In this article the authors explain that when engaging in a problem-solving conversation with a child, their goal goes beyond helping the child reach a correct answer. They want to learn about the child's mathematical thinking, support that thinking, and extend it as far as possible. This exploration of children's thinking is central to…

"Help! I'm stuck!" How many times have you heard a student make a similar plea? What do you consider when deciding how to respond? What reasoning is most productive? As part of a large research project, the authors explored these questions with 131 prospective and practicing teachers and found patterns in their reasoning. They began their project…

To better understand how teachers can capitalize on the power of story problems, Jacobs and Ambrose analyzed teacher-student conversations in problem-solving interviews. They identified eight categories of teacher moves that, when timed properly, were productive in advancing mathematical conversations. (Contains 2 tables.)

This article describes the results of a year-long exploration of first graders' tool use. It also showcases instructional activities designed to link tool use with quantitative understanding. (Contains 3 figures.)

Teacher educators can use student-work examples to ground conversations to gain an insight into children's thinking. This system gives the prospective and practicing teachers develop deeper understanding about mathematics, teaching and learning.

Introduces a resource for identifying and obtaining high-quality children's literature printed in Spanish and published worldwide. Presents some guidelines for selecting literature to teach mathematics. Provides specific examples of Spanish language books that are high-quality and have strong potential for furthering students' mathematical…