Teaching Algebra to Young Learners

Teaching Algebra to Young Learners

Author: Terry VanNoy

My students have told me often that in the upper elementary school years, 4th or 5th grade, they started to learn Algebra.� Usually, this memory evokes shudders of pain.� Some explain that they never really "got the hang of Algebra", and that it looks like "just a bunch of letters, numbers, and mixed-up rules" jumbled together.� This has been a common discussion over the years with students who somehow got moved on from the comfortable levels of Arithmetic into the strange world of Algebra before they were really ready for it.� How young is too young for us to teach our students algebraic concepts?

The answer --- kids are never too young to learn algebra; they just need to be introduced to it in the right way, when they are ready.� So, if it looks like algebra is next in your child's curriculum list, what do you do?

This question is actually part of the problem . . .� Algebra should not be handled as a separate unit at a certain time.� It is actually best taught as an embedded idea as soon as children know how to count and can use elementary mathematical symbols.� In short, if they can count, add and subtract, then they are ready.

Algebra quite simply is the study of arithmetic structure. . .� So, how does the teacher introduce algebra concepts to the young student?�� Even at the youngest ages, our children can be ready for the following lesson sequence:

�Build on the arithmetic strategies the student knows already.� Introduce algebra ideas in a natural, comfortable way, linking from the natural, mathematical ideas of counting and basic numeric operations.� Discuss money exchanges, adding and subtracting objects from piles and groups.

Examples:� "If I have $16 in my pocket and pay Shari, and I am left with $9, how much did I pay her?"

"Jeff has three pieces of gum in one pocket and five in the other.� How many altogether?� If he has three in one pocket but eleven total, how many in this pocket . . ."

�"Jeff has three pieces in this pile, as you can see, but 12 in total.� How many are in the pile I am covering?"�

2.� Make it interactive and fun.� You want your student to be engaged and participate in the situations you present orally.� Use "mystery numbers" and unknown numbers of pieces as the stand-ins for variables.� Use funny sounds to represent the variables in a different order to create aural representations of equations.� Let your kids make up their own examples and create funny sounds.� Make it a hands-on experience whenever possible.

Examples:

"I am a number.� When I add 6 more, I have 13.� What number am I?"

"15 plus (oooomff) makes 28.� How much is (oooomff)"

"(arrrrrrgh) groups of 8 makes 32.� How many groups is (arrrrrrgh)?"

3.� Use the concepts of fairness and balance. �You want the concepts to be learned before students are required to label the procedures formally.

To start talking about the concept of variables and equations, the learning sequence is extremely important here.� If the developmental stages are skipped, students will try to memorize procedures and the understanding is lost. Orally introduce situations where there is an unknown quantity or mystery number, then represent the variable a funny sound or gesture, then move on to written symbols.� Avoid using letter variables until your students are ready.

� In summary, algebra is the study of the arithmetic structures of our world, and is a toolbox we use to solve problems.� The abstract nature of variables and equations and properties can only be understood after a proper developmental sequence of hands-on and oral examples, moving into the symbolic realm, and then progressing into pencil and paper exercises.� Make it fun and interactive; allow your students to create their own examples and tap into their own curiosity.� Embed these ideas into their basic curriculum lessons, not as a separate unit.� Students of algebra need to be able to see how variables and equations are used to do any type of problem solving, and are tools to unlock mysteries in the world of numbers and patterns.

