Each grade’s framework builds from memory science → CPA progression → working memory scaffolding → intrinsic motivation. The plans are spiraled so concepts recur across weeks and years.
Universal Weekly Routines (Grades 1–6)
✅ Memory Anchors (5–7 min daily)
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Brain Dump Monday: After weekend, quick recall of last week’s concept.
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Flashback Friday: Students solve 2–3 review problems from prior units/years.
✅ Concrete → Pictorial → Abstract Cycle
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Monday: Hands-on manipulatives/game (concrete).
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Tuesday: Drawing, number bonds, bar models (pictorial).
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Wednesday: Symbolic/abstract practice with mini-whiteboards.
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Thursday: Real-world application task or cooperative challenge.
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Friday: Reflection, peer-teaching, and spaced-retrieval quiz.
✅ Game & Intrinsic Motivation Structures
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Math fact “bead gammon” races, number story building, estimation jars, fraction/decimal money exchanges.
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Students keep Math Journals where they connect concepts to real life (“I saw division when we split pizza last night”).
Grade-Level Easel-Ready Weekly Frameworks
Grade 1: Building Number Sense and Place Value
Focus: Subitizing, composing/decomposing numbers, addition/subtraction within 20.
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Monday (Concrete): Use counters or Montessori bead bars to show ways to make 10. Game: “Ten Train” (students link beads/cards that add to 10).
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Tuesday (Pictorial): Students draw number bonds (e.g., 7 = 4 + 3). “Brain Dump”: all the ways to make 8.
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Wednesday (Abstract): Solve quick addition/subtraction problems, no manipulatives.
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Thursday (Application): Story problems using classmates’ names or classroom items.
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Friday (Retrieval): Flashback to numbers within 10; students create their own number story.
Grade 2: Place Value & Foundations of Multiplication
Focus: Place value up to 1,000, repeated addition, intro to multiplication.
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Monday: Use base-10 blocks/Montessori stamp game to build numbers.
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Tuesday: Draw place value charts; represent 345 as hundreds/tens/ones.
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Wednesday: Quick-fire addition/subtraction within 100.
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Thursday: Skip-counting games → “Array Building” with counters.
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Friday: Mixed retrieval—place value + addition + skip counting.
Game: “Array Bingo” → students roll dice, build matching arrays, then write equations.
Grade 3: Multiplication, Division, and Fractions
Focus: Mastery of multiplication/division facts; intro to unit fractions.
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Monday: Hands-on arrays with counters/tiles.
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Tuesday: Draw bar models for word problems (e.g., “3 bags of 5 apples”).
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Wednesday: Multiplication fact race (partner quiz, self-check).
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Thursday: Fraction strips for halves/thirds/fourths.
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Friday: Retrieval quiz: mixed multiplication + place value + fractions.
Game: “Factor Detective” → teacher gives a product, students race to find factor pairs.
Grade 4: Multi-Digit Operations & Fractions
Focus: Multi-digit multiplication, division, equivalent fractions.
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Monday: Montessori Large Bead Frame or area model for multiplication.
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Tuesday: Draw bar models for fraction problems (⅔ of 18).
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Wednesday: Abstract long multiplication/division on whiteboards.
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Thursday: Real-world challenge (e.g., dividing class supplies).
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Friday: Spiral retrieval: mix of multiplication, division, fractions.
Game: “Fraction War” with cards—largest fraction wins, students explain reasoning.
Grade 5: Decimals, Fractions, and Volume
Focus: Add/subtract/multiply fractions & decimals, unit conversions.
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Monday: Use base-10 blocks or decimal grids for tenths/hundredths.
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Tuesday: Bar model practice with fraction word problems.
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Wednesday: Abstract: add fractions with unlike denominators.
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Thursday: Application: cooking recipe task with scaled fractions/decimals.
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Friday: Retrieval spiral → fractions, decimals, volume word problems.
Game: “Decimal Payday” → students buy/sell items using play money with decimals.
Grade 6: Ratios, Expressions, and Rational Numbers
Focus: Ratios/proportions, negative numbers, early algebra.
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Monday: Ratio tables with colored counters.
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Tuesday: Draw double number lines for ratios/proportions.
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Wednesday: Abstract algebra puzzles (2x + 5 = 15).
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Thursday: Real-world problem (scale drawing or recipe doubling).
