COMMONWEALTH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL OCTOBER 4, 2023

MS. GROZIER’S MATH NEWSLETTER

Math is fun! Let’s embrace it!

Virtual
manipulatives
We use manipulatives in
class so online resources
provides students the
opportunity to use
manipulatives at home.

Welcome Parents and Families!

Math is essential for students. Here is how we are making it more
exciting and hands-on with classroom technology!
Digital literacy
We are incorporating technology into our instruction and practice with math. This Using technology in all
newsletter will outline three sources for technological enrichment for our aspects of the classroom
upcoming math unit about rational numbers. Rational numbers include decimals, can improve students
factions, ratios, and proportions that are crucial to future math topics and success. digital literacy.
We are focusing most heavily on fractions currently to begin with and build a
foundation. I suggest that parents make themselves comfortable with both of these
programs. I will be introducing both and utilizing them in the classroom, but you
child may need support at home. Click the title of each app on the next page to
access the websites! If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to
contact me via email at groziers@bc.edu !

1 2
WHY TECH?
Access to classroom
resources outside of
the class, practical info
and fun!
3 Extra fun
enrichment!
Using apps and websites
SPLASH LEARN FRACTION APP that have games can
motivate students to
Website and app that Website and app that
practice their math
uses games to enrich allows students to knowledge.
math practice. problem solve.
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COMMONWEALTH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Splash Learn
Splash Learn is an interactive website and/or iPad
app that uses applets designed as mini games to
develop and practice math concepts for the
elementary curriculum. Splash math uses cartoon-
like visuals which appeal
to this age group and
can help maintain
students’ focus and
effort. Knowledge about
how to navigate Splash
Math will be useful for
students this year and
beyond. With rational
numbers, visualization is
a key process for a developed conceptual
understanding and splash math does a great job of
providing visuals about fractions.
Students can be assigned specific activities related
to the topics we are learning in class, or can explore
different applets about topics they would like more
practice with. Splash Learn is free to download to a
phone or tablet. Each day students get two free
activities (when not signed in) and time-limited
activity exploration. This time limit is intended to
serve as a screen time limit, but can be altered as
needed.
Activities get progressively more difficult, and build
on students’ prior knowledge. There are modules for
place value & number sense, addition, subtraction,
multiplication, division, math facts, fractions, time,
money, measurement & data, geometry, and
advanced multiplication and division. All of these
topics will come up in the math curriculum and
Splash math is a great way to get some extra fun
practice in outside the classroom.
OCTOBER 4, 2023
The Fraction App
The Fraction app/web-based tool is more of a
learner-led program. They have multiple different
tools that provide students access to manipulate
fractions and discover the concepts at the
foundations of rational numbers. This app is free on
the app store for iPads, and is available for online
use as well.
Students are familiar with fraction-related
manipulatives that are used in the classroom and
this program brings that access into the home. It is
age appropriate and applicable to curriculum
content. Although there is not specific activities built
into the fraction app, students can use this alongside
other assigned activities, or just to get more
comfortable comparing fractions.
This can make learning more
interactive and allows students to
create what they are visualizing as
they approach a problem, and to
change the pictures as they work
through it. Having this concrete way
to work through our rational
numbers unit will hopefully make it
run smoothly for all students and
makes this app appealing for
students while problem solving.
The company that developed the fraction app, The
Math Learning Center, has also made other apps
that address a range of different math topics that
can be a good way to facilitate learning for students
at home.