The idea of elementary school students working together on mathematical tasks is not new, but recent attention to creating purposeful discourse in mathematics classrooms prompts teachers to revisit discourse-promoting strategies for mathematics lessons. The Common Core's Standards for Mathematical Practice (CCSSI 2010) encourage teachers to…

Geometry is the branch of mathematics that addresses spatial sense and geometric reasoning. Students begin to understand geometry through direct interaction with their physical world. Because it is the study of the physical attributes of the environment, geometry has relevance for every student; the world becomes a big classroom. As students see,…

Engaging students in studies about conservation and sustainability can support their understanding of making environmental conscious decisions to conserve Earth. This article aims to contribute these efforts and direct students' attention to how they can use mathematics to make environmental decisions. Contributors to iSTEM: Integrating…

The study of functions has traditionally received the most attention at the secondary level, both in curricula and in standards documents--for example, the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSI 2010) and "Principles and Standards for School Mathematics" (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics [NCTM] 2000). However, the…

Thoughtful implementation of the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM) (CCSSI 2010) presents an opportunity for increased emphasis on the development of mathematical understanding among students. Granted, ascertaining the mathematical understanding of an individual student is highly complex work and often exceedingly difficult.…

In this article, the authors illustrates techniques for integrating diverse learners in shared mathematical contexts while providing differentiated support or challenge, as necessary. The techniques described were developed for a curriculum project entitled Learning Mathematics through Representations (LMR). A premise of LMR is that students'…

The improvement of mathematics teaching and learning is a complicated undertaking. It relies on teacher understanding of math curriculum in addition to awareness of how children acquire mathematics concepts. It also depends on teachers' abilities to translate these understandings into learning tasks and instructional routines, as well as the…

Technology permeates every aspect of daily life, from the sensors that control the traffic signals to the cameras that allow real-time video chats with family around the world. At times, technology may make life easier, faster, and more productive. However, does technology do the same in schools and classrooms? Will the benefits of technology…

In this article Penny Cataldo, a veteran early childhood mathematics teacher, describes her experience as a first time early childhood math coach. In contrast to her role as a teacher, as a math coach she was expected to lend her "expertise" to her fellow early childhood colleagues and help them develop their math practice. After…

The Leading for Mathematical Proficiency (LMP) Framework (Bay-Williams et al.) has three components: (1) The Standards for Mathematical Practice; (2) Shifts in classroom practice; and (3) Teaching skills. This article briefly describes each component of the LMP framework and then focuses more in depth on the second component, the shifts in…

Teachers and researchers have known for decades that the use of storybooks can have a positive impact on students' experiences with mathematics. This article describes how first graders in an urban public school actively engage with mathematics by using the story "Bean Thirteen" as a context for developing number sense. This…

The purpose of this article is to provide strategies for recognizing meaningful mathematics in common play contexts in early childhood classrooms and to offer suggestions for how teachers might intervene in these moments to help children attend to the mathematical ideas embedded in their play. In particular, the author's focus on the concepts…

In this article, the authors describe activities that can keep math and science skills sharp over summer breaks. A fourth-grade class was encouraged to talk about their coming summer break. The class brainstormed about what one might see on the road--"Observing landscapes, vehicles, and highway signage were quick replies." The children…

Elementary school mathematics leaders often come to the realization that their position, however titled and determined, although dedicated to addressing needs in math teaching and learning, also entails and directly involves leadership. Elementary school math specialists/instructional leaders (referenced here as elementary mathematics leaders, or…

The authors elucidate what they saw as three important challenges to overcome along the path to becoming elementary school mathematics teacher leaders: marginal interest in math, low self-confidence, and teaching in isolation. To illustrate how these challenges were mitigated, they focus on the stories of two elementary school teachers--Laura and…