If you teach elementary math, then you have probably heard plenty about the concrete, representational, abstract sequence of instruction. It’s usually shortened to CRA. The idea is that concrete and representational (pictorial) experiences are required to make...
For many years, primary teachers taught fact families. If you look carefully at either the CCSSM or the Texas state standards, the TEKS, you will not see fact families mentioned at all. Why is that? This post contains affiliate links, which simply means that when you...
Math practice should be engaging for students, and what could be more engaging than connecting math to a charming children’s book? And while we want math to be engaging, let’s not forget that the goal is still to teach math skills, so it also has to be...
To truly understand place value, students need to not only identify the place, or position, a digit is sitting in (e.g., the 4 is in the tens place or there are 4 tens), but they also need to understand the value of that digit (e.g., the value of the 4 in the tens...
An open number line—one that isn’t labeled with numbers—is a great tool with many applications in the math classroom. The power of an open number line is that you write in only the numbers you need. Here you see an example of using an open number line to add....
Who doesn’t love a good puzzle? We engage students in algebraic thinking and productive struggle when we use math puzzles! Read about various types of math puzzles you can use to challenge and engage your students. Be sure to read to the end to download an...
