Ways to Use Reading Response Graphic Organizers in Your Classroom

What if there were reading response organizers that were rigorous, differentiated, and flexible enough to be used with any lesson? And they were free!

Yes, you read that correctly; and you can get them right HERE.

I have been using a particular set of templates over the years that meet all those parameters. I keep an extra set of paper worksheets printed and ready to go. The digital version have their own folder in my Drive so I can find and share them in a few seconds. 

If you limit your responses to a few standard organizers, you will be reducing the cognitive load of your students and allowing their brains to focus in on the specific content you are teaching. They will be able to respond in a deeper and more meaningful way because they will already be familiar with the template.

Although these organizers lend themselves to reading response, they can also be used during your math lessons or as a summative response. For example, students can be assigned a Memory Box or 3-2-1 Response after a field trip (virtual or in-person). Click over to the Best Virtual Field Trips for Your Elementary Classroom for field trip links!

Let me share with you my 5 "go to" response sheets:

FOR FICTION AND NONFICTION

5 Square Organizer 

Some people refer to this as a 4 Square Organizer; despite the spot in the middle. However, the basic premise is that one particular topic or question is presented in the middle (or top) of the graphic organizer. Then, students use the 4 remaining spaces to input data, opinions, notes. 

Ideas for a 5 Square Organizer:

• Place a vocabulary word in the center and have students fill in the four remaining spaces with things related to the word such as: definitions, antonyms, synonyms, sentences, drawing/graphics, text citations. This would be applicable to math vocabulary, too!
• Put a character's name in the middle and have students cite details from the text that help them understand the character. These examples could be related to character traits or physical traits.
• Similar to starting with a charcter in the middle, you could start with a character trait in the middle. Ask students to cite examples in the text where a character demonstrates that trait.
• Name a text (or section of text) in the middle. Ask students to fill in the spaces using categories such as: People, Objects/Symbols, Vocabulary, Message/Theme, Problem/Solution, Cause/Effect, Favorite Part.

3-2-1 Response

This one is a classic. If you've been in teaching for a few moons, you've probably seen some variation of this response. Basically, it asks students to share 3 interesting words or people, 2 things they learned, and 1 question they still have.

When I assign this response I make sure to explain the expectations. For instance, no "repeat" of ideas and use complete sentences on the 2 and 1 response.

A 3-2-1 Response lends itself to some great post-lesson discussions. When I assign this as a digital response, I will oftentimes answer the question while grading the work. It's a nice opportunity to connect with students on an individual level. The "1 Question I Still Have" can also be used to start discussions the following lesson. 

Memory Box

A Memory Box is about as flexibile a response as you can find. The basic idea is that students need to fill in the spaces with information from the text or lesson. Teachers can increase rigor by giving specific parameters for the Memory Box. 

For math applications: have students write the different fact families for a given number. Or, ask them to describe the properties of a particular shape. 

Way to increase rigor with a Memory Box:

• Require students to use complete sentences.
• Quote statements from the text and indicate if they are fact or opinion.
• State inferences from the text and cite the pages/quote that led to the inference.
• Describe cause and effect events within the text.
• Cite text evidence that demonstrates character traits for a given character, or give the students a character trait and ask them to find evidence of that trait in different characters.

FOR FICTION

Story Elements

This is a classic graphic organizer that helps students break down a story. It is loosely designed to mimic a 5 Square Organizer. The title of the text is written in the center of the page. The Characters and Setting are at the top, the Plot at the bottom. Plot can always be divided up using a Problem/Solution format.

Chapter/Section Summary Sheet

For a more detailed look at a chapter or section of text, teachers can have students fill out a Summary Sheet. This organizer asks students to fill in the chapter (or section) and explain what happened. 

When students first start to fill in the "What Happened" section they can sometimes be very generic with their responses. I encourage students to sum up the section by sharing something from the beginning, something from the middle, and something from the end. That small bit of guidance gives students just enough direction to put together a quality summary.

In addition to those two basic parts, students are also asked to share what their thoughts are about the section and to then make a prediction! These two parts help students to make connections to text, consider their opinions about events, and to do a little bit of thinking about how events they have already read may impact events later on in the book.

