Running head: STUDENTS THINKING ANALYSIS 1

Students Thinking Analysis

Connie S. Costa
Teachers College of San Joaquin














STUDENTS THINKING ANALYSIS 2
Students Thinking Analysis
I have been teaching for the past nine years, and during that time directed teaching has
been the norm. It has been common practice to diagnose a students independent learning level
by assessing for what he or she doesnt know through one size fits all assessments. However,
with the shift to Common Core State Standards, it may be in the best interest of our students if
we, as educators, work closer with our students to assess and to have a better understanding of
their foundational knowledge. According to Fosnot (2011), It [assessing] needs to capture
genuine mathematizing: childrens strategies, their ways of modeling realistic problems, and
their understanding of key mathematical ideas (p. 45). If we know and understand what our
students are bringing with them to the classroom, we will be better able to prepare lessons that
are differentiated and target their strengths.
For this project I participated in three discussions across the three grade spans to try and
discern what the students know about the concepts being covered. I talked to a third grade,
English Learner, male student; a fourth grade, English speaking, male student; and an eighth
grade, English speaking, resource, male student. This particular student had missed the entire
second quarter due to illness, thus putting him even further behind.
My interaction with the third grader centered on him multiplying and dividing with single
digit numbers. Throughout our discussion it became evident to me that he was still relying on
using his fingers to skip count and he drew pictures to represent the equations to solve the
problems. For instance, when he was multiplying 5 x 3, he used his fingers for repeated addition.
To divide 15 by 5, he drew 5 circles and counted, by one, as he drew a line in each circle until he
reached 15. At that point he knew the answer to 155 was 3. However, as I was
STUDENTS THINKING ANALYSIS 3
looking at the pictures and listening to him, it really seemed to me that he was not dividing, but
was making a graph for multiplying 5 x 3 = 15. And, when I asked him if he knew what the 3
lines in each circle represented, he was unable to tell me. As we continued with our discussion
and he solved 6 x 4 and 24 6, he did the same thing. He drew 6 circles and put 24 lines in each
circle. He did this by marking and counting one line at a time per circle until he counted off 24.
Again, he saw he had 4 lines in each of the 6 circles. Therefore, he knew the answer to 24 6 is
4. I asked him if there was another way to find the answer and he told me that there wasnt.
Overall, it is my feeling that his student definitely has strategies he can rely on as he is learning
(memorizing) his math facts, which will help him to solve simple one-digit multiplication and
division equations. However, it will be vital that he learn other strategies to help him out when
he begins performing these tasks with larger numbers.
The discussion I had with the fourth grader was about estimating and rounding to add and
subtract three and four digit numbers. It was clear to me that this student understood the concept
and had the knowledge to estimate by rounding numbers. He remembered the rule of four and
below leave alone and five and higher round it up. He was able to use his skills to get the correct
answers. He also performed subtraction of three digit and two digits numbers. He was able to
perform this task easily as well. However, while this student was able to perform these tasks, he
had a difficult time clearly explaining to me how he was solving the subtraction problem and the
estimating problems. Fosnot (2011) states, Perhaps they have never had the opportunity to
describe their knowing to someone who could give a name to their ideas and celebrate the
mathematical importance of each one and so make them seem like something worth sharing

