Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 18

Analysis - Essay Example After the pretest, what followed was a series of set instructions. First, the students learnt addition and subtraction by using a number line. This involved indicating numbers that came before or after a given number X and distinguishing odd numbers from even numbers. The next stage involved using cubes to teach addition and subtraction. For instance, having a pile of ten cubes stacked together then taking two away or adding two and then asking the student what this activity resulted in (what is the new number of cubes after adding or subtracting?). Afterwards the students learnt the hundreds and tens chart. After the chart, the students learnt simple place values to enable them to group the digits of a number into ones and tens respectively. In addition, the students were required to count pennies (ones) and dimes (tens) and consequently use these values for addition and subtraction (California Department of Education, 2009). After a successful completion of the above activities, the students did a post-test in whole groups of three again for 25 minutes. The test was on a math work sheet and it comprised of eight questions that were similar to the questions in the pre-test. All the students who did the pre-test also did the post-test for purposes of determining the effectiveness of the teaching strategies applied. There was a tremendous improvement in the students’ performance in the post-test compared to the pre-test performance. In one group, the pre-test had the scores Alyssa 3, Faith 2 and Isaiah 2 out of a possible eight points. In the post-test, the scores were Alyssa 8, Faith 7, and Isaiah 8 out of a possible eight points. This significant learning gain is a direct result of the learning tasks that followed the pre-test. Nonetheless, math is a subject that requires continued practice to ensure that the concepts remain intact as a student advances from one grade to another. As such, the students should