Can sinus infection affect eyesight Apa outline guidelines Nausea, chest pain, stomach ache Very light brown discharge before period Youth calf roping saddles for sale Release of liability form auto accident in california Sino si miguel lopez de villalobos Keys nagra 2 globo List and pictures of tv sitcoms on tv land 1980 Free games that cant get blocked Free programs for easter sunrise service Hide status and mood on profile code Birthday verse for a friends birthday Vile of blood Pistol grip shotguns for sale Adjectives that start with t Make cut fabric flower. Nicka per msn shqip 2009 Juan yahoo!fecom hotmail!fecom aol!fecom 2009 Diagram of the brain hippocampus Cerita hot mom Globe theatre cake States of matter printables Baby wreath for hospital door ideas Hide top advertisement but keep navigation bar Swelling at the angle of the jaw Firewood storage shed plans Free monkey rocker plans Mujeres cojiendo Buy winxp key code Create a picture with graphing coordinates Menards metal roofing prices Download counter strike sourse Adjectives beginning with y Rashes with white raised bumps Pink eye sore throat, coughing phlegm congestion Swelling of hands,feet and knees during the night Yellow summer squash pickles Congestion, one eye red with discharge Blue is for the color of the ocean we cross lyrics Tracey thurman website Logan,wv regional jail Lymph nodes of the tounge Games that are not blocked Fidelity investments eworkplace bank of america How to build a hog rotisserie "cold ones legend" Epekto ng pagkasira ng kalikasan You are special poem Southafricas traditional designer What helps tight hamstring muscles Biotic and abiotic factors examples in an ecosystem Contoh makalah pencemaran lingkungan hid Moon river on line sheet music Free applique and embroidery letters Vomiting & diarrhea, now have sore liver Hives more causes_risk_factors Knitted toque patterns/baby with ear flaps Maikling dula dulaan Free beginners flute music sheets Phim sex gai lau xanh Graffiti alphabet throw ups Metal cannon plans Pictures to graph on a coordinate plane worksheets Adjectives starting with q Xxxn pic free Nursing care plan for mrsa Picture of hair bumps on the vagina Free afghan music The very hungry caterpillar worksheets story Xblades serial number Iowa algebra aptitude test Crack facebook inbox Padio screw anchors Ester poem by yeats Advanced formatting charts excel Carbon cycle diagram Lustrium Credit union repos Pictures of jiminy cricket Learn free how to draw jerry Joomla theme wow Lunar diamond free mp3 download Contoh naskah drama simpel Foto seksi aura kasih Xem phim sex online Xhamters Poezi shqip per msn interesant Car blocks Free itunes codes that work Christian candy bar poems Sample employer letter for immigration High tail hall Twilight online book I miss you more than you know quotes Super smash bros rumble dojo Jilbab indonesia porn Romeo and juliet raps Adverb phrase worksheets Instrumental over in the meadow Anointed sermon outlines Justin toper horoscopes Printable letter tiles Post clocks plans Virtual sea star dissection Streaks of blood on saliva Human muscle diagrams Free patterns for wooden clothes trees Home and picture buttons Mum fucks son Hopi recreation games Human foot diagram Blank jigsaw puzzle template Migraine with aching jaw Cough low temperature headache blocked nose Bunko score sheets Harvest moon download for computer 5 stages of mitosis Wife fucks dog Can ulcers cause fever and pain in neck Baji ne chodna sikhaya Birthday wishes sms for old girl friend White cauliflower mass in throat Worksheet for practice on area of regular polygons Verses for good friday Baby memorial verses Nsw foundation handwriting font Falling sand sort of game Chest pain under right breast after eating Quilt pattern christening Medium shagy hair cuts Rash, aching, diarrhea, abdominal pain Camo websitebackgrounds Facebook symbol codes Altomp3 gold serial How to view private facebook albums Harley davidson evo motor Recent arrest of marijuna traficers in texas Dh s garbage man s hat Where to buy neosporin eye stye strips How to draw a tropical rain forest food web Tiffany lakowski Pictures of classroom halloween door decorations Seks pictures Autobiography examples Does ear infections cause shooting pains in the head Sharp chest pain can.t breath Free sound effects bell ding Penny whistle star wars theme music Dana 60 rear disk brakes Free printable worksheets on time and temperature for secondary students Double trap under sink How to make someone unconscious Magic key changer Bye mail to colleagues Youtube cartoon porn Used "kitfox airplane" sale Back of neck pain and diarrhea Examples of acrostic poems for spring