STUDENTS THINKING ANALYSIS 4
(p. 58). It is my feeling that he just didnt have the appropriate vocabulary and the confidence to
clearly explain his steps. It could also be that as a product of No Child Left Behind, he is unable
to explain, but instead just do. And, there is also the fact that I was a complete stranger to him
and he was uncomfortable. But, it was clear to me that he did know the algorithms needed to
perform these tasks.
The third and final discussion was actually one that was between an eighth grade male,
RSP student and his RSP teacher. This student is, as mentioned, an RSP student and he was ill
and missed the entire second quarter of the current school year. This student was getting a short
review of the topic that was taught the day prior in a whole class setting. His RSP teacher pushes
into the classroom to help this student, as well as a few others. The lesson was on adding
fractions with unlike denominators. The RSP teacher began the mini lesson by having the student
add two fractions with like denominators. He was quick to answer this, by telling us, add them
straight across the top. After this was done, the RSP teacher wrote an addition problem with two
fractions with unlike denominators. Unfortunately, I did not write down any of the problems that
were used in this discussion. The student was able to find a common denominator, but it was not
the lowest. His teacher indicated that the denominator he came up with could work, but he
should find the lowest one. At this point, he responded with the correct lowest common
denominator. This interaction went on and on for some time and with prodding, the student
always came up with the correct answer. His RSP teacher also gave him strategies to use while
solving the various problems, such as putting a box around a fraction once he had the
denominator and to put a circle around the number he used to find the new denominator and
numerator. While this student would hit roadblocks with the simple task of knowing his
STUDENTS THINKING ANALYSIS 5
multiplication facts, he definitely knew about improper fractions. He noticed immediately when
he saw the answer to one of the problems was 5/4, that it was an improper fraction. He didnt
know the vocabulary to call it an improper fraction. He knew it was improper and he knew how
to simplify it and turn it into a mixed number.
It should be noted that this student also relied on a multiplication chart to help him. After
witnessing this interaction and after reading the transcription notes, I feel that this student does
have gaps in his knowledge of multiplication, but he definitely knows how to add fractions and
he knows how to simplify improper fractions. He does have issues with communicating clearly
how to perform these tasks however. There were a couple of times that his RSP teacher and I
were very confused by how he was solving the problems. He would repeat to us, verbally, what
he was doing, but it was still confusing and difficult to follow. But, he does know what to do,
just not how to explain it.
Overall, the findings from all three of these interactions reminds me that it is definitely
important to know and understand what our students know in order to plan effective and
meaningful lessons and assessments. It also magnifies what I, as an educator must do, and that is
engage myself more often, in one-on-one discussions with my students in order to better
understand what they know and how they solve problems. These opportunities will also give my
students the chance to talk it out and explain and verbalize how they strategize and carry out
mathematics, a skill all students of Common Core State Standards must learn to do.



STUDENTS THINKING ANALYSIS 6
References
Fosnot, C. (Ed.) (2011). Models of intervention in mathematics: Reweaving the tapestry.
New York, NY: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Pearson.



















STUDENTS THINKING ANALYSIS 7
Transcription of discussion with 3
rd
grade EL male during homework help and he was
completing his homework/classwork.

T What are you working on?
S Im multiplying and dividing.
T So youre multiplying and dividing? Can you tell me what problems you just multiplied?
S 5 x 3 = 15, 6 x 4 = 24, 7 x 5 = 35, 15 5 = 3.
T Okay, cool. Now can you tell mecan you explain to me how you figured out that 5 x 3 =
15?
S I put up 5 fingers and counted them to many times to make 15.
T So you put up 5 fingers and counted them 3 times? (Student nods head yes). Great! What
about 6 x 4 = 24? How did you get that answer?
S 6 x 4I did the same thing like before but its dividing so I used circles. I put
T Okay, so did we skip ahead to this one then? Youre telling meOh! I see! Because thats
part of this problem okay, lets finish this one155 = 3how did you solve that?
S I putted5 circles and putted one line in each circle but I stop at 15.
T How many lines did you put in each circle?
S 3
T Why did you use 3?
S Cuz theres 3 lines in each one of the circles.
T But what does that 3 represent? Do you know?
S No.
T No? Okay. Allrightor did you put 5 in there?
S No.
T Is that 5 or 3 lines in there? Hmmminteresting.
T So did youso you had 5 circles and this is to try and figure out how to divide 15 by
5right?
S uh huh
T How did you know to put 3 in those circles?
S Because I think our teacher showed us. CuzIm not sure. I think I forgot.
T Ok. Let me ask you thisif you have 5 circles and you put 3 lines (or dots) in each one what
do you get?
S (repeats me and is confused).
T- Okay, 3 dots here, 3 dots here, 3 dots here, 3 dots here, and 3 dots here. What did that give
you a total of?
S (he countsby ones) 15!
T 15! Okay! Good. So then when you did 15 divided by 5, how did you know your answer was
3?
S (mumbles, but drew picture, and counted). It has to be 3.
T Okay.