The "My Thoughts" and "My Prediction" sections are usually the most challenging for students. Oftentimes, students will write very shallow and basic responses such as "I like it" or "It is good". It can take a bit of modeling to get them to internalize what they are reading, formulate their own specific thoughts, and convey them in writing. 

Click here to get a set of these 5 graphic organizers for reading response for FREE!

Other Blog Posts You May Be Interested In:

• How to Host a Book Tasting in an Elementary Classroom
• Easy Back to School with Picture Books
• Best Character Analysis Strategies for Your Elementary Classroom
• Best Vocabulary Strategies for Your Elementary Classroom
• Best Comprehension Strategies for Your Elementary Classroom

Questioning Techniques in an Elementary Classroom

Questioning can be the harderst part of a lesson. How can we, as educators, ensure that students are learning the material, feel confident in their responses, and have a sense of contributing to the classroom community?  

I've learned a lot through the years and I've had my fair share of victories and mistakes. Throughout that time, I've been able to pull from different techniques in an attempt to give each student the confidence to raise their hand and take a chance. 

Pick the Hesitant Kid First

We all know which kids will be the first to shoot their hand up to answer a question. They love to share their knowledge and thrive off of answering correctly. On the flip side, we know which kids never put their hand up and would rather feed it to a wood chipper than volunteer a response. 

So, if the wood chipper kid goes for it, call on them! They are taking a huge risk. Support them; even if you suspect it may be a bit messy getting to an answer.

If the hesitant kid never puts their hand up... ever, and you would like to hear from them, I have a technique that will ease them into raising their hand and sharing ideas. 

Ask a very basic question; a question that has multiple correct responses or is based on thoughts/feelings. Or, a question that does not have an incorrect answer. Ask that question, give the students time to think, then choose the hesitant kid. Choose them first so that the "easy answer" can't be said by someone else first.

Examples:

• Name a character in this story.
• What is your favorite holiday?
• What does the word "xxx" mean to you?
• What is a multiple of the number 5?

By giving the hestitant kid a chance to answer the easier questions, you will be helping them build up the confidence to tackle a harder question later on.

Think Time

If you've been in the trenches for awhile, you know that students process at different speeds. Even if their hand is up, they may still need a bit of time to process a verbal answer. Give them time. Be patient. 

If it looks like they can't retrieve the information, ask them, "Do you need a bit longer?" If they want the time, let them off the hook and tell them to pop their hand up once they've got it. Promise to come right back to them and then keep your word. You'll have to keep scanning for their their hand to go back up, but it will be worth it when you go back to them and make sure they are part of the conversation.

Keep a Balance

Years ago I had an adminstrator keep a tally during an observation. She marked how many times I called on a boy versus calling on a girl. I hadn't even thought about that! I was close to even, but that was a happy coincidence. Moving forward, I always keep a running score in my head. If I call on two girls in a row, I then call on two boys. Make a cognitive effort to keep it even. It may not seem like other people notice (admins, students, TAs), but they do.

One Student Owns the Question

Once you have selected a student to answer a question, they own it. I will work with that student as long as necessary to get them to an answer. I use a delving technique (see below) to help guide them to a correct response. 

If all the attempts to delve and guide do not work, there are two choices: give the answer or have the student choose someone to assist. The question being asked determines which choice I make. For instance, if it's a math question (where there is oftentimes just one correct answer) I will have the student choose a person to answer. If it's an open-ended question, I might give one possible answer or list what's been already shared, to see if it triggers another idea from the student.

One common occurrence will be for other students to raise their hands when the student called on is struggling to come up with an answer. Refuse to call on them. Stay focused on the student who owns the question. For the first couple of months it is very common for me to say, "Put your hands down, it's Johnny's question." I let the class know that raising their hand for another student's question is futile. 

Over time, students learn that if they are called on they own the question. And if assistance or ideas are needed, they are the ones who will call on someone for help. The only person who can call on another student is the one who owns the question.

Delve the Question

Questioning techniques take time and experience to develop. The way I question students now is vastly different from the way I did when I first started out teaching. I've learned over time that delving is highly effective and is an excellent way to help a student work their way toward an answer.

