Number Story

This Tutor Tip is from Meghan Boyle of Open Door Learning Center - Lake Street.

Purpose: Building numeracy skills and practicing the spelling of numbers while reading information from a table.

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Materials Needed: Whiteboard, several pieces of paper.

Prep:

1. Prepare a poll question. Choose something related to a class theme or an issue currently being discussed in class. The question should yield a division of the students. Example: “Do you like winter?”
2. Write the possible answers to the question on pieces of paper and post them in different locations around the room. Example: “Like winter," "Don’t like winter," "Don’t know."

Procedure:

1. Write the question on the board and draw a table to tabulate results:
   • Like winter
   • Don't like winter
   • Don't know
   • Total
2. Make sure that all of the students understand the question and are prepared with an answer. 
3. Ask the students to stand up and move to the paper posted on the wall that demonstrates their answer.
4. Count the number of students at each answer together with the class and record the numbers in the table.
5. Tally the numbers to find the total number of students.
6. Practice “reading” the table by asking students questions like, “How many people like winter?”
7. Elicit sentences to explain the answers in the table. Example, “Seven people like winter.” (Don’t do the total.) Write the sentences on the board.
8. Elicit a question that can be answered by the total. Example, “How many people are there all together?” Write the question on the board.
9. Elicit a sentence that tells the answer. Example, “There are twelve people all together.” Write the final sentence on the board.
10. Students copy the story into their notebooks.
11. Finish by reading through the completed story.