The fifth grade students at my school receive math instruction in flexible groups based on pretest scores for each unit of study. Students are then grouped based on their understanding of the concept tested. Students who need extra help receive instruction in a smaller group. I am the teacher that usually teaches the struggling students and every year. I see a greater need for manipulatives that demonstrate the relationship between fractions, decimals, and percentages. This concept is one of the most difficult for fifth graders to grasp and one of the most discouraging units for those kids who don't get it. When they try and still don't understand, they begin to feel bad about themselves. I want to give them the tools they need to understand the concept of "parts of a whole" and give them the opportunity to feel confident as a mathematician.
About my class
The fifth grade students at my school receive math instruction in flexible groups based on pretest scores for each unit of study. Students are then grouped based on their understanding of the concept tested. Students who need extra help receive instruction in a smaller group. I am the teacher that usually teaches the struggling students and every year. I see a greater need for manipulatives that demonstrate the relationship between fractions, decimals, and percentages. This concept is one of the most difficult for fifth graders to grasp and one of the most discouraging units for those kids who don't get it. When they try and still don't understand, they begin to feel bad about themselves. I want to give them the tools they need to understand the concept of "parts of a whole" and give them the opportunity to feel confident as a mathematician.