Delving can be difficult at first. There is an art and science to it. However, think of a funnel. Structure your questioning by starting with the widest possible question that offers many options for a correct response. Granted, this doesn't work for everything, but you can use this technique in many parts of the day. If the student you have called on struggles to come up with an answer, start to "funnel down". This is the delve. If a student has had appropriate think time, ask the question again in a different way. Depending on the student, a differently worded question will prompt a response. For others, it may be a simple repeat. 

The next step will be to ask again and narrow down a parameter of the question. Keep moving down the funnel. At some point, you may be asking the student a 50/50 question. Cross your fingers they pick the correct answer. But, even if they don't, it's ok. Give the correct answer. Do not call on another student. I will write it again - do not call on another student. Once a student has been called on for a question - they own it. As stated above, the only person that can call on another student is the student who owns the question.

One example of how to delve a question:

T: Who can name a European explorer who sailed to present day New York?

S: Christopher Columbus.

T: Ohh- great start. We know that he sailed from Europe and journaled about his time in the Caribbean. But, we don't have any documents that tell us he sailed this far north. Can you think of someone else?

S: ...

T: We know that Columbus was Italian and sailed for Spain. We learned about other explorers that sailed for Spain. Also, England, the Dutch, and France. Can you remember any of those guys?

S: ...

T: We have some things in New York named after them. Can you think of any famous rivers or lakes or bridges named for a European explorer?

S: ...

T: What is one of our famous rivers that we have learned about?

S: The Hudson?

T: Right! Do you remember that guy's first name?

S: Ummm, Henry?

T: Yup. What else do you remember about his voyage?

Once you get to an asnwer, you can always follow up with a short Q and A to keep the conversation going and give the student another opportunity to share their knowledge.

If they can't recall a name, you can try to give them a "fill in the blank". 

T: What is one of our famous lakes we have learned about?

S: ...

T: In the northern part of the state. 

S: ...

T: Lake _______

S: ...

T: Samuel de _______

S: Champlain.

T: Yes! What else can you remember about his voyage?

Again, follow up with a bit more about Champlain. Invite the student to keep sharing and give them another opportunity to be in on the conversation.

Repeat Responses

If you have called on a student after some answers have been given, and the student is coming up short, try to list off what has been already shared to give their brain a jolt.

T: Who can name another European explorer?

S: ...

T: We have heard the names Columbus, de Champlain, and Hudson. Who else sailed over here? 

S: ...

T: Who was the Italian guy that has a bridge named after him, the one who sailed for France?

S: Verrazzano.

Connect Their Dots

Many times a student may give a wrong answer for a good reason. Their brain may be firing and connecting to something they learned from another lesson or experience. The connection might be caused by things such as: a vocabulary word, a time frame, or geographic area. Help them connect the dot to why that answer popped into their head and solidify a correct connection in their memory bank.

One example of how to connect a dot:

T: Who can name a European explorer who sailed to present day New York?

S: Lewis and Clark.

T: Ahhh, I can see why you might think that. They were very famous explorers hired by our 3rd president, Thomas Jefferson. They explored the land west of the Mississippi River. They documented their travels much like the European explorers we have learned about. But, they explored during the early 1800's; a couple hundred years before the time we are talking about. Can you think of someone who explored during the Age of Exploration? (1400s-1600s)

In this example the teacher can help the student correctly connect the dots between the question being asked and their thinking. Giving a bit more information to the student (explaining why their answer connects to the question) and helping them wire it correctly for the next time they need the information. 

If you have a timeline to reference (or other visuals), show the student "where" their answer lies and "where" the question lies. Or, if your students have notebooks, digital notes, etc... you can also have them refer back to discover a correct answer. Too often, students think that using resources is a "cheat". I try to instill in my class that it is actually the opposite. I want them to feel the empowerment of looking up a correct answer, knowing the correct place to find information, and connecting their own dots.

Keep Practicing

Questioning techniques take years to develop. Just as we tell our students that the best way to become a better reader is to read, the best way to become a better questioner is to question! 

If you do misstep, dust yourself off and try again. And, don't be too discouraged when you give the answer while in the middle of questioning... after 20+ years it still happens to me. I've resigned myself to the fact there is no cure for that particular "whoops"!

