ently count within a structure that becomes very familiar. When doing the
Counting Jar, students work on a few different aspects of counting: counting a set
of objects, representing a count, creating a specific-size set, and connecting the
same quantity of two different kinds of objects.
Some students may find this activity challenging. They may have difficulty
figuring out a strategy for keeping track of what they have already counted in the
jar and what they have not counted. Other students may be able to count the
number of objects but not know how to represent the count on paper. Still oth-
ers might find it difficult to create an equivalent set of objects.
As you watch the video, consider the following questions. You might want to
take notes on what you notice.
- How does the teacher use this discussion to help students build an under-
standing of counting? - How does she structure this discussion?
- What questions does she ask?
- What statements does she make?
Classroom discussions can be an important part of supporting students who strug-
gle with mathematics. Classroom discussions are an opportunity for students to
hear their classmates’ ideas or strategies. Students might hear something that
helps them with an idea they are struggling with or hear a strategy that might
work for them. Discussions are an opportunity for students to practice communi-
cating their ideas and to think through their own ideas, strategies, or even confu-
sions. They are also an opportunity for teachers to focus on specific ideas or strate-
gies they think are important for students to examine or that they think might be
difficult for students. However, it can be a challenge for teachers to include a wide
range of learners in whole-class discussions in a meaningful way.
In this video, you see Lillian Pinet using this discussion as a learning oppor-
tunity for her students and trying to involve all her students in the discussion. She
does this through the decisions she makes about which students she asks to share
their work, how she asks them to share their work, how she responds to a student’s
mistake, and the way she involves the whole class in helping this student under-
stand her mistake.
Examining the Video Footage
In the first interview, Lillian says she decided to have Ricardo share his work first
because she knew “he would have a clear strategy to share.” As Ricardo shares his
strategy, Lillian helps him communicate it clearly by asking him to explain out
loud and show in detail each of his steps. For example, she asks him to show how
Kindergartners Talk About Counting