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Friday: Spiral retrieval → ratios, fractions, integer operations.
Game: “Integer Battle” → cards with positives/negatives; students add/subtract them.
Long-Term Spiral & Interleaving Plan
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Every week: Blend current grade-level focus + retrieval from prior grades.
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Every unit: Move from concrete → pictorial → abstract.
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Every year: Revisit operations, fractions, place value, and problem solving in progressively complex contexts.
Closing Thought
If schools adopt these memory-smart, CPA-grounded, intrinsically motivating frameworks, students will not just “cover” standards—they will own them. Over two years of spiraled, interleaved practice, even struggling learners will retain, retrieve, and flexibly apply mathematics with confidence.
Would you like me to expand this into a printable “Weekly Lesson Plan Template Pack” (with easel-ready slides + teacher notes for each grade), or keep it as a long-form professional development article?
Memory-Smart Math Curriculum: From Research to Practice
A Comprehensive K-6 Implementation Guide
Understanding the Research Foundation
The document you've shared synthesizes three critical research streams that revolutionize how we should teach mathematics:
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Memory Science (Brain Rules): The forgetting curve shows we lose 50% of new learning within an hour, 75% by day two, and 90% within a week without intentional retrieval practice.
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University of Chicago Working Memory Research: Mathematical achievement is directly tied to working memory capacity and executive function - not just content delivery.
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Montessori/CPA Methodology: True number sense develops through Concrete → Pictorial → Abstract progression, building deep understanding before symbolic manipulation.
The Four Pillars of Memory-Smart Math Instruction
Pillar 1: Spaced Retrieval Practice
- Brain Dumps: Students close materials and write everything they remember
- Connection Webs: Link new concepts to prior knowledge
- Immediate Application: Use new learning in authentic contexts within the same lesson
Pillar 2: Working Memory Support
- Cognitive Load Management: Break complex problems into manageable chunks
- Executive Function Training: Digit span exercises, pattern recognition, strategic thinking
- Multi-step Problem Scaffolding: Visual organizers and systematic approaches
Pillar 3: CPA Progression
- Concrete: Physical manipulatives, real objects, hands-on exploration
- Pictorial: Visual representations, drawings, diagrams, number lines
- Abstract: Numbers, symbols, equations, formal algorithms
Pillar 4: Intrinsic Motivation
- Autonomy: Student choice in problem-solving approaches
- Social Connection: Collaborative learning and peer teaching
- Authentic Challenge: Real-world problems that spark curiosity
Grade-by-Grade Implementation Plans
KINDERGARTEN & 1ST GRADE: Building Number Foundations
Weekly Lesson Structure (30 minutes daily)
- Opening Circle (5 min): Number recognition, counting songs, pattern warm-ups
- Concrete Exploration (15 min): Manipulative-based investigation
- Brain Dump & Share (5 min): "Tell your partner what we discovered"
- Connection Web (5 min): "How does this connect to what we know?"
Sample Week 1: Number Recognition & One-to-One Correspondence
Monday: Treasure Hunt Numbers
- Concrete: Hide numbered objects (1-5) around room, students find and match to number cards
- Brain Dump: "Draw what you found and tell the number story"
- Connection Web: "Where do you see these numbers at home?"
- Memory Anchor: Create personal number book with photos/drawings
Tuesday: Building Number Towers
- Concrete: Use blocks to build towers matching number cards (1-5)
- Pictorial: Draw the towers in math journals
- Brain Dump: "Show me 3 without looking at anything"
- Game: "Tower Memory" - build, cover, recreate from memory
Wednesday: Number Story Theatre
- Concrete: Act out number stories with props (3 bears, 2 goldfish, etc.)
- Pictorial: Simple story illustrations showing quantities
- Brain Dump: "Tell a new number story to your partner"
- Connection Web: "What stories do you know with numbers?"