Best Vocabulary Strategies for Your Elementary Classroom

Vocabulary can be so tricky. It can make or break a student's understanding of text; this is especially true when working with content-specific vocabulary. There are many ways to introduce, develop, and master vocabulary. 

In this post I will share with you 2 student-specific strategies, which work for any subject you teach, that will help your students master vocabulary.

Knowledge Rating

Knowledge ratings are a simple way to introduce words that students will encounter in upcoming lessons or text. Knowledge ratings can be used for any subject and with any number of terms you may need.

Students are presented with a given list of terms. For each term, the student will rank themselves on a 4-point scale. A score of 1 means the student has never seen or heard the word. A score of 4 means the student has mastered the word and can teach it to someone else.

Knowledge Rating Vocabulary Strategy

Once students have completed the individual scoring of each term, they add up the individual numbers and have their rating. When using a knowledge rating for a unit of study (social studies, science, math) have them keep the rating. At the end of the unit, ask them to rate themselves again. The goal will be for students to increase their rating. If using a knowledge rating for a novel study, break the terms up by chapter or section. Once students have completed the section, go back to the rating and rate once again.

Knowledge Ratings are a great way for students to consider their own level of understanding and mastery of upcoming vocabulary. Using a rating allows students to consider where they currently are with particular terms and gives them a focus for improvement throughout the upcoming lessons.

Vocabulary Card

Vocabulary Cards are basically 4-Square Organizers that give students a space to write words they find interesting. They are organized by part of speech. (I also arrange my Word Wall by Part of Speech.) As students read a novel or work through a unit of study, they can add words to the appropriate spot and refer back to them later on.

Vocabulary Card Strategy

When meeting in a small group, I will ask students to share words they have added to their cards. Where did they find them (page number)? What do they think the word means? What might be a synonym for the word?

Allocating 10-15 minutes to this discussion gives students an opportunity to steer the lesson in a direction they find interesting. 

Different from a glossary, in which particular words are given to the students, vocabulary cards give students the opportunity to create a collection of words they find interesting. It is very student-specific and helps keep students engaged in what might otherwise be a very bland topic of conversation.

For other ideas to develop vocabulary click a link below:

4 Steps to Building Vocabulary

Teaching Vocabulary with Mentor Texts

Developing Vocabulary in Social Studies

No matter what the subject is, vocabulary can be a tough obstacle to overcome. With a few student-driven vocabulary strategies, you can keep your students engaged and on their way to mastering vocabulary!

You can read about other strategies to use during your ELA instruction by clicking a link below:

Best Comprehension Strategies for Your Elementary Classroom

Best Character Analysis Strategies for Your Elementary Classroom

Grab your own set of editable vocabulary activities (along with other reading responses) to use with your students from my TpT store here: Reading Response Worksheets or by clicking the image below.

Your download will include:

Google Slides

• Cover Slide

• 3 Vocabulary Slides

• 5 Comprehension and Character Study Slides

• 5 Author's Craft, Summary/Sequence Slides

• 3 Theme Written Response Slides

PDF Printables 

• Pre-Reading Activities

• Vocabulary

• Literary Devices

• Comprehension

• Character Analysis

• In-depth Analysis

• Summary & Sequence of Event Responses

• Theme Written Response

• Organizers & Rubrics

Fun with Math in an Elementary Classroom

For some us, math isn’t the most exciting subject to teach. I have never been able to get excited about algorithms and numbers the way some of my coworkers do.

If your math instruction isn’t what you want it to be, sometimes you just need to put a little of yourself into the instruction to make it come alive. Many districts dictate exactly what program or lessons must be used. But why not try to incorporate some fun into your daily math routine? Break your whole group instruction into small group rotations and provide more opportunities for fun practice. It will help you and your students love math just a little bit more!

Here are 6 ways you can liven up your math instruction...

Number Talks

If you are looking to strengthen your students’ mental computation while simultaneously improving their mathematical reasoning, Number Talks are perfect! These 5-10 minute chats can be done whole group or with small groups. The best part of Number Talks is that the students drive the direction of the talk. As the teacher you design the skill or idea that will be the focus of the Number Talk. For example: subtraction across zeros, double-digit addition, etc. But based on the abilities and the interests of the students, these talks will differentiate themselves! Number Talks can be a way to introduce, practice, or review a concept. Most importantly these chats get your students looking at numbers differently and making connections beyond what the text book can do!

