By the Illustrative Mathematics team East Hartford Public Schools didn’t start its math improvement journey by choosing a new curriculum. It started by asking a more fundamental question: What should mathematics instruction look like, and why? That distinction...
Classroom Discourse
The TK Year: Play Is Not the Opposite of Rigor
Oct 20, 2026
By Hannah Herbert, PK–6 Content Specialist Step into a transitional kindergarten (TK) classroom during student-led play, and you might see two students stacking blocks, a small group stringing beads in the makerspace, and a lively debate unfolding in the dramatic play...
A District on the Rise: How Dover School District Strengthened Coherence with IM® 6–8 Math
Oct 7, 2026
By the Illustrative Mathematics team Education Scorecard—a collaboration between Harvard University’s Center for Education Policy Research and Stanford University’s Educational Opportunity Project—recently named Dover School District in New Hampshire a District on the...
Anatomy of an IM® Math Lesson: Making Meaning in the Lesson Synthesis
Aug 18, 2026
by Sarah Caban, Director, PK–12 Learning Experiences and Timesha Brooks, Sr Specialist, PL Design Imagine you're teaching Grade 6, Unit 1, Lesson 4. Students have spent the class investigating the area of parallelograms. As you circulate during activity 3, you notice...
IM’s Back-to-School Toolkit 2026–27
Aug 11, 2026
By the Illustrative Mathematics team Every new school year brings both excitement and plenty of questions. Whether you’re teaching with IM® Math for the first time, returning after summer break, or supporting teachers as a coach, we’ve gathered some of our most...
Anatomy of an IM® Math Lesson: Why Centers Matter
Aug 3, 2026
by Lindy Olejniczak, PK–6 Content Specialist In this series of blog posts—The Anatomy of an IM® Math Lesson—we’re taking a closer look at each part of an IM® Math lesson and how it contributes to meaningful student learning. After exploring the launch and warm-up in...
10 Ways to Get Students Up and Moving in Math Class
May 26, 2026
By the Illustrative Mathematics team When we think about math class, it’s easy to picture students sitting at desks, working through problems on paper or screens. But some of the most powerful math learning happens when students are moving, talking, gesturing, and...
Unlocking the ‘Our’ in Discourse
May 28, 2025
Catherine Castillo, Sr. Implementation Specialist Brea Jimenez, Sr. Specialist, Facilitator Certification and Quality Assurance What do you notice about this NCTM framework for mathematics teaching? What do you wonder? You likely noticed that four of these teaching...
Student Voice: The Signal, Not the Noise
May 15, 2025
By Anita Crowder, PhD, Senior Director of