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Head-Pollett Consultants, Inc.

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Service One: PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

On this page we describe our most popular professional development experiences. As you browse through these, please keep in mind that we pride ourselves in personalizing our services. If you do not see what you need listed here, or if you need to use a format different from the one recommended, give us a call. We will do our best to accommodate you or to recommend someone who can.

Our workshops are listed in the following order on this page.

NUMBER LITERACY

NUMBER LITERACY is one the most demanded of all the supplemental publications offered by bby Publications. The following descriptions, shown in light pink sections, will give you particular details about the two workshops that are connected to each of our NUMBER LITERACY products:

WHAT'S MY PLACE? WHAT'S MY VALUE?
READING AND WRITING THE LANGUAGE OF NUMBERS

Number Literacy: What's My Place? What's My Value?

Place Value is a "sticky wicket" for children of many ages! Why is this so? Research shows that place value is so abstract that few children connect it with a visual model. Many teachers see Place Value as the hardest area of mathematics to explain to their children. The whole "picture" changes, when place value is explained with a model rather than words!

If your children struggle with place value concepts, this is the workshop for you! This is a favorite of new teachers, seasoned teachers, teachers of young and old alike!

During this workshop the emphases will be upon the:

pattern of place value.

connection between visual models and the digits used to describe the number of pieces seen.

improving the teacher’s understanding of using a visual model to explore such concepts as expanded notation, scientific notation, rounding, estimating, counting backwards & forwards, etc.

role of the decimal.

connection between decimals and fractions.

different collections with the same value.

examination of sample test items concerning place value.

use of a sketch to solve a problem.

correlation between local, state and national standards and What’s My Place? What’s My Value?

planning by grade level for implementation for the first few weeks of instruction.

AUDIENCE

Teachers of grades K and higher (perfect for a K-5 staff)

RECOMMENDED FORMAT

one day follow-up highly recommended in the form of model
teaching followed by an after-school problem-solving session

REQUIRED MATERIALS (one of each per teacher)

NUMBER LITERACY: WHAT'S MY PLACE? WHAT'S MY VALUE?

(order either the primary version for teachers of grades K-2 or the intermediate version for teachers of grades 3-5)

THEIR RECOMMENDED MATERIALS

We also highly recommend that you purchase one of each of the following for each teacher if at all possible.

OBSERVATION CARD KIT

WHAT'S MY PLACE? WHAT'S MY VALUE? BACKDROP DISPLAY KIT

(order either the primary version for teachers of grades K-2 or the intermediate version for teachers of grades 3-5)

If your teachers already have these items from a previous Head-Pollett workshop, you may not need to purchase them at this time.

Number Literacy:

Reading and Writing the Language of Numbers

This 10-minute routine helps develop number sense by using a visual model. This research-based method is most powerful after your children have experienced What’s My Place? What’s My Value? and therefore can make powerful connections between the two visual models.

Teachers experience the power of the visual model as learners, and then get to practice creating charts as they will with their children, planning for most understanding.

During this workshop the emphases will be upon the:

power of the visual model to develop number sense.
connection between the visual representation and the variety of number expressions that represent what is seen.
connection between addition and subtraction, addition and multiplication, subtraction and division, & multiplication and division.
connection between decimals, fractions and percentages using a visual model.
reading and writing of story problems.
variety of symbols, operations and notations commonly seen in elementary classrooms.
use of a sketch to solve a problem.
using a visual model to see common algebraic expressions.
correlation between local, state and national standards and Reading and Writing the Language of Numbers.
planning by grade level for implementation for the first few weeks of instruction.

AUDIENCE

teachers of grades K-5
perfect for a K-5 staff development

REQUIRED MATERIALS

(one of each per teacher)

NUMBER LITERACY: READING AND WRITING THE LANGUAGE OF NUMBERS

RECOMMENDED FORMAT

one day
follow-up highly recommended in the form of model teaching followed by an after-school problem-solving session

We strongly suggest that your teachers attend and use What’s My Place? What’s My Value?

OTHER RECOMMENDED MATERIALS

We also highly recommend that you purchase one of each of the following for each teacher if at all possible.

OBSERVATION CARD KIT

If your teachers already have these items from a previous Head-Pollett workshop, you may not need to purchase them at this time.

bby Practice Pages
Teaching math standards with use of the bby Practice Pages.

With 24 exciting Practice Page books to choose from, it's easy to find one or more to develop a deeper understanding of more difficult math standards. Debby and Libby will work with you to identify an area(s) of greatest need and suggest which Practice Page book(s) will provide explorations that lead to a better understanding of basic concepts. Some schools ask Debby or Libby to meet with only 1-2 grade level(s) at a time, perhaps during common planning times. With such a small group, specific concerns can be immediatly addressed. Teachers will explore using the hundred-grid to teach the standards as their will, then discuss extensions and implementation issues specific to their grade levels.

Here are some favorites other schools have appreciated:

Kindergarten: Recognizing the word-form of numbers and color words, counting 1-10, comparing sets, and more.

First Grade: Basic Facts to 10.

Second Grade: Basic facts to 20 and counting money.

Third Grade: 2-digit number exploration and Making Change from a dollar.

