In math, there’s so much that’s abstract. Games also foster a home-school connection when they’re sent home for extra practice. Games are an excellent way to make the learning more fun while simultaneously promoting strategic mathematical thinking, computational fluency, and understanding of operations. Student engagement and participation can be a challenge, especially if you’re relying heavily on worksheets. “True learning happens a lot around talking and doing math-not just drilling,” she says. Instead of seeking a specific answer, Andrews wants to have deeper discussions to figure out what a student knows and understands. “My goal is to get information about what students are thinking and use that to guide my instruction, as opposed to just telling them information and asking them to parrot things back,” says Delise Andrews, who taught math (K–8) and is now a 3–5 grade math coordinator in the Lincoln Public Schools in Lincoln, Nebraska. Engage students during conversations and have them describe why they solved a problem in a certain way. Encourage math talkĬommunicating about math helps students process new learning and build on their thinking. As students show what they’ve learned, teachers can track understanding, figure out where students need additional scaffolding or other assistance, and tailor lessons accordingly. Give students a variety of options, such as timed exercises, projects, or different materials, to show that they’ve mastered foundational skills. It gives them the chance to understand how they learn best, provides agency over their own learning, and allows for the space to practice different approaches to solving math problems. When students are given the opportunity to choose how they learn and demonstrate their understanding of a concept, their buy-in and motivation increase. These conversations will help reinforce how mathematical thinking can help kids in all subject areas. Talk about the ways math integrates with visual arts and music. The more we show students how math is connected to the world around us, the more invested they become. In response, make decisions to go faster or slower or put students in groups.
Talk with students individually and include “hinge questions” in your lesson plans to gauge understanding before continuing, suggests Fennell. Walk through your classroom as students work on problems and observe the dynamics. However, we should keep our pacing flexible, or kids can fall behind. Sometimes we get stuck in a mindset of “a lesson a day” in order to get through the content. A capable digital resource, designed to monitor your students in real-time, can also be an invaluable tool, providing actionable data to inform your instruction along the way. Instead of a quick exit question or card, give a five-minute quiz to confirm students have mastered the math skill covered in the day’s lesson. It should be integrated into your planning. Testing is not something separate from your instruction. What you learn can guide your instruction and determine the next steps, says Fennell. Use formative assessments to ensure that students understand the concepts.
You may not even see the results of standardized tests until next school year, but you have to teach to it now. Know the specific standards and back-map your teaching from the fall so students are ready.
“You don’t want to be caught off guard come March thinking that students need to know X for the tests the next month,” says Skip Fennell, project director of Elementary Mathematics Specialists and Teacher Leaders Project and professor emeritus at McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland. Think about foundational skills they will need for future learning. Look ahead to the specific concepts students need to master for annual end-of-year tests and pace instruction accordingly. (Psst… you can snag our growth mindset posters for your math classroom here. “Practice and persistence make you good at math.” Build math equity and tell students about the power and importance of math with enthusiasm and high expectations. “It’s about helping kids have a growth mindset,” says Bax. Rather than being born with or without math talent, kids need to hear from teachers that anyone who works hard can succeed.