Evaluation for 5.2b
Materials provide opportunities for students to practice the application of efficient, flexible, and accurate mathematical procedures throughout learning pathways.
On the Reviewer Site, under the section entitled Student Experience, the materials provide a subsection, Meaningful Context. In this section, the educator can see how students interact with symbolic representations, visual models, virtual manipulatives, game-based challenges, and real-world applications, all to build flexible thinking. This development of flexible thinking will help them develop "multiple strategies to solve a problem rather than following a single method."Educators can accessDreamBox MathProfessional Learning Content when logged into "DreamBoxUniversity." Under this tab is a Learning Path tile, where educators can see the different professional learning courses available, grouped by topic. When an educator chooses the "Getting Started withDreamBox Math—Learning Path," they have access to a course entitled "UnderstandingDreamBoxAdaptivityandAssessment." Through this course, educators learn the importance of Number Strings. The educator learns that Number Strings allow students to "make connections through intentional question sequencing." These connected problems push the students' thinking along as they build their efficiency, flexibility, and accuracy at the given skill. This example shows students adding fractions with uncommon numerators and denominators using concrete to more procedural representations. Students can only get to the more procedural representations because of the opportunities to use coins, number lines, and algorithms as they work through the scaffolded Number Strings.The materials offer opportunities for students to apply efficient, flexible, and accurate mathematical procedures. In the grade 4 "Partial Quotients Algorithm" lesson, students divide up to four-digit dividends by one-digit divisors using the partial quotients method. This strategy builds on their understanding of multiplication facts, place value, and patterns with zeros. Students also compare and contrast methods such as the area model and partial quotients, noting that the area model uses multiplication and addition. In contrast, the partial quotients method uses multiplication and subtraction.The materials allow students to practice efficient, flexible, and accurate mathematical procedures throughout learning pathways. In the grade 4 "Connecting Strategies" lesson, students begin by solving multiplication problems using the standard algorithm to reinforce regrouping and procedural accuracy. Then, in the "Matching the Models" game, they compare strategies such as mental math, partial products, and the standard algorithm, exploring how these methods connect and support a more profound understanding.