Fourth Grade: Whole number, fractions, mixed numbers, introduction to percents, and more.

Fifth Grade: Converting fractions, decimals, and percents, and estimating.

Some schools prefer to have an after-school or 1/2 day professional development with just the primary or intermediate teachers. We will explore one or more concepts using the same models across each grade level.

We might suggest:

Primary Topics	Intermediate Topics
Addition	Fractions
Subtraction	Decimals
Counting Money	Percents
Equivalent Expressions	Estimation

Let us help you analyze your test data and determine the needs of your staff and students together.

We welcome the opportunity to be a vital part of your children's mathematical journeys.

CURIOSITY BAIT

is one of the most popular series of supplemental publications offered by bby Publications. The following descriptions, shown in light blue sections, will give you particular details about the workshop that is connected to each of our CURIOSITY BAIT products. Click here for descriptions of the Curiosity Bait Products.

CURIOSITY BAIT: SHAPE BAIT

This is the most popular choice for a first CURIOSITY BAIT professional development experience.

The emphases will be upon:

refreshing and expanding your teachers' knowledge of geometry

introducing the general ten-minute "BAIT" routine

implementing SHAPE BAIT in the classroom.

using SHAPE BAIT as an opportunity for journaling.

patterning and algebraic thinking.

sharing extension and assessment suggestions.

aligning with your local, state, and/or national math standards.

AUDIENCE

teachers of grades K-5
perfect for a K-5 staff development

RECOMMENDED FORMAT

one day
follow-up highly recommended in the form of model teaching followed by an after-school problem-solving session

REQUIRED MATERIALS

(one of each per teacher)

CURIOSITY BAIT: SHAPE BAIT

OTHER RECOMMENDED MATERIALS

We also highly recommend that you purchase one of each of the following for each teacher if at all possible.

If your teachers already have these items from a previous Head-Pollett workshop, you may not need to purchase them at this time.

CURIOSITY BAIT: MONEY BAIT

Many districts see the need for this Bait workshop first, depending on their children’s strengths and weaknesses. Expect this workshop to emphasize:

modeling fractions, decimals and percentages using a hundred-grid.

seeing the relationships between fractions, decimals and percentages.

reviewing money concepts such as making change, coin combinations for the same amount, etc.

introducing the general 10-minute "Bait routine".

implementing Money Bait in the classroom.

pattering and algebraic thinking.

examining student samples.

sharing extension and assessment suggestions.

aligning with your local, state and/or national math standards.

AUDIENCE

teachers of grades K-5
perfect for a K-5 staff development

RECOMMENDED FORMAT

one day
follow-up highly recommended in the form of model teaching followed by an after-school problem-solving session

REQUIRED MATERIALS

(one of each per teacher)

CURIOSITY BAIT: MONEY BAIT

OTHER RECOMMENDED MATERIALS

We also highly recommend that you purchase one of each of the following for each teacher if at all possible:

If your teachers already have these items from a previous Head-Pollett workshop, you may not need to purchase them at this time.

CURIOSITY BAIT: TIME BAIT

Although a few schools choose to begin with the TIME BAIT workshop, most choose this one after

MONEY AND SHAPE are up and running successfully.

Expect this workshop to emphasize:

reviewing concepts unique to telling time, such as computing elapsed time, AM/PM, different tools for measuring time, time zones, etc.
collecting and analyzing data.
introducing the general 10-minute "Bait routine".
implementing Time Bait in the classroom.
pattering and algebraic thinking.
sharing extension and assessment suggestions.
aligning with your local, state and/or national math standards.

AUDIENCE

teachers of grades K-5
perfect for a K-5 staff development

RECOMMENDED FORMAT

one day
follow-up highly recommended in the form of model teaching followed by an after-school problem-solving session

REQUIRED MATERIALS

(one of each per teacher)

CURIOSITY BAIT: TIME BAIT

OTHER RECOMMENDED MATERIALS

We also highly recommend that you purchase one of each of the following for each teacher if at all possible:

If your teachers already have these items from a previous Head-Pollett workshop, you may not need to purchase them at this time.

CURIOSITY BAIT:

PRESIDENT AND STATE BAIT COMBINATION

This workshop is super for expanding your children’s general knowledge about our fifty states, but is a MUST for states such as Georgia, requiring all third graders to recognize each state by the outline of its shape! This is a favorite of children in the intermediate grades! Children become fascinated with the lives of our presidents and dig into a variety of resources for information and verification.

Some schools, wishing to bring excitement to social studies, begin with this PRESIDENT BAIT/STATE BAIT combination. However, for most schools, this BAIT is last added to the collection.

During this workshop, teachers will explore:

the personal and political lives of our presidents.
major events that have affected the lives of Americans.
comparisons of modern times and different times in American history.
expanding general knowledge about our fifty states, from easy concepts such as the number of syllables in each state to more complicated concepts such as time zones of the states.
an introduction to the general 10-minute "Bait routine".
plans for implementing President Bait and State Bait in the classroom.
the need for organizing data collection through the creation of a data base on paper or on the computer.
pattering and algebraic thinking.
extension and assessment suggestions.
alignment with your local, state and/or national math and social studies standards.