STUDENTS THINKING ANALYSIS 8

T May I watch you solve this one? So you multiplied 6 x 4 and got 24. Now you have to divide
24 by 6. How are you going to that that answer?
S Im gonna put 6 circles and put 24 linesa line in each circle. (he draws a picture of 6
circles and puts a line in each circle as he is counting by ones to 24).
S so its 4.
T Okay. So Im still kinda confused because to me youre multiplying. You made 6 groups of 4
to make 24. So how did you know that 4 is your answer?
S I know 4 is my answer because the productthe answer is right here and you have to put
each line in each one of the circles.
T Ohso when youre pointing to that circle with 4 in it, you know that that 4 is your answer?
Is that what youre saying?
T Is there another way you could do divide?
S No. I just like to do that.
T So you like to draw pictures?
S Shakes his head yes.
T Okay, let me do one more thing. How would you find the answer to this? 5 x _____ = 25?
What would you do?
S (Counts on his hands by 5s.) I just count by 5s. Its the same thing as adding.
T Repeated addition?
S Uh huh. So its 4!
T Oh? I want you to double-check that.
S Oops(smiles) its 5.
T Yep, its 5. Thanks bud for letting me hang out with you!










STUDENTS THINKING ANALYSIS 9
Transcription of discussion with a 4
th
grade male student during homework help time and he was
working on homework or classwork that didnt get done.

T What grade are you in?
S 4
th
.
T 4
th
grade? Okay. And can you tell me what you were doing on this problem right here? #
43? What did you have to do?
S I was estimating by rounding to the nearest 100.
T Estimating to nearest 100by rounding to the nearest 100? What does it mean to round?
S Um..it means torounding means to go to the nearest number and the number is 5
through 9 and the number is and the other number is 5 or 9 it would thenthe number
wouldthe number in front of it would turn into the next number.
T So can you give me an examplecan you read this to me please? (pointing to a problem
on his work page).
S Estimate by rounding to the nearest 100. 195 + 809. And youd estimate this number to
200
T Can you tell me what this number is?
S This one?
T Yes
S 195.
T So what did you do to that number?
S I added 9 to this one.
T to the one?
S yes and I checked it. If it was 5 though 9 and it was so, the 1 turned into a 2 and these
ones (meaning the 9 and the 5) turned into zeros.
T So you turned 195 into what number?
S 200. And this one I turnedI changed it toestimated the 809and the 0 is 1 through 4
this number stays the same and this number turns into zero. So its 800.
T Okay. Do me a favor. Tell me what place the 8 is in (in 809).
S The 100s
T and the zero?
S the 10s place.
T So you were looking at the 10s place and you said that if the number in the 10s place is
lower than 4 you leave it alone?
S Yes.
T So what was your estimation when you added 195 and 809?
S I estimated it to be 1000.
T Good. Can you talk to me about this problem? Could you read it to me please?
S Estimate by rounding each adden to the nearest ?????? place.. And I um. I turned.
T Can you read that number to me?
S 5,309 to 5000 because that number..
T What number? Can you tell me the place value?
S Its a 3 and its in the 100s place and these numbers change to zeros and this turns into
3000 and I got 7000.
STUDENTS THINKING ANALYSIS 10

T All right. So in this one you looked at what place?
S The 100s.
T The 100s. Okay. And what did you do to that one?
S I turned this one into a 3000 and I turned these into zeros, the same as this one.
T Im looking at these problems up here on the top of the page. Did you have to estimate
these or actually do the work on them?
S I had to do the work on them. They werent estimating.
T So could you read that problem to me?
S 485 minus 97
T Can you tell me how you solved that problem?
S I7 cant go into 5, so I took the 8 and turned it into a 7. Then I turned this one into a 15.
Then I subtracted 15 intoI subtracted 7 from the 15 and I gotsearching for his work.
T Is that your work over there?
S Yeah
T You can use your work.
S (still searching)
T HmmI wonder if you wrote it out?
T Do you use your fingers when youre counting?
S YeahI usually do.
T Okay.
T Ohis that it right there 485
S Oh yeah. So I subtracted 7 from 15 and I got8. I subtractedI couldnt subtract 9 from
7. I got 3 from 4 and ???? I put a 1 next to the 7 which I got 17 and I subtracted that and I
subtracted the 9 from 17 and I got 8 then I brung down the 3 because theres no numbers
under the 4. (the answer is 388, which he did have written down in his work.)
T Okay, cool. Your name is Isacc? Thank you very much. I appreciate you helping me out
today!










STUDENTS THINKING ANALYSIS 11
Transcription of dialogue between an 8
th
grade male RSP student and the RSP teacher; they were
doing review from the previous days lesson. This student missed the entire 2
nd
quarter due to
illness and is having a difficult time catching up. The lesson was adding fractions and looking for
common denominators

T- So this what we were doing yesterday. You know these denominators are the same. What
would you do to add them?
S- Add them straight across on the top.
T- Yes, add them across on the top. What did she (his math teacher) say yesterday? RSP
teacher then asks me for a multiplication chart. I go get on for the student. She reminded
student how to use it.
T- Wrote down an addition problem using fractions with unlike denominators.

