One of the most important foundational skills for young learners is number sense; the ability to understand and work with numbers flexibly. Developing strong number sense allows children to think critically about math, make connections ... Read More
Math Mad Libs: A Fun Twist on Problem-Solving in Elementary Math
If you’re like most elementary teachers, you’re always on the lookout for new and creative ways to keep your students engaged with word problems. Sometimes, the biggest challenge is getting them to attend the text. Enter Math Mad Libs: ... Read More
3 Tips for Building a Strong Math Class Community
Teacher tip 101: Building a strong class community is key. That’s one of the first things you learn in education classes and therefore, early in the school year, teachers are thinking about how to make their classrooms places where ... Read More
FREE Number Talks
First grade teachers, access 20 FREE Number Talk Prompts to enhance your place value unit and get your students engaged in conversation.
Math Word Problems: Why Kids Should Write Their Own
Today we're back with another look at math word problems. If you've been here a while you might have noticed that math word problems keep popping up on here on the blog. We’ve talked about them a few times because, truth talk incoming, ... Read More
How to Teach 3D Shapes with Hands-On Activities
3D shapes, quite literally, make up the world around us. From ice cream cones to cans of beans to dressers in our bedrooms, 3D shapes are everywhere. Today, we're going to talk about how to introduce, teach, and emphasize the ... Read More
Ways to Make Ten – Why Kids NEED to be Fluent with Making 10
When I say “ways to make ten,” I mean that young mathematicians need to be able to fluently recall addends that equal ten. Not just any two addends either, they need to be able to name all of them! When we think about working with ... Read More
