A thinking student is an engaged student Teachers often find it difficult to implement lessons that help students go beyond rote memorization and repetitive calculations. In fact, institutional norms and habits that permeate all classrooms can actually be enabling "non-thinking" student behavior. Sparked by observing teachers struggle to implement rich mathematics tasks to engage students in deep thinking, Peter Liljedahl has translated his 15 years of research into this practical guide on how to move toward a thinking classroom. Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics, Grades K–12 helps teachers implement 14 optimal practices for thinking that create an ideal setting for deep mathematics learning to occur. This guide Provides the what, why, and how of each practice and answers teachers’ most frequently asked questions Includes firsthand accounts of how these practices foster thinking through teacher and student interviews and student work samples Offers a plethora of macro moves, micro moves, and rich tasks to get started Organizes the 14 practices into four toolkits that can be implemented in order and built on throughout the year When combined, these unique research-based practices create the optimal conditions for learner-centered, student-owned deep mathematical thinking and learning, and have the power to transform mathematics classrooms like never before.

Practical and proven math tasks to maximize student thinking and learning Building upon the blockbuster success of Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics, Peter Liljedahl has joined forces with co-author Maegan Giroux to bring the Building Thinking Classrooms (BTC) framework to life in this new book, Mathematics Tasks for the Thinking Classroom, Grades K-5. But this book is so much more than simply a collection of good thinking tasks. It delves deeper into the implementation of the 14 practices from the BTC framework by updating the practices with the newest research, and focusing on the practice through the lens of rich math tasks that address specific mathematical learning outcomes or standards. Across the 20 non-curricular tasks and 30 curricular tasks used as models, this book: Helps you choose tasks to fit your particular math standards, goals, and the competencies you want your students to build Walks you through all the steps and scripts to launch, facilitate, and consolidate each task Shares examples of possible student solutions along with hints you might offer to help their thinking along Offers tasks for consolidation, example notes to my future forgetful self, and mild, medium, and spicy check-your-understanding questions (CYUs) for every thin sliced sequences of curricular tasks Imparts reflections from the authors on each task The book closes with specific guidance on how to find more tasks or craft your own non-curricular and curricular tasks, along with answers to educators’ frequently asked questions. It includes access to a companion website that includes downloadables and a task template for creating your own tasks. Whether you are new to BTC or a seasoned user, Mathematics Tasks for the Thinking Classroom, Grades K-5 will help teachers, coaches, and specialists transform traditional math classrooms into dynamic and thought-provoking learning spaces.

Get the Summary of Peter Liljedahl's Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics Grades K12 in 20 minutes. Please note: This is a summary & not the original book. Peter Liljedahl's "Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics Grades K12" presents a comprehensive approach to fostering critical thinking in mathematics education. The book introduces a variety of engaging tasks, such as Highly Engaging Thinking Tasks, Card Tricks, and Numeracy Tasks, which are designed to provoke thought and encourage the application of mathematical concepts. Liljedahl emphasizes the importance of transforming standard curriculum tasks into opportunities for critical thinking by introducing them before teaching the methods to solve them...

Creating mathematical community in elementary classrooms to support equitable engagement in deep mathematical content What does a mathematical community look like in an elementary classroom? How do teachers engage young mathematicians in deep and challenging mathematical content? How do we ensure that every student contributes their voice to this community? Interweaving Equitable Participation and Deep Mathematics: Building Community in the Elementary Classroom focuses on a dual commitment: to teaching deep and challenging mathematics and to equitable participation for all students in the classroom community. With practical strategies and real-life examples, Susan Jo Russell and Deborah Schifter offer a design for building community organized around four key aspects: every voice matters; collaboration supports student agency; student-created representations offer anchors, openings, and depth; and students become initiators and advocates for their own learning. Each chapter examines how teachers implement these ideas through video examples from six public elementary-school classrooms. A powerful resource for any educator interested in a mathematics education that fosters a true sense of community, this book Provides a window into a learning community of educators applying their understanding of mathematics to develop a teaching practice that fosters students’ curiosity, meaning-making, and mathematical agency Presents vivid examples of teachers and students in diverse classrooms engaged in rich mathematical tasks and deep collaborative conversations, inviting readers to reflect on their practices and students′ learning Engages readers in math investigations to help them understand student thinking, provides reflection questions about the classroom video, and offers suggestions for taking next steps in one′s own practice Includes commentaries on the videos by a group of "critical friends"—educators with deep experience in mathematics and equity—and by the teachers of the classrooms in the videos Offers free online tools for professional development and book study groups, including a Facilitator’s Guide and a Notes Organizer, and suggests resources for continued learning. This book is a must-read for anyone passionate about creating positive change in the mathematics education system and ensuring that every student has the opportunity to thrive in their mathematical journey.

