LESSON 5
THINGS TO CONSIDER
IN PLANNING
INSTRUCTION IN
MATHEMATICS IN THE
PRIMARY GRADES
JULIE D. CAMACHO.
MAED.
OBJECTIVE
• Demonstrate understanding
and appreciation of the things
1 to consider in planning
instruction in mathematics in
the primary grades.
INTRODUCTION
In education, planning refers to the designing and preparation
of learning activities for students. In lesson planning, the
teachers thoughtfully contemplate about the lesson objectives,
the activities that will meet these objectives, the sequence of
those activities, the materials needed, how long each activity
might take, how the class would be managed during those
activities, and the evaluation method to assess how far the
objectives were met. This lesson enumerates the things to
consider in planning instruction in mathematics in the primary
grades.
Five Important Elements In Lesson Planning
1. Content
Research the subject matter that you will be teaching. You
should consult the curriculum and teaching guides published
by DepEd. Aside from books, you can also visit websites
which will give you information relevant to your subject
area. You should master the contents of your lesson before
you teach it. Remember, you cannot give what you do not
have. Moreover, you would not want to teach wrong contents
to the students. It is easier to learn than to unlearn; it is
difficult to take back wrong contents that have already been
taught. You have a big responsibility as a teacher — master
Five Important Elements In Lesson Planning
2. Objectives
Before you begin planning, you need to know
what specific knowledge and skills you want your
students to develop during the lesson or unit.
Teachers often focus too much on knowledge,
forgetting about developing skills which in the long
term are more important than knowing mere fact. So,
in planning your instruction, always consider both
knowledge and skills.
Five Important Elements In Lesson Planning
3. Students
Get to know your students—where they came from, what
their interest are, what they already know, their learning style,
attention span, special needs, etc. These will all help you
determine your students’ needs. Remember that you need to
prepare your lessons with all your students in mind and that
your main goal should be to meet their needs and offer them
enabling environments to learn their preferred way. Knowing
your students will also help you build rapport with them
which is important if you want your students to be freely
sharing their ideas with you and their classmates.
Five Important Elements In Lesson Planning
Another important consideration that needs serious
attention in teaching, especially mathematics, is the students’
mindset. You may have all things considered—lesson mastery,
focused objectives, and comprehensive understanding of
students—and yet still find that the lesson is not coming through
the students. This may be because the students have closed their
doors towed math. Many school children have come to believe
that math is difficult and they can never be good at it. This is
called a fixed mindset. Students with fixed mindsets believe
that their math skills cannot be improved, which results in
underperformance in the subject.
Five Important Elements In Lesson Planning
Reasons for fixed mindset include from adults who dislike
math, previous unpleasant experience in math class, and others.
Your goal as a teacher is to develop students with growth
mindset. Students with growth mindsets believe that they can
be better at math. They know that their efforts are not wasted
and that they can learn even in their failures. Many studies have
proven that students who have a growth mindset perform better
in school than those who have a fixed mindset. So, in planning
your lesson, you must consider how to encourage growth
mindset in class.
Five Important Elements In Lesson Planning
4. Learning Environment
Aside from the physical environment where the learning
takes place, it is also important to consider the social and
emotional learning environment of the class. You need to make
sure that you promote a positive environment where students are
motivated and are supportive of each other’s growth. The students
must feel safe to express their thinking, without fear of being
embarrassed because of mistakes or different views. Most
importantly, you must create an atmosphere where students are
open to learn through the activities you prepared and interactions
with their classmates.
Five Important Elements In Lesson Planning
5. Availability of resources
Take into consideration the instructional materials that
you will be needing before you write your lesson plan. Is a
blackboard available? If not, can you improvise? Are there
specific manipulatives that you need? Where can you get
them? Can you make them instead? Do you need
technology resources? Have you checked whether your
devices are compatible with what are available in school?
These are some of the questions that you can reflect on.
Summary
Before writing a lesson, teachers are
expected to thoughtfully contemplate on the
objectives, review the content, and get to
know the learners. Doing these will help
them plan a relevant and effective lesson for
the learners.
THANK
YOU!
