"When will we use this?" This is a question teachers often hear from their students. As students grow as learners, they naturally begin to question what they are learning. The answer to the question is simple; students learn these concepts because they will use them throughout life. Literacy and math are vital and whether students realize it or not, they use these skills everyday. As Mrs. Grabarek's fifth graders came back from spring break, she challenged her students to think of all the ways they used math and literacy over break. One student said "I used both math and literacy when I was going to different stores and shopping for clothes at the mall." Another student reported, " I used literacy over break to read books at home. I also used literacy to read about the food choices on a restaurant menu." Many students reported that literacy was used to read books over break and math was used while playing games on their phones. The foundational math and literacy skills that are taught in school can be applied to daily activities and tasks and these fifth graders proved that. Mrs. Grabarek's students also proved that learning never takes a break!