This 15-minute video explains Number Talks and gives excellent examples:

Stanford Number Talk Video

Fluency Sprints

When students have automaticity of math facts the students can work with more ease when applying the skills. Focusing on math fact mastery only takes a few minutes a day to make a big difference. Students can work on fluency with worksheets, computer games, timed tasks, or basic flash card practice. Is anyone having flashbacks to playing Around the World in elementary school? Any math lesson can take a few minutes of fact practice to build up those foundational skills. Giving an inventory test will give you the information needed to be able to differentiate the practice that is needed. Using less than 5 minutes of instruction to hone in on fluency will have long-term impacts on your overall math instruction.

Fluency Challenges

Each year we create a challenge to motivate the students to master their multiplication facts. We begin testing the 0, 1, and 2’s. Once the students master those, we have a pattern that we follow that seems to be helpful in their ability to master all the facts up to 12s. Every few days we re-inventory the progress so each student can test their mastery wherever they are in the sequence. This is a great job for a parent volunteer to do when they come in to help. We give the students goals and deadlines. Students who master all 12 earn a dance party celebration. For the kids that don’t quite make it we have a fact practice party in the classroom while the others are dancing in another room. We make sure to celebrate all student success.

You can find a complete system for learning the multiplication facts here:

Fourth and Fritcher Multiplication Superhero Challenge

Student Reward Tags Hanging Proudly on Display

Interactive Notebooks

Any skill can be broken down in order to be introduced or practiced using an interactive notebook page. It is a fun way to bring in some cutting, pasting, and colored paper into the equation. I have the students bring in composition notebooks at the beginning of the year so we can use them when I want to add an interactive element to my instruction. If you aren’t comfortable committing to a whole notebook, interactive pieces can be glued onto a piece of construction paper that the students take home at the end of the lesson. Additionally, these tasks can become a bulletin board that will brighten the room and provide a reference for learning.

Digital Fun

Our students love to play games on their iPads and Chromebooks. Many of the games infuse math practice and imaginative game play to motivate.

The popular site in my class right now is Prodigy. You can find it here: https://www.prodigygame.com/ They would play all day if we let them. But it has a nice sampling of skills that they need to work through in order to master the levels of the game.

A great app to work on fluency is Flash to Pass. There are different levels and a timer to help students track their own progress with particular facts or operations. I oftentimes recommend this app for parents who are looking for ideas to support their child at home. Available for iPad/iPhone only: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/flashtopass-free-math-flash-cards/id330482882

Task Cards

I love putting task cards into my math instruction. When students feel like they are playing a game the work isn’t so painful! Students can complete the cards independently or in pairs. Most of my task cards have a work space sheet so answers can be checked for accuracy and accountability. These cards get the students out of their seats and working with others on the skills that need to be practiced. Task cards work well in a center or can be placed around the room to play a game of Scoot.

You can find task cards for every standard here:

Fourth and Fritcher Task Cards

Math can be a subject that many students and teachers shy away from. With a little bit of tweaking and some adjustments in your plans, practice and lessons can be fun and engaging. It’s a win-win for everyone!

Cheap and Easy Classroom Activities

Classroom teachers are always looking for inexpensive yet rigorous activities for their students. With a little bit of patience and ingenuity you can find plenty of resources already under your fingertips!

CARDBOARD COVERS

Go into your recycling bin and cut the covers off of each of the items in there. This will get you started. Every time you go to toss something else into your recycling bin take the face off and start filling an envelope. In a very short time you should have a good amount to start using in your classroom. I cut the cardboard faces off of everything from granola bars to cleaning supplies. Once you have enough you can use them for the following:

ABC ORDER

The long forgotten skill that kids don’t know how to do anymore! I pass out a cardboard cover to each of them. Without talking to each other I have them line up from A to Z based on the brand name of their product. You can switch things up and do it Z to A after they swap covers with another.

