You've Got to PROVE IT! {a FUN song to show understanding!}

Hi my name is Becca Foxwell and I like to sing. It's true. And as a result my kids sing. Everyday. We are constantly incorporating music into our learning! My love of music is not the only reason I utilize it in the classroom. There are so many benefits to integrating music into your classroom--but more on that to come in future posts. :) Today's song is all about FUN and is also all about ASSESSING your students thinking and understanding.

We move and grove all day in first grade and this song comes out at least once a day in just math alone, but it is often sung out at other times. My students even sing it to each other. WHY? Because it's FUN and I have trained them to prove their answers, to explain their thinking, and to be able to show evidence for their reasonings. My first graders expect not only me to ask them to prove their thinking, but also expect their peers to ask them too.

Especially when it comes to math we don't want our students to be little formula robots. We want them thinking, applying skills, and problem solving. We want them to not only know HOW to do something but WHY!

It was out of the desire to move my students from the HOW to the WHY that I adapted the "I like to move it, move it!" song to the "You've got to prove it, prove it!" song!

When my students sang this song in the video it was during our math calendar time. I use Reagan Tunstall's Rise and Shine math binder (It is 10 kinds of fabulous! Don't even get me started on how awesome it is!) and the students were having to "prove" why the number of the day, 105, was odd. To prove it my students need to know that you have to look at the number in the ones place. They also need to know that 5 is in the ones place. Then they need to know that even means that all numbers can evenly be paired up, while odd means that one will be left over or remain. See how much goes into understanding-even to a simple question like is it even or odd? Understanding is so important!

This song also works great to have students prove their answers by showing support from the texts they are reading! Close reading skills and citing evidence in texts are so important and this song makes it so FUN to have your students prove it!

This song is not only FUN, but it's so easy peasy to use. Like you can start using it tomorrow! All you need to do is:

1. Teach it to your students--even show them this video!

2. Use it when you want your students to show their understanding

3. Repeat as often as necessary throughout the day

Oh, one more tip. When a friend "proves" it to us and shares their thinking, then we all put our hands out and point both fingers at the person and say: "You proved it!" The kids love it and I love that I am able to assess their thinking and understanding in such a fun way!

How do you get your students to show their understanding? I'd love to hear your ideas!