)s3
gain fa)i"iarit# *ith factors and
)!"ti%"es to he"% )a0e
connections and find %atterns3
and generate and ana"#:e
%atterns in order to eva"!ate+
E.a)%"e:
&3 '3 ;3 < 31= 55
& > & 7 '
< - ' 7 &
Essentia" DETA,1S
A"ge$ra is the for)!"ation and
)ani%!"ation of state)ents
a$o!t n!)$ers+ The st!dents
are no* enco!raged to foc!s
on the %ro%erties of the
o%erations to $!i"d e?!iva"ent
a"ge$raic e.%ressions+ St!dents
*i"" $e !sing %rior 0no*"edge of
%atterns *ithin o%erations to
find e?!iva"ence to %rod!ce the
sa)e o!t%!t for the sa)e in%!t
n!)$ers+ @"!enc# and
a%%"ication of c!")inating s0i""s
(n!)$er %atterns and
o%erations) are needed to *rite
and inter%ret n!)erica"
e.%ressions and ana"#:e
%atterns and re"ationshi%s+
E.a)%"e:
& > . 7 1<
'3 <3 1&3 1;35+ Ahat is the <
th

ter)B
So *hatB Ahat is i)%ortant to !nderstand a$o!t thisB
Athena Harrison
This strand dea"s *ith the $asic o%erationsCthe 0inds of ?!antitative re"ationshi%s the# )ode" and
conse?!ent"# the 0inds of %ro$"e)s the# can $e !sed to so"ve as *e"" as their )athe)atica"
%ro%erties and re"ationshi%s+ The i)%ortance of the Progression is )!ch )ore genera" $eca!se it
descri$es conce%ts3 %ro%erties3 and re%resentations that e.tend to other n!)$er s#ste)s3 to
)eas!res3 and to a"ge$ra+ As a teacher it is i)%ortant for teachers to 0no* *here st!dents start off
*ith one $asic s0i"" and ho* the# are s!%%ose to deve"o% that s0i""+
I chose to study and research the learning progression of operations and algebraic
thinking. Operations and algebraic thinking focuses on understanding and using numbers.
Cultivating a capacity for performing math operations and establishing algebraic thinking is a job
that gets increasingly difficult as a student develops from kindergarten to fifth grade. The
advancement in operations and algebraic thinking deals with the basic operationsthe kinds of
quantitative relationships they model and consequently the kinds of problems they can be used to
solve as well as their mathematical properties and relationships. The importance of the
Progression is much more general because it describes concepts, properties, and representations
that extend to other number systems, to measures, and to algebra. As a teacher it is important for
teachers to know where students start off with one basic skill and how they are suppose to
develop that skill.
This progression begins around the kindergarten level with counting and cardinality.
Counting and cardinality causes well rounded cognizing in algebraic thinking as well as in base
ten operations. The beginning novice level begins with early counting and sequencing numbers.
Once students understand how numbers are sequenced they are able to count a set number of
objects in a groups. Furthermore, understanding how to count objects in a given group will
develop into comprehension of basic addition and subtraction because students will can
concretely put multiple groups of objects together and count the subtraction and addition obliges
conceptualizing the corresponding configuration of numbers. Once students have a grasp of this
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they can progress to the practitioner level within the operations and algebraic think learning
progression.
The practitioner level of this learning progression is usually composed of students that
range from second grade to forth grade. In this level, students use prior knowledge of counting
cardinality to build an understanding for number patterns. Like mentioned above there are two
types of number patterns: repeating patterns and growing patterns. Patterns allow us to predict
what will come next and assist us with solving problems. Learning to look for these patterns will
help with making connections, predicting whats next, and problem solving. Understanding
simple patterns, such as skip counting, lead students to solid reasoning of addition and
subtraction. As, addition and subtraction quantities become more complex the connections to
multiplication and division are created prospectively by second grade. By forth grade, the
pattern and awareness with factors intensify familiarity of multiplication and division.
Understanding the sequence within a number pattern will help students use the four operations
with whole numbers to solve problems. Also, by forth grade students begin identifying various
properties of basic algebra such as the communicative property and distributive property as
pattern knowledge to assist with computation. Moreover, students become so familiar with
numbers that they are able to decompose them in order to make for easier evaluation. When
students reach the end of this level they are able to make connections, find patterns, and generate
and analyze patterns in order to evaluate.
