A well-designed instructional routine in math opens up math dialogue and deep thinking about mathematics that might not happen without these structures in place. (McCallum & Nowak, 2018). Daily math warm-ups are a great way to accomplish this! Routines are an essential part of effective mathematics classrooms because they give structure to time and interactions. Students crave structure, ... Read the Post
Fraction Unit Update
It's getting to be "fraction season" for many of us, and having quality fraction lessons and activities is SO important as we try to teach this challenging topic! Teaching fractions is a passion of mine and led me to create an entire fraction unit that I've shared on my blog over the years. Over time, people were SO excited to try the lessons and wanted more and more detail about how to teach ... Read the Post
Daily Math Warm-Ups: Tips to Keep Them Fresh!
One question I get often is “How do you organize your math block?” It’s a tricky question because I am a person who likes to shake things up and do things differently all the time. If you come to my class on Tuesday, it will definitely look very different than it did on Monday. I love that--and my students do too. They never know what to expect in terms of how lessons will be delivered--and ... Read the Post
Place Value: Everything You Need to Know!
It's a round-up of place value blog posts to get you excited about teaching this essential concept! Many teachers start the year working on place value concepts, but it's truly a topic that we cycle through all year long in increasing sophistication! Remember, place value is a complex topic that develops as a progression from the very first days in school (or earlier!) to much more advanced ... Read the Post
Mind Boggling Math: Infusing the Standards for Mathematical Practice
Where did Mind Boggling Math Come From? Back five or six years ago, I was searching for an activity that I could have available in my classroom for students to do at a variety of times: If they finished work early. Or if I needed a math station. If I wanted students to work on a challenge so I could pull small groups The problem I ran into was that my students just weren't ... Read the Post
Solving Word Problems…a Gradual Release Model
For many students, word problems and problem-solving strategies are the most difficult part of math instruction. They can learn algorithms and procedures but struggle to independently make sense of problems and work through them. So what can we, as teachers, do to help? Let me walk you my thinking and see if there is anything that resonates with you! Gradual Release of Responsibility Model ... Read the Post
Rigorous Math Problem Solving? Consider this!
We have all heard the word "rigorous" with regards to math instruction and math tasks. What exactly IS math rigor and how can we encourage it? What does NCTM say? The National Council for the Teachers of Mathematics gives a few hints about this. See what you think. Math tasks should require effort. Consider exactly what that "just right" effort is--enough to challenge students with ... Read the Post
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