Runescape auto talker download Nausea, leg pain, rash fatigue Scrumble knitting techniques Druid tank defense cap Cool baby wear knits patterns hat Plans to build a oil drum bbq Long inverted bob Famous autopsies bodies Kontol Free bobbin lace patterns Speaker invitation letter Diamond resort international stephen cloobeck Worldsexamateurs.com Best all inclusive resorts puerto plata to party Rattling noise nissan sentra camshaft Miriam mcdonald sexy Free porno movies Extract private profiles Pattern for haniging cocoon for baby Missing you poems after husband death Short peace sign myspace layouts The gioi phi Chad major physical Tumor under jaw line Free maple leaf knitting patterns Rhymes words for preschool Red tube How do i get an appetite back after being sick Anaphora vs conduplicatio Free printable crossword solver Free annual leave form template Simple transistor circuits diagrams Illuminated alphabet template Citing quote movies mla format in essay Yellow vomit flu Pidato bencana alam Youtube/cd.altamirano Teaching english for kg abc Elementary school linking and helping verbs practice Supporting letter template Sore face burning left index finger burning eyes low blood pressure Us dollar to english pounds Dmx pitsbull pupie com. Drivercure key gen Free online crochet patterns with moda dea aerie yarn Key gen xbox live gold Stomach hot after eating Youtubeblue Vampire names Swollen ankles and feet and coldness and numbness in legs and feet Open ion drum controller Asymmetrical haircuts Cubefield 2009 download Anne of green gables ost sound track download Burnout paradise registration code Yeast causing acne Renesmee s lullaby piano sheet Sexy urdu ki kahani Chinese calendar 2010 for wedding Kata mutiara bahasa prancis Lady boy tube Examples of article critique Ruler actual size on screen Albuquerque nm all star cheerleading Dare questions dirty Oklahoma business for sale/tractors Sicilian gold charm, sicilian trinacria Dry mouth nausea,short of breath Synonyms for second grade Msds of fsii Back view short stacked hairstyles Simple exponent worksheets Kod calleringtone Traditional dress for women in johannesburgh Windows xp music edition 2009 Quilete legends Left over foods Swollen wrist with pain in the arm How to write a bid letter Haloween mask to colour White wine severe arm pain sweating Poems about not giving up Earflap hat knitting pattern Rainforest plant pictures to color 1976 & 1977 cutlass for sale The reason for the financial support Car sell invoice Grade level average by country I miss my big brother poem Motivational letter format Songs about turning 18 Change usb removable bit Free isometric pipe symbols I feel myself videos free Kg2 english lessons Subject predicate printable worksheet Knit pattern for black bear or grizzly bear afghan Rock crawler for sale Where can i go to find a sample of a sent email Black lab collie crosses pictures Hide promotion banners on myspace Infant nose sore infection Rhayne thomas Label heart quiz Headache nausea fatigue gastrointestinal joint muscle pain Cinnamon. diuretic Polk county fl campground jobs Wooden sqaure strectch bracelets My first free summer by julia alvarez Pet society coin cheat Urdu sexy rasala Mcdonalds menu prices south africa What is a vintage thai isomerizer Symptoms when you have lots of sneezing,stuffy stopped up nose,constant dry coughing,sore throat Rotana radio live Free vista basic home cd key How to play happy birthday on viola X blade, activation code Worlds fattest man calorie Sand rail rolling chassis kits for sale Tracy knoop Gout andmeals Dark yellow mucus Printable sequencing cards Sample thank you message on my birthday White tissue of the lip of the mouth Nursing care map examples Writting letter to frend sample Tagalog horoscope for today Sample of inquiry letter for a project My selfbondage free movies Plans for wooden highchair Office 2003 & xp activation code generator Crocheted hat patterns free tam style Clue scroll help 1st grade bulletin board ideas Mouse cholak Virtual frog dissection free Coverletter to a friend Venn diagram of dna and rna Camping yells Pain the right forehead Apa format outline Retirement cake ideas Online clipart of dr. seuss character Chills, sore breasts Ethiopian church song Sweet birthday messages for a boyfriend Playstation store promotional codes Bumps a rashes in groin area Weed eater long reach pole Wolf whistle cartoon Ethiopian orthodox mezmur mp3 Halo ce game product key Kevin youn the gold medal sprinter Free look up woman skirts Free font greek News articles graphs Activity with colons and semicolons Main idea and supporting details worksheets Machine embroidery freebies Pain in legs abdomen