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The task of counting may seem simple, but as Ann Carlyle and Brenda Mercado point out in Teaching Preschool and Kindergarten Math, (Math Solutions, 2012), there is an important distinction between the rote or automatic counting that young children start with, and the eventual formulation of a deeper cognitive connection to the meaning of the…

Educators know what a good mathematics classroom looks like (see the Math Solutions Instructional Practices Inventory) and we want to provide this type of learning environment for every one of our students. Unfortunately, implementation of research-based instructional practices across all mathematics classrooms has proven challenging. This is due, in part, to a phenomenon known as…

How much is 12.6 × 10? This is a question from the Math Reasoning Inventory (MRI) decimal assessment. What do you think were the most common incorrect answers given by the more than 7,800 students who figured out the answer in their heads? And what about the boy who answered, “One hundred twenty and thirty-fifths?”

In her book Faster Isn’t Smarter: Messages about Math, Teaching, and Learning in the 21st Century, Cathy Seeley talks about the importance of providing students with opportunities for constructive struggle through problem-solving experiences that are both engaging and challenging. As students engage in constructive struggle, they construct deep personal understanding of the mathematical ideas that…

Recently, I was in a school bathroom and saw a beautiful painting hanging on the wall of an African woman dressed in African garb. I was immediately filled with awe and joy because the painting radiated beauty and was a positive image in a surprising place. I am often one of few African American women…

During our special live Twitter® #InspireMathCulture chat with Learning Forward co-led by Mary Mitchell, Senior Instructional Designer, and Sue Chapman, Professional Learning Consultant, we explored how we support teachers’ mathematical identities and open doors to equity for learners. Catch up on the discussion below and take some great strategies back to your classroom as you inspire a culture…

Do you want to inspire a culture of mathematics in your classroom and school? Join @Math_Solutions for a special  #InspireMathCulture Twitter chat co-hosted with Learning Forward on Wednesday, November 7th at 8pm ET/ 5pm PT. Mary Mitchell, Senior Instructional Designer, and Sue Chapman, Professional Learning Consultant, will co-lead a discussion on how we support teachers’ mathematical identities…

In my early years teaching mathematics, I taught students to compare fractions the way I had learned as an elementary student—convert the fractions so they all have common denominators. However, in my more recent teaching of fractions, I do not teach one method. Instead, I prod students to think, reason, and make sense of comparing…

Kindergarten is an important beginning. It can be the positive start of a child’s lifelong exploration of mathematical ideas or it can lay the first stones in what can become an impenetrable wall between “real math” and “school math.” In Growing Mathematical Ideas in Kindergarten, Linda and Rebeka present their vision of a kindergarten classroom…

It is election season, and social studies teachers all across the country are taking advantage of current events to engage their students and generate greater enthusiasm in their subject. In the presentations I have made over the last couple of months, I have pointed out that mathematics teachers are the “new” social studies teachers. What do I…