PERIMETER & AREA

Using these covers is a fun way to practice these math skills. The teacher might need to be a little deliberate in the cutting to eliminate having to round up or multiple fractions/decimals. This could be a great quiet center activity with a simple record sheet. The students could even check their accuracy on their own!

WRITING CENTERS

These covers can encourage students to write advertisements for the products or even opinion pieces on how their product is the best around. The students could even work on a new version of the product that they would have to present to the class. Teachers love those ideas that can work on their speaking and listening skills as well!

PIXAR SHORT MOVIES

Faces light up when kids start talking about the creative shorts that have been created for entertainment. Many of these can be found on YouTube.com. Pixar's shorts are especially great for classroom use because of the lack of dialogue. Make sure to watch them fully before you share with your class. 

INFERENCE

A few years my teammate found this adorable short film ---> Pixar's Short: Knick Knack

It is a creative way to help my students think about the difference between the terms explicit and inferred. I created an evidence chart that guides the students to support statements with evidence from the short. This is a great way to scaffold into finding evidence from texts.

SUMMARIZING

Many kids just want to retell what happened word for word. But if you encourage them to create a hand organizer with the 5 W questions. These notes will help them create a summary or gist statement. Writing is always more fun when the topic is something of interest. 

See more ideas about Writer's Workshop Part 1 HERE and Part 2 HERE.

Student Hand Organizer: using the 5 senses to describe an experience

PLAYING CARDS & DICE

Having a strong number sense carries students into the more difficult mathematical concepts. Any hands on method can help strengthen these important foundations.

OPERATIONS

Just with 2 simple dice you can have the students practice any of the operations. Whatever two digits the students roll they can add, subtract, multiply, or divide them. This can be done with a partner or on their own with a record sheet for accountability. 

You can find inexpensive and seasonal BUMP games in my store here ---> Fourth and Fritcher BUMP Games

PLACE VALUE

Students can draw a number of cards to create multi-digit numbers. From there they can try and create the largest or smallest possible number from those cards. With a partner they can work on the concept of greater than or less than in a war type game. I have also had them work with the two numbers they created together to practice multi-digit addition and subtraction. 

CIRCLES AND STARS

This is a great way to help introduce or practice the concept of multiplication. The first die rolled is the number of circles the students draw on their paper. The second roll with be the number of stars drawn in each circle. Once they count the number of total stars they will have the product created. The student then writes the number sentence that is represented in the picture. 

These simple strategies are inexpensive and easily differentiated for the needs of your students. Placed in a center or used in a whole group setting, with a little "thinking outside the box", your students will be excited and engaged with minimal costs.

Long Division Strategies

Long division can be such an exhausting unit. We oftentimes use colors and single-step instruction to break down this important skill. Yet, students continue to struggle with remembering all steps. I've had countless students remember the first step and become at a loss for how to move forward. Listed below are three proven methods to help all students divide successfully.

MNEMONIC DEVICES

To help student proceed past the first division I have used mnemonic devices. These little phrases will help students get past that first step hurdle.

A basic device will include the needed "Divide, Multiply, Subtract, Bring Down". The "Rs" represent "remainder" or "repeat". The "C" is for "Check".

To remember the steps for long division, there are countless choices:

For Your Foodies

• Dirty Monkeys Steal Cheese Burgers
• Does McDonald's Sell Cheese Burgers Raw?

For Your Horror Fans

• Dracula Must Suck Blood
• Dead Monkeys Smell Bad

For Everyone Else

• Dad Mom Sister Brother Rover

Depending on which steps you want to highlight in your mnemonic, you can choose one above or create your own!

Research shows that mnemonic devices help us remember important facts and principles. They can help with large pieces of information by organizing steps, parts, phrases, and the like.

Through repetitive guided practice, I reinforce the DMSCB until they remember the steps to complete a long division problem independently. Through the different practice problems, I provide opportunities for them to see how different outcomes can test their confidences. But as I have experienced myself, only practice will help students master this process.

But there are always those students who struggle with multi-step anything. Sometimes different safety nets must be put in place or new tools added to their toolboxes. Again as all good teachers do - we turn to others for suggestions!

BOX METHOD

I went searching for another way to reach those students who couldn’t remember past the Divide, Multiply, and Subtract steps. The box method became my new favorite way to teach long division!  