and lower back Hide advertising on top of myspace Self-study book on food handler texas Fever, cough, stomach pain, diarrhea, vomiting As for registration codes, if it ing to steam i hope so too kinda make it impossible to type a seria Cute love forwards Check apa format online Sample letter of intent to pay bill Latin roots paradise Dongeng narrative text Label bones worksheet Phase 10 free download Track who views your facebook How to earn more points for coke zone Download itune on my blackberry i8350 Serial number adobe photoshop cs4 Daly ajit news paper Nika per msn interesant Does jaw with the flu Joint pain and meat eating Nerve diagram of pigs Cad block woman in office chair Words that start with p "chutes n ladders" game Phim heo cach lam tinh thu dam Video tante girang ngentot sama anak smp Birthday peace theme I am congested and coughing clear phlegm Two voice poems Pictures of a fall wedding hall Asthma salty mucus Mig welder parts silver beaty 2010 aquarius love horoscope How to make amphetamines Waterproof outdoor electrical outlets Karvea side effects eyes Videos of styles in food service Labelled diagram of animal cell Dlink print server windows nt connect Power points linkig verbs Freetynnypussypornvideos Littlest pet shop online games Chest pain right side and arm ad back Ang talambuhay ni lea salonga Gum discharge Example course board proposal Lady sonia tube Unblock facebook using a proxy server Walk behind pluger for lawn Present continuous practice future I have oedema and very sore painful legs knees Examples of affidavits Silpada online catalog Funnudist Alphabet sheet stroke Swollen tingling burning feet symptom Online games where u can be a school bus driver Feeling of something stuck in throat Multiteck firewood processors Boobs old Easy bruising and headaches Andrews tx obituaries 3rd grade vocabulary reading passages Unblocked sites Ics 700a answers Pics high shaved napes Autobiography example story Kindergarten poem center activities Piano sheet love is on its way "map skills" exercises free Feeling weak sick body pain feel cold Free xxx pics of katrina kefe Causes for low iron levels and high hemoglobin Poems about never giving up Free snood yeti games Sample certificate of employment with salary Resealable can opener Sneak my ass.in Cursive writing samples Concrete garage floor rebar recommendations Allusion poems Contoh narrative teks Toxic rat urine Example of dental school persoanl statement letters Sinnoh plattinum pokedex Ar codes for rare candies on pokemon pearl Real deep cough Fluid filled blister inside nose Build your own virtual vecial online Infant rash under armpit Garden furniture for elderly Girls ripping off bras Printable practice sheets for english verbs Coloring picture of the pecan tree in texas Display name generators for myspace Interactions between biotic and abiotic in tropical rainforest Fun team names for two people Itching and joint aches Accellerated reader book night exam practice French levels for rosetta stone for windows for free Maple dining room storage Sample of an appendix Interior barn style sliding door hardware Cell phone fwds Hurting in your ovaries and around your back burning pain Free crochet blouse designs Baby rash cough high temperature Pain in right testicle and painful right shoulder Any site to help the write any latter Request for quotation sample letter Maximize dps mage Play pivot the game 500 days of summer wardrobe Decorative static cling window film Cerita-cerita misteri sex .sex .indea Myspace yovill Free printable fancy lettering Back of head view of layered hair styles Private spice tv online free Wheres waldo knitted hat pattern Customise my own truck online Best dps class wow 2009? S.t. dupont mens watche repair Growing watermelon kentucky Third grade short u words Good april fool Cosco food warehouse Back view of wedge hairstyle Brown mucus discharge during pregnancy Cake recipes halloween spider templates stencils Diamond plate formica Sio scan atomic clock instructions Rebar spacing for concrete Free sample business invitation letter for an event Where are most volcanoes located Yellow aquamarine Brio chopped salad recipe Free newspaper template Warhammer dawn of war 2 do you need serial for lan play Symptoms sore bones cough chills Cramping pains in the ovaries with your menstrual cycle Free printable games for file folders Is canned tuna good for cats? Diagram of neck arteries Free knitting patterns for easy sweaters or pullovers Reading a thermometer worksheet Map of north america with longitude and latitude Video buffering programs Clavicle diagram 4th grade science fair rubric Sister in law poem Sax music-legend of zelda