Posts about Mathematics

Do you have the tools to help your students build their comfort and flexibility with different computational strategies? Number Talks are one excellent way to help students see more efficient paths to solving problems and support their development in all facets of procedural fluency. 

At the end of a singularly challenging school year, our curriculum directors turn their attention to the coming year and share our top priorities for the structures, preparation, and resources that will best support teachers and students.

We are very excited to share the newest additions to our collection of Fishtank resources for 3rd–5th Grade Math: a library of elementary Fluency Activities and a Daily Word Problem provided in each lesson.

While flawed problems have unique weaknesses, we have some theories on four unifying characteristics of good math problems: clarity, diagnosticity, tractability, and joy.

Take a deep dive into these facets with before and after examples of each essential attribute.

Math teachers know that not all problems are great problems. The not-so-great problems might lack clarity, fail to engage the skills they're meant to target, or demonstrate cultural tone-deafness. Take a look at how 5 problems went from “so-so” to “spot-on”.