The box method is another way to get the job done with less thinking about which different step is coming next. This method uses a box that organizes the place values of the dividend. The divisor divides into each place one at a time. Instead of checking and bringing down, the difference from the subtracting step gets brought up into the next place value digit. Then the student divides, multiplies, and subtracts again.

This method takes a few steps out of the equation and allows long division to become less complicated. In my experience, this method allows most of the struggling students to be successful with long division.

PARTIAL QUOTIENT

Another way to teach long division is through partial quotient division. This method uses simple logic by allowing students to see the problem in a less abstract form. Partial quotient is also helpful for the students who haven’t mastered their facts.

When the student divides into the dividend they can use easy multiples of the divisor. The student is able to break up the problem into manageable parts so that it can be easier to divide. The student then records the partial quotient in a “work” column to the right of the problem. The problem is complete when the student can add no more to the work column because the remainder is less than the divisor. Lastly the partial quotients are added to find the quotient.

A teacher could search for hours trying to find new ways for every student to master a concept. But when it comes to long division - DMSCB and the box method are my top picks!

Need some ideas for MULTIPLICATION?

Click the link below to read about three successful strategies for teaching Double-digit Multiplication:

Double-digit Multiplication Strategies

Double-digit Multiplication Strategies

Have you ever wondered if your students will master double-digit multiplication? There are so many techniques, but which will be the best one for your learners? A few years back, I was struggling with these questions.

When we were in school, we were taught the standard algorithm. I can still remember standing nervously by the chalkboard completing long problems in front of my class. I was never really sure what I was supposed to do next. There were no tricks or shortcuts - just the basics of multiplication. And if the standard algorithm didn't work for you...well, you were up a creek. Thankfully, today, we have more than one way to teach multiplication.

3 "Out of the Box" Methods for Teaching Double-digit Multiplication

1. TURTLEHEAD 

We know not every student learns quite the same way. So I ventured onto the web and wandered down the YouTube rabbit hole. However, it wasn’t a complete waste of time. I found one video that stood out from the rest in explaining double-digit multiplication -- the turtlehead method!

This video is very primary, but the kids will connect to the silly graphics and music. This method demonstrates all the important steps that kids usually forget to do in the standard algorithm. The turtle helps them remember where to start multiplying, to cross off the multiplier, and to put in that magic zero! After just one exposure to the video more students were suddenly becoming accurate as they follow the turtle’s cues. To help students remember the steps and give them a visual on the wall, you can create a poster.

2. LATTICE

For some kids, the steps of the standard algorithm or the turtlehead method are just too much for them.

A decade or so ago the trend in math was lattice multiplication. This technique can help you reach those students who struggle with algorithms that use a standard set-up.

Lattice multiplication creates a grid with double-digit numbers placed on the outside. There are diagonal lines that run through the grid to divide the grid boxes into halves. As each number is multiplied, the values are placed inside the grid. Once all the multiplying is done, the numbers are then added down from the right to left, moving downward.

When using this method, the student doesn’t have to remember about the magic zero. Most mix-ups may happen when students aren’t sure about where to multiply first. In the past, I have shown them how to draw a dot on the top right corner of the box. This will be their starting point for the lattice.

Please note: some standardized testing does not recognize lattice as a legitimate algorithm (or award points for correct answers) because it is not based on place value concepts; it is simply a "cool trick". 

3. AREA MODEL

One last way to reach students is multiplying using the area model. This organized method uses the concept of area: length x width. The numbers are broken down using expanded notation. Once the numbers are multiplied, the answers go inside the grid created in the area model. All of those answers are then added together to get the final answer.

From experience, I have learned to start with just one technique. As I saw some students struggling, I would introduce a new method to them. Some students were most comfortable with the standard algorithm because that is the technique they were taught by their parents- and that's great! But I would encourage them to at least give these others a try. I would even challenge them to solve using the method most comfortable and them check their answers using a different method.  

At the end of the day the most important thing was a student's ability to correctly solve the problem. And using one method or the next, soon enough, all my students were multiplying with ease!

Need some ideas for LONG DIVISION?

Click below to read about three strategies for success!

Long Division Strategies