Your journey to becoming a social justice mathematics educator begins here. Every journey has a beginning—a starting point—where you take a moment to set your sights on your next destination carefully. Teaching mathematics for social justice (TMSJ) means reimagining your mathematics classroom in a way that serves more children better–as a place that lifts mathematics up as a tool for students to analyze and understand the worlds around them, celebrate their unique identities and their communities, and become agents of change. For any K-12 educator who values these goals Teaching Mathematics for Social Justice, Grades: A Guide for Moving from Mindset to Action can be the start of a transformational journey. Guiding you in planning, implementing, assessing, and showcasing social justice mathematics lessons and helping children apply their learning beyond the classroom, this book: Encourages self-reflection on the "why" of your teaching and examines your own mindset about mathematics Provides a step-by-step action plan for creating equitable and socially just mathematics classrooms that focus on rich and collaborative mathematics learning Incorporates interactive reflection prompts, self-assessments, and activities throughout the journey Describes culturally responsive teaching practices to better respond to the instructional needs of the diverse individuals in your classroom Offers activities to identify what current events and social issues are important to children and their families Inspires you to remain steadfast in their journey of growth toward becoming a social justice mathematics educator Complete with sample lessons, online resources, and practical tools, this guide will empower you to better understand the children in your classroom, leverage their strengths, and make mathematics learning relevant and useful as they use mathematics to address the issues they care about. Start your journey towards becoming a social justice mathematics educator today.

Anything is possible – even building a better relationship with math! This is much more than a book about math. This is a book about hope. Imagine failing 11th grade math – twice! – and going on to be known affectionately as The Lady Gaga of Math. That is the story of author Vanessa "The Math Guru" Vakharia. Thanks to an inspiring teacher who helped Vanessa heal her own relationship with math, Vanessa was then able to see math in a way that literally changed the trajectory of her life. Most people have experienced math trauma at least once, but by early-mid elementary school, many students have gotten the message that either they are a math person or they are not. In Math TherapyTM, Vanessa shows that with the right tools and strategies, teachers can foster a culture in which every student is capable of building a better relationship with math – and with themselves. Through the five M’s of Math TherapyTM—Mythbust, Moderate, Motivate, Makeover, and Measure—teachers can help their students overcome math trauma, cultivate a positive math identity, and develop a mathematical mindset. Written in a fun and conversational style, and grounded in research on math education and neuropsychology, this book Provides practical, hands-on strategies and tools that make it easy and fun for teachers to implement each step of Math TherapyTM in their classroom Helps teachers unpack their own math history before diving in to what they can do to help their students Addresses the trauma-induced stumbling blocks that many students face when tackling mathematics Includes humorous and engaging real-life vignettes—from celebrating Pi Day by visiting a prison, to setting off a confetti cannon to celebrate a student’s milestone, to the time Vanessa′s band opened for Bon Jovi, and more! Much more than a book about helping students kick butt in math class, this book is about empowering students to develop the skills they need to live a life in which they truly believe that anything is possible, even a better relationship with math!

A yearlong learning adventure designed to help you build a vibrant math community A powerful math community is an active group of educators, students, and families, alive with positive energy, efficacy, and a passion for mathematics. Students, teachers, and leaders see themselves and each other as mathematically capable and experience mathematics as a joyful activity. Power Up Your Math Community is a hands-on, 10-month guide designed to help you and your school maximize your students’ math learning and strengthen your mathematics teaching and learning community. Each chapter offers a month’s worth of practice-based professional learning focused on a desired math habit alongside parallel math problems and learning activities for teachers to use themselves and with students. This format allows educators to work together to improve math teaching and learning across a school year, building a strong foundation for students′ mathematical proficiency, identity, and agency. The book ignites solutions and advocates for rigorous and joyful mathematics instruction for everyone—including school leaders, teachers, students, and their families. Authors Holly Burwell and Sue Chapman provide educators with a detailed roadmap for creating a positive and effective math community that supports all students′ mathematical learning by Offering guidance on building a math community with chapter vignettes and prompts such as Mathematical Me, Let’s Do Some Math, Since We Met Last, Let’s Try It, Math Talks, Manipulatives and Models Matter, Game Time, and more Emphasizing an assets-based approach to teaching math that recognizes the unique strengths and experiences of each student Providing strategies for promoting growth mindset in math and equity and inclusion in math education Focusing on both classroom-level and building-level improvement as well as offering support for teachers, instructional coaches, principals, and district leaders Power Up Your Math Community will inspire you to reimagine the way you teach math and empower you with the tools to make a lasting impact on your students′ mathematical understanding. So, get ready to power up your math community and watch as your students thrive in their mathematical journey!