Thursday: Quantity Matching Games
- Concrete: Match dot cards to numeral cards using manipulatives to verify
- Pictorial: Create quantity drawings for each numeral
- Brain Dump: Memory game with number-quantity pairs
- Working Memory Training: "Remember my pattern" (clap sequences matching numbers)
Friday: Number Celebration & Assessment
- Review Carousel: Stations with all week's activities
- Brain Dump Assessment: "Show me any number you want and tell me about it"
- Connection Web: Create class "Number Museum" with all discoveries
- Planning: Students vote on next week's number range
Key Manipulatives & Materials:
- Ten frames and counters
- Number lines (floor-sized and personal)
- Counting bears, blocks, buttons
- Number cards and dot cards
- Math journals with blank/dotted pages
2ND & 3RD GRADE: Operations & Place Value
Weekly Lesson Structure (45 minutes daily)
- Memory Warm-up (8 min): Previous day's brain dump, fact fluency games
- Concrete Investigation (20 min): Problem-solving with manipulatives
- Pictorial Bridge (10 min): Represent concrete work visually
- Abstract Connection (5 min): Link to numbers and symbols
- Brain Dump & Reflection (2 min): Record and connect
Sample Week: Two-Digit Addition with Regrouping
Monday: The Trading Post
- Concrete: Base-10 blocks trading game (27 + 35 using actual trading)
- Working Memory: "Remember the trades" - cover blocks, students recreate trades mentally
- Pictorial: Draw the trading process step-by-step
- Brain Dump: "Explain regrouping to someone who's never seen it"
- Connection Web: "When do people trade things in real life?"
Tuesday: Story Problem Detectives
- Concrete: Act out word problems with props (27 red balloons, 35 blue balloons for party)
- Pictorial: Create visual story maps showing the problem
- Abstract: Write number sentences to match stories
- Brain Dump: "Create your own balloon story with different numbers"
- Memory Anchor: Class story problem collection
Wednesday: Algorithm Discovery
- Concrete: Compare different trading methods with base-10 blocks
- Pictorial: Draw various solution strategies
- Abstract: Develop personal algorithm through guided discovery
- Brain Dump: "Teach your method to a partner using only words"
- Working Memory: Multi-step mental math (19 + 26, visualizing trades)
Thursday: Error Analysis & Debugging
- Concrete: Use blocks to check "broken" problems (intentional errors)
- Pictorial: Draw what went wrong and the fix
- Abstract: Correct written algorithms
- Brain Dump: "What are the most common mistakes and how do we avoid them?"
- Connection Web: "How is fixing math like fixing other things?"
Friday: Application & Assessment
- Real-World Problem: Plan a class party with budget constraints
- Concrete: Use play money and price lists
- Pictorial: Create shopping lists with calculations
- Abstract: Final calculations and proofs
- Brain Dump Assessment: "Solve any addition problem your way and explain your thinking"
Memory-Building Games:
- Number Talk Routine: Daily 5-minute mental math discussions
- Strategy Museums: Student-created displays of problem-solving methods
- Math Journals: Weekly reflections and connection webs
- Partner Teaching: Students explain concepts to younger students
4TH, 5TH & 6TH GRADE: Advanced Operations & Algebraic Thinking
Weekly Lesson Structure (60 minutes daily)
- Spaced Retrieval (10 min): Mixed review using brain dumps and quick games
- Problem Investigation (25 min): Multi-step, real-world problem solving
- Strategy Comparison (15 min): Analyze multiple approaches, build understanding
- Abstract Formalization (8 min): Connect to standard algorithms and notation
- Reflection & Connection (2 min): Link to prior learning and future applications
Sample Week: Fraction Operations (5th Grade)
Monday: Pizza Party Fractions
- Concrete: Physical fraction circles, pizza models (3/4 + 1/8 of actual pizza)
- Problem Context: "Our class party needs enough pizza for everyone"
- Working Memory Challenge: Remember multiple fraction combinations mentally
- Pictorial: Create visual fraction stories
- Brain Dump: "Explain why we need common denominators"
- Connection Web: "Where else do we combine parts of wholes?"
Tuesday: Fraction Timeline
- Concrete: Create timeline using fraction rulers (measuring actual classroom objects)
- Real Application: "How long will our science experiment take?" (1 1/4 hours + 3/4 hours)
- Pictorial: Draw timeline representations
- Abstract: Write addition equations
- Brain Dump: "Solve 2/3 + 1/4 three different ways"
- Memory Anchor: Personal fraction reference book
Wednesday: Recipe Investigations
- Concrete: Double and halve actual recipes using measuring tools
- Problem Context: Scaling recipes for different group sizes
- Pictorial: Visual recipe conversion charts
- Abstract: Fraction multiplication algorithms
- Brain Dump: "When you multiply fractions, why do they get smaller?"
