Teachers who participated in a recent summer institute focused on implementing the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM). Throughout the summer institute, teachers had many in-depth discussions about the meanings they attributed to the Standards for Mathematical Practice (SMPs). In this article, the authors share some of the…

Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM) is different from the objectives that many teachers have previously experienced in their state frameworks. Although the mathematical topics of the two may be the same, the mathematical expectations within the Standards require a deeper understanding by teachers and students. In this article, the…

With the introduction of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), teachers must now teach math with an eye on simultaneously meeting the Standards for Mathematical Practice (CCSSI 2010). These Standards "describe varieties of expertise that math educators at all levels should seek to develop in their students" (p. 6). The first Standard, that…

As elementary school students attempt to understand mathematical concepts, engaging in the processes of reasoning and sense making is important. To do so, students should be expected to listen to and challenge their classmates' ideas. Disagreements provide students with the impetus to think deeply about mathematics in an effort to make sense of a…

"The World Is Flat" (Friedman 2005) describes the globalization that advances in technology have imposed on the world economy in recent decades. For the U.S. to maintain its stature in the world, future citizens must be prepared to problem solve and apply their skills to new situations. These future citizens are sitting in elementary school…

Mathematics educators promote student engagement in the Process Standards and create problem-solving tasks and facilitate discussions to help their students develop strengths in explaining their methods, using and interpreting multiple representations, and making connections between topics. They are excited and encouraged when they see students…

When the word problems of forty-five sixth-grade students were examined, multiple levels of understanding and misunderstanding multiplication were exposed. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate the potential of problem writing as a technique for assessing the depths of students' mathematical understandings. Discussions include sample…

This article describes a task that engages students in the process of creating word problems. Difficulties in having students write problems are described, along with strategies for overcoming these difficulties. Student work and teacher reactions are included.