Boost confidence, reduce anxiety, and spark those "aha" moments for students through effective math tutoring! Filled with research-backed guidance for tutors to ensure students develop the confidence and skills they need, The Math Tutor′s Handbook: Strategies and Tips for Success is the ultimate guide for effective math tutoring. As national data suggest that students are falling behind in mathematics performance, the role of the math tutor is more critical than ever before. The authors bring decades of wisdom and know-how to the tutoring table. Steve Leinwand—a renowned leader in math education—and Caroline Welty—a sought-after tutor who brings current insight into today’s learners—have blended their collective experience into a comprehensive handbook that offers clear guidance for effective tutoring in grades K-12 mathematics. With their conversational style, the authors provide hands-on resources to help diagnose individuals’ mathematical strengths and needs to make sure that each tutoring session carries the necessary impact.. Through a range of activities, checklists, examples, stories, and suggestions, this handbook Focuses on the importance of personalized instruction that no computer program can match Describes how to develop strong, supportive relationships between tutor and student Identifies common stumbling blocks around the big ideas in mathematics across grade levels and suggests how to overcome them Celebrates mistakes as valuable learning opportunities to foster a deeper comprehension of mathematical concepts rather than just getting the right answer Promotes skills needed for the future, such as problem-solving and critical thinking, which are beneficial not only in future math classes but also in various aspects of life and work Let The Math Tutor′s Handbook empower you to create a positive learning environment for your students and help them boost self-confidence, reduce math anxiety, and master essential skills. Whether you are a private tutor or parent, you work in a tutoring center, or you are an in-school K-12 math teacher, coach, or specialist, this is the resource you need for the math tutoring strategies and practices that are foundational to successful learning.

Because fluency practice is not a worksheet. Fluency in mathematics is more than basic facts or using algorithms. It is not about recall or speed. Real fluency is about choosing strategies that are efficient, flexible, lead to accurate solutions, and are appropriate for the given situation. Developing fluency is a matter of equity and access for all learners. The landmark book Figuring Out Fluency in Mathematics Teaching and Learning offered educators the inspiration to develop a deeper understanding of procedural fluency. It explained the seven Significant Strategies for fluency and offered a plethora of pragmatic tools for shifting classrooms toward a greater fluency approach. However, in order to become truly adept with these strategies, children must first have certain underlying foundational concepts and skills in place. Figuring Out Fluency-Ten Underlying Foundations for Reasoning Strategies with Whole Numbers explores the ideas that are essential to reasoning: Number Relationships; Subitizing and Decomposing; Distance to 10, 100, and 1,000; Counting and Skip-Counting; Properties of Addition and Its Inverse Relationship with Subtraction; Properties of Multiplication and Its Inverse Relationship with Division; Multiplying by 10s and 100s; Multiples and Factors; Doubling and Halving; and Computational Estimation. With this book, elementary teachers can Help children develop these foundational understandings, critical to reasoning and number sense. Leverage over 100 classroom-ready routines, centers, and games to develop these concepts both in first instruction, practice, and intervention. Download all of the needed support tools, game boards, and other resources from the companion website for immediate implementation Develop each and every students’ knowledge and power to become skilled and confident mathematical thinkers and doers.

Foster a love of mathematics by creating a more inclusive and empowering learning environment through asset-based teaching! An asset-based perspective on math education means starting with what students already know instead of focusing on what’s missing. This approach elevates student thinking and reasoning skills. In this way, educators acknowledge that all students bring prior experiences, strengths, talents, and resources to the learning process and can contribute meaningfully in an authentic learning environment. Transform Your Math Class Using Asset-Based Teaching for Grades 6-12 provides insight into asset-based perspectives in mathematics education to create an environment where all students feel valued and capable of being doers of mathematics. In the book, Michael Steele and Joleigh Honey highlight the importance of using language, instructional routines, and systemic structure that positively impact student engagement, their math identity, and ultimately their outcomes. Providing a wealth of knowledge and practical strategies that can be used to transform math classrooms into inclusive, supportive, and empowering learning environments, this book: Introduces an asset-based perspective that focuses on students′ strengths, assets, and potential to learn mathematics Includes a variety of frameworks and tools that teachers can use to build and grow their sense of asset-based perspectives Offers strategies for promoting a growth mindset in mathematics, encouraging productive struggle in math, and promoting equitable math instruction Supports teachers in reflecting on their decisions, self-awareness, and self-management Includes a companion online study guide to support teachers individually or as part of a professional learning community Adopting asset-based perspectives is about movement over time, not about flipping a switch. This book paves the path for an asset-based journey that ultimately helps to transform our math classrooms and advance all students’ learning and development.