- Working Memory: Remember multi-step recipe conversions
Thursday: Fraction Debugging Lab
- Concrete: Use models to check common fraction mistakes
- Pictorial: Create "mistake museum" with visual corrections
- Abstract: Analyze algorithm errors
- Brain Dump: "What are the top 3 fraction mistakes and how do we prevent them?"
- Connection Web: "How is fraction precision important in careers?"
Friday: Fraction Engineering Challenge
- Real-World Application: Design a garden plot with specific fractional dimensions
- Concrete: Use actual measuring tools and scaled materials
- Pictorial: Create scale drawings with fraction labels
- Abstract: Calculate areas and perimeters
- Brain Dump Assessment: "Design your own fraction challenge and solve it"
- Peer Teaching: Students explain solutions to other groups
Advanced Memory Strategies:
- Interleaved Practice: Mix current topics with previously learned concepts daily
- Elaborative Interrogation: "Why does this work?" and "What if we changed...?"
- Distributed Practice: Spiral review built into every lesson
- Generation Effect: Students create their own problems and solutions
Universal Classroom Strategies
Daily Memory Anchors
- Opening Brain Dump (3 min): Write everything you remember from yesterday
- Connection Moment (2 min): Link new learning to something personal
- Teaching Moment (5 min): Explain concept to a partner
- Closing Reflection (3 min): What will you remember tomorrow?
Weekly Rhythms
- Monday: Introduce concrete exploration
- Tuesday: Deepen with real-world connections
- Wednesday: Bridge to pictorial representations
- Thursday: Connect to abstract symbols
- Friday: Apply, assess, and celebrate
Assessment Through Memory
- Exit Tickets: Brain dumps instead of multiple choice
- Portfolio Reflections: Monthly connection webs showing learning growth
- Peer Teaching Assessments: Students demonstrate understanding by teaching others
- Problem Creation: Students generate and solve their own problems
Differentiation Strategies
- Concrete Extended: Some students need longer at manipulative stage
- Pictorial Support: Visual learners may need more drawing/diagramming time
- Abstract Acceleration: Ready students can explore formal notation sooner
- Memory Accommodations: Graphic organizers, reference sheets, partner support
Technology Integration (Sparingly)
- Digital Manipulatives: Only when physical ones aren't available
- Documentation Tools: Photos of concrete work to review later
- Connection Sharing: Class blogs or presentations of mathematical discoveries
- Spaced Review Apps: Supplement, never replace, hands-on learning
Implementation Timeline
Month 1: Foundation Building
- Establish brain dump routines
- Introduce basic manipulatives
- Create math journal systems
- Build classroom math community
Month 2: Memory System Development
- Add connection web practices
- Implement peer teaching moments
- Develop working memory games
- Establish assessment through explanation
Month 3: CPA Integration
- Ensure concrete-first instruction
- Bridge concrete to pictorial systematically
- Delay abstract until understanding is solid
- Create student-generated visual references
Months 4-10: Full Implementation
- All lessons follow CPA progression
- Daily spaced retrieval practice
- Weekly brain dump assessments
- Monthly connection web celebrations
- Quarterly peer teaching showcases
Expected Outcomes
Student Behaviors You'll Observe:
- Students naturally reach for manipulatives to solve problems
- Increased retention of mathematical concepts across units
- Students explain their thinking without prompting
- Decreased math anxiety and increased engagement
- Students create connections between mathematical concepts
- Improved performance on both procedural and conceptual assessments
Teacher Shifts:
- From content delivery to learning facilitation
- From worksheet correction to thinking analysis
- From individual work to collaborative discovery
- From algorithm teaching to understanding development
- From test preparation to genuine mathematical exploration
This memory-smart approach transforms mathematics from a subject students endure to one they own, understand, and remember - creating the mathematical thinkers our world desperately needs.
Perfect — let’s turn this into a printable weekly lesson plan pack that’s truly easel-ready and teacher-friendly.
I’ll give you:
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A universal template (usable across grades 1–6).
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Fully expanded sample week per grade (1st–6th).
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Printable format (clear headings, tables, and activities that can go straight on a lesson plan easel or binder).
