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MAT HEMAT IC S UNIT PL ANNING IN A PLC AT WORK ® , GR A D ES PREK–2
Together, the mathematics units of study tell the story of the primary grade-level standards teachers expect students to learn throughout the year and from one year to the next.
If your collaborative team does not have a yearlong plan with standards in clearly defined units, see appendix A (page 137), “Create a Proficiency Map,” for additional support. Helping each teacher on your team become comfortable with the progression of mathematics units throughout the school year will support your students’ understanding of the mathematics story arc for various standards.
Mathematics Unit Planner Once your team determines the mathematics units for your grade level (detailing the standards and time line for each unit) for the year, your collaborative team can plan for student learning on a unit-by-unit basis (see figure 1.2; Kanold & Schuhl, 2020). The Mathematics Unit Planner in figure 1.2 provides a template your team can use as you develop a shared understanding of what students are expected to learn in each unit of study. The numbered sections in the Mathematics Unit Planner correspond with the seven elements of unit planning. Throughout this book, you will see numbered headings that correspond with these seven areas. (Find completed examples of unit planners for preK in figure 3.12 [page 58], kindergarten in figure 4.11 [page 79], first grade in figure 5.11 [page 105], and second grade in figure 6.11 [page 129].) Once the elements of the Mathematics Unit Planner (see figure 1.2) are complete, your team can use the information to plan for common assessments and daily lesson design (see Mathematics Assessment and Intervention in a PLC at Work [Kanold, Schuhl, et al., 2018] and Mathematics Instruction and Tasks in a PLC at Work [Kanold, Kanold-McIntyre, et al., 2018]).
In Principles to Actions, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM, 2014a) shares, “Effective mathematics teaching begins with a shared understanding among teachers of the mathematics that students are learning and how this mathematics develops along learning progressions” (p. 12). Therefore, before diving into each individual unit plan for the year, as a team, first consider the mathematical content students are learning in your grade. Additionally, make sense of the mathematical content trajectories, or progressions, that students are learning across your preK–2 band.
Mathematics Concepts and Skills for Grades PreK–2 Students in grades preK–2 develop their understanding of number, place value, and addition and subtraction. They grow their knowledge related to geometry and measurement. Throughout these foundational primary years, students first learn to count sequentially and read, write, and name numbers. They determine how to quantify a group of objects using a number. They compare numbers and learn to conceptualize the differences in value represented by two or more numbers. They also develop flexibility with numbers and use patterns to grow place-value understanding. In geometry, students identify, describe, compose, decompose, and analyze two- and three-dimensional shapes and, by second grade, create arrays for early multiplication understanding. They partition circles and rectangles to begin building an understanding of fractions. Through measurement and data, students develop an understanding of linear measurements, time, and money. Table 1.1 (page 12) shows some of the key mathematics concepts teachers expect students to learn in grades preK–2. Timing for teaching these key concepts is driven by grade and by the vertical trajectory NCTM’s (2006) Curriculum Focal Points for Prekindergarten Through Grade 8 Mathematics first defines. These key mathematical concepts give an overview of the more specific local standards your team will teach each unit.
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As figure 1.1 (page 9) shows, your grade-level team’s guaranteed and viable curriculum is first defined by a district yearlong pacing guide or proficiency map (showing a time line for student proficiency with each mathematics standard). Your team then determines a time frame appropriate to each mathematics unit, typically two to four weeks in duration in the primary grades. This process eliminates the potential risk of running out of time and skipping units or essential standards that fall at the end of the year.
Additionally, you and your collaborative team can reference the unit planner for each successive unit in the year and from one year to the next as your team continues to deepen its own understanding of the required student learning.