The last stage of the operations and algebraic thinking learning progression is the
independent/ expert level. Students normally master this stage by the end of fifth grade. The
goal of the expert level within this learning progression is for students to apply knowledge of
number patterns and the four operations to interpret beginning numerical expressions. The new
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encouragement is for students to focus on the properties of the operations to build equivalent
algebraic expressions. Students are applying prior knowledge to solve and explain expressions
using concrete comprehension of multiplication to interpret equations without having to compute
the specified answer. After some time, students within this expert level begin to think about
expressions in ways that anticipate their later work with variables. Moreover, students have
become so familiar with various patterns and concepts of numbers and expressions that once an
unknown variable is added students rely on their conceptual prior know to assist with analyzing
and evaluating to now solve for the unknown variable. Students will be using prior knowledge of
patterns within operations to find equivalence to produce the same output for the same input
numbers. Fluency and application of culminating skills (number patterns and operations) are
needed to write and interpret numerical expressions and analyze patterns and relationships. After
this level students are ready for more intense algebra and all of this knowledge throughout this
learning progression can be applied to aid in other mathematic common core strands such as
numbers and operation of fraction and number and operations of base-ten knowledge.
It is very important to make sure students are moving through this learning progression
accurately because each level depends on mastery of the stage prior to in order to properly
acquire and fluently conceptualize new knowledge within operations of algebraic thinking. In
fact, ensuring that students have these math skills is essential to life. As mention in the text,
Effective Teaching Strategies the Accommodate Diverse Learners, When we know math well
and can apply it to real-world situations, we are more likely to be successful navigating our day-
to-day lives. (Page 148) Unfortunately, many students struggle with math and enter into the
real world underprepared and we as educators need to make some changes to guarantee students
are leaving school ready to succeed in the real world.
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One thing that can be done is to certify that students are understanding each stage of this
learning progression is to teach students operations and algebraic thinking around big ideas and
themes that connect to the real world instead of isolating independent skills and teaching them
separately. The text states on page 151, Many of the ideas are not complex, nor difficult to
understand at face value. The difficulty comes in knowing when they apply and how their
application changes over time. It is the interweaving of these ideas that provides mathematical
power to students. Sometime, algebraic math skills within any of the stages of the learning
progression are not difficult for students to learn. However, when students see them in real life
or in different forms from what they were taught it is hard for them to adapt the prior knowledge
of the skills they do have to what is presented to them. Teachers need to integrate multiple
formats and intertwine authentic situations and content so students understand that one skill in
math can go a long way in a variety of structures.
In addition educators can teach multiple strategies to support students application of
various skills. As research has proven, all students do not learn the same way, so teaching
multiple routes in which a student can achieve the same answer provides them with a tool box in
which they can chose which tool works best for them to evaluate the problem. On page 156, the
authors of the text write, When students orchestrate multiple concepts in some fashion, they are
executing a strategy. Any routine that leads to both the acquisition and utilization of knowledge
can be considered a strategy. When experts implement strategies to acquire and utilize
knowledge, only the result is overt; the steps in the strategy the experts follow are covert. The
whole purpose of developing instructional strategies is to explicate expert cognitive processes so
that they become visible to non-expert learners. In fact, pairing flexible strategies based on big
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ideas, and necessary background knowledge to provide to the students prepares them best for
challenges posed in todays math and the real world.
Last but not least, educators confirm that students have the appropriate background
knowledge for students to build a sound conceptualization on the new learning. Math is very
sequential, meaning the content forms in a logical order. For students to have a firm
understanding of what is next to come they first need to hold a mastery understanding of the
learning that came prior to. In the text, it says, Teachers and curriculum developers should also
be aware of the need for important background knowledge to be primed; that is, students will
need to be reminded of what they know and shown how and when previous knowledge supports
the learning of new knowledge. This explicit linking of old to new knowledge is critical in
helping students develop rich conceptual networks of mathematical knowledge. (Page 165)
Throughout my residency experience I worked in a 4
th
grade math and science classroom
where my students levels ranged from 1
st
grade to college ready. I had an awesome mentor that
really knew how students should develop in math and showed me great ways and techniques in
which I could assist my students with being great future mathematicians with not only the big
idea of operations and algebraic thinking but other ideas as well such as fractions, and geometry.
Also, with the new application of the common core standards is very easy to follow how students
should progress in just about any area by following a strand starting at the kindergarten level.
However, there are a few things that I can work on in order to grow as a math teacher myself.
One thing that I can do I build my own content knowledge of the standards. Some of the ideas I
know and I know how to solve, but I do not know exactly steps I took to solve in order to relate
it to the students clearly. In addition, just because I know how to solve, I do not fully understand
the concepts myself and the actual understanding behind the motion that I am doing to solve to
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explain to my students what they are doing and to make true authentic connection back to the
real world and my students lives. Also, I have a natural love for math but all my students do
not, and I need to find more ways to make math interesting and relevant for my students so that
they gain the same passion for the content that I have. Moreover if the students have a passion
for the content, then it will be easier for the to realize when the see a problem in make
connection to what tools they have in their tool-box in order to solve.
Athena Harrison
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