Maths journal, or problem-solving book, is a book in which children are asked to solve and record their thought processes, as well as solutions. Giving kids maths writing prompts will help them several ways. Maths journal prompts give kids freedom to explore and express their thinking in written form using pictures, numbers and even words. To solve a math prompt and to write down a solution, kids need to organize, clarify and reflect on their thinking. You can start using math prompts for young children, and this approach is perfect to start using in preschool and Kindergarten.
It is important to provide children with opportunities to record their work without having to use the structure of a worksheet. Also, a maths journal can be an invaluable assessment resource. You can follow a child’s progress and it provides an insight into what a child’s understand. Also, a great way to show a child’s progress to parents and caregivers during conferences. You can even use the same prompt multiple times or later in the year to explore kid's growth. Challenge and inspire all learners by using creative journaling with prompts that be explored by developing stories to show their understanding in a variety of ways, for example, "The answer is 80. What could the question by?"
Tasks that require that children apply memorized procedures to solve a problem require one type of thinking, while open-ended tasks require a very different kind of thinking. Both are important for developing fluency and understanding of math.
Remember that practicing and exploring maths concepts is difficult and kids do not always complete every journal prompt successfully. But maths journals give kids opportunities to reflect on their learning and it develops their metacognitive skills – thinking about and managing your own thinking. Maths journaling is a rather free-form exercise, and it can be a bit tricky to begin with to pick activities that will support your kids in the best possible way.
Daily maths journals are a wonderful way to practice and develop maths concepts throughout the school year. Completing a math journal entry can take as little as 10 minutes for a first grader. A prompt can be used to reinforce understanding of mathematical processes and they also be used as an assessment. You can differentiate the prompts to suit childrens’ need. Maths journal can help you to identify and gain deeper insights into misconceptions that a kid might have. You can use the kids entries to identify areas where additional instructions might be needed.
How to use:
Introduce maths journaling at the beginning of the school year. From the beginning you can use it as group activity where you model the skill and the kids follow along.
Print out a page for your students. Read the prompt for the children (read it several times). Some prompts may have more than one solution and require cognitive effort that goes beyond reproducing a specific math skill. The aim is to provide children with chances to justify their solutions and reasoning. Explain that the math journal is where maths thinking will be recorded. These math journals are special.