π Weekly Math Lesson Plan Pack (Grades 1–6)
Universal Template (All Grades)
Name: ____________ Week of: ____________ Grade: ____
| Day | Focus (CPA Progression) | Activities & Games | Memory & Retrieval |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Concrete / Hands-on | Use manipulatives, counters, bead frames, base-10 blocks | Brain Dump: recall last week’s concept |
| Tuesday | Pictorial / Drawing | Bar models, number bonds, diagrams, journals | Quick retrieval Qs from 1–2 weeks ago |
| Wednesday | Abstract / Symbols | Whiteboard problem-solving, equations | “Flash 5” retrieval drill |
| Thursday | Application / Problem-Solving | Real-world challenge or story task | Peer explain & reflect |
| Friday | Review & Spiral Retrieval | Quiz + math game | Spiral mix of concepts from prior months |
Expanded Weekly Lesson Plans by Grade
Grade 1 – Week Plan
Focus: Addition & subtraction within 20, making 10, subitizing.
| Day | Activity | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Mon | Ten Train Game | Use counters/beads; build number pairs that make 10. Students race to complete “ten trains.” |
| Tue | Draw Number Bonds | Students draw circles to show all ways to make 7. Journal reflection: “My favorite way to make 7 is…” |
| Wed | Flash Facts Race | Teacher calls 9 + __ = 10 → students answer on whiteboards. |
| Thu | Story Problems | “If we have 12 apples and eat 4, how many are left?” Students act out with objects. |
| Fri | Spiral Review Game: Make 10 Bingo | Bingo cards filled with sums that equal 10. Retrieval quiz: 5 quick facts. |
Grade 2 – Week Plan
Focus: Place value within 1,000, repeated addition.
| Day | Activity | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Mon | Stamp Game Place Value | Build 345 → show hundreds/tens/ones. |
| Tue | Draw Place Value Chart | Students represent 456 pictorially. |
| Wed | Quick-Fire Facts | Teacher flashes numbers 300+50+4 → students write 354. |
| Thu | Array Building | Roll dice, create matching arrays, write equations (3 × 4 = 12). |
| Fri | Spiral Retrieval | Mix of place value, addition, skip counting. Game: “Array Bingo.” |
Grade 3 – Week Plan
Focus: Multiplication/division facts, unit fractions.
| Day | Activity | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Mon | Hands-On Arrays | Use tiles to build 3 × 4, write total. |
| Tue | Bar Models | Word problem: “3 bags of 5 apples.” Draw, solve. |
| Wed | Fact Race | Partner quiz on × facts (self-check with answer cards). |
| Thu | Fraction Strips | Explore halves/thirds/fourths. Compare sizes. |
| Fri | Retrieval Quiz & Game | Mix facts + place value + fractions. Game: “Factor Detective.” |
Grade 4 – Week Plan
Focus: Multi-digit multiplication, fractions.
| Day | Activity | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Mon | Large Bead Frame | Multiply 23 × 12 concretely. |
| Tue | Bar Model Fractions | Show ⅔ of 18. Solve with drawing. |
| Wed | Abstract Long Multiplication | Solve 324 × 12 on whiteboards. |
| Thu | Real-World Division | Divide 36 snacks among 6 students. |
| Fri | Spiral Retrieval | Quiz + “Fraction War” with cards. |
Grade 5 – Week Plan
Focus: Fractions, decimals, and scaling.
| Day | Activity | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Mon | Decimal Grids | Shade 0.4 + 0.25. |
| Tue | Bar Models | Solve: ⅔ of 24. |
| Wed | Abstract Practice | Add fractions with unlike denominators. |
| Thu | Cooking Challenge | Double/halve recipe with fractions & decimals. |
| Fri | Retrieval Game: Decimal Payday | Students buy/sell items with play money (decimals). |
Grade 6 – Week Plan
Focus: Ratios, integers, algebra.
| Day | Activity | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Mon | Ratio Tables | Use counters: 2 red : 3 blue. Extend table. |
| Tue | Double Number Lines | Solve 2:3 ratio problems. |
| Wed | Algebra Puzzles | Solve 2x + 5 = 15. |
| Thu | Scale Drawing Task | Double a classroom map by ratio. |
| Fri | Retrieval Game: Integer Battle | Card game with +/– integers. Quiz mixes ratios, fractions, integers. |
Spiral & Interleaving Add-On
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Every week: include at least one retrieval problem from last month’s focus.
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Every Friday: retrieval spiral from 2–3 prior units.
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Every quarter: review cycle across all major strands (place value, operations, fractions, geometry, problem-solving).
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