Unfortunately, I didnt write down any of the equations!

S- 8!
T- It could be, but you want to find the lowest
S- 4!
Me - Can you tell me how you knew it was 4?
S- Well, you try to get to the commonest or lowest one and 2 x 2 will give you 4 and thats
already a 4 and 4 x 1 is 4.
T- Sometimes I look at that high number and see if that will work. (she then gives student a
new problem)
T- Show me how you would solve this problem
S- I forgot. I just remember that 1
st
step.
T- Ok. We can work it out together. Can we just leave it the same?
S- Yes and just change the other one to a 4 over 1
T- When its going to stay the same I want you to put a box around the fraction. Its a great
visualso you know youre done with that fraction.
T- So were going to put a 4 out here? Right? Right? Now what are we going to do?
S- I think youre gonna put the 1 over the 4 then
T- 4 divided by 2 is what?
S- 2.
T- Im gonna ???? that and we are gonna multiple2 x 1 is what?
S- umm1? No 2! So the 1
st
number like the lowest one, leave that alone. You dont need
to ?????? that was equal. The one on the bottom.
T- I think Im following you.
Me- Im not. Could you try to explain it to me differently?






STUDENTS THINKING ANALYSIS 12

S- This is common like that one is gonna stay the same. So youre gonna ????whatever
number was equal to the bottom numbers and youre gonna divide that by the bottom
numbers right?
T- By the.1???
S- Yes.
Me- I think Ive got it now. So what is your new fraction?
S- 2/2oh..2/4, then you add them across and then you get 5.
T- So 5 over 4? Right?
S- Isnt 5 above the 4? (meaning 5 is greater than 4 and he is recognizing an improper
fraction).
T- Oohgood. Do you know what that is called?
S- No. Im not sure.
T- Okay, improper fraction

At this point he started turning it into a mixed number with out the teacher asking him to

S- Youd have 1 than a 1 over 4.
T- Let me show you something. When the numerator is larger than the denominator, its an
improper fraction.
S- So when its like that you put a 1 there (in the numerator spot) and a 1 on the side for 1
whole? If its improper do I fix it or just leave it?
T- Sometimes they ask you to simplify and then yes, you would.
S- So unless it says simplify, I dont?
T- Yes, or if Mrs. McCoy tell you to.
Me- May I ask a question? Can you tell me how many times 4 will go into 5?
S- 1 time.
Me- Good. And would there be any leftovers? And if so, how many?
S- There would be 1 leftover and then you put it 1 over 4.
T- What does common mean?
S- The same.
T- What does 3/3 mean or is the same as?
S- Ummman improper fraction?
T- No 3/3 or 4/4 or 5/5what is it the same as?

I drew an equal sign and asked him if he knew what it means?

S- It means equal.
T- So what does 3/3 equal?
S- Ummm..one whole.
T- Yes! Okay!
S- So if its one whole you just put equals one?
T- ??????? unsure of what was said. Got it? Good!
T- Okay, lets just stick with this. (she write out a new addition problem.)
S- 14 would be the common denominator.
STUDENTS THINKING ANALYSIS 13

T- Why?
S- Because we timed 7 x 2 you get 14. 14 x 1 is 14. After thatstudent mumbles and Im
uncertain of what he says.then I would divide it. And Id get 7.
T- Hmmmm
S- Zero? Negative 7?
T- 14 divided by 7 is what?
S- Negative 7?
T- Theres another way to say it: 7 x what number is 14?
S- 2!
T- Put your 2 down there and circle it.
S- And then Im gonna times 14 by the top number?
T- No, youre gonna times the one you just circled by it.
S- Ok2 x 6 thats 12
T- Where does it go?
S- On the topright here (he points)
T- This is the tricky part. Ok now box that oneyoure done with it. Now add across.
S- (talks to himself as he is working the problem) Ok! So pretty much once you get whats
the same (the common denominator) youre gonna divide by the bottom number and
whatever you get right there,
youre gonna times by the top number.
T- Right
S- After you do that, you put the number you go by timesing that you put it on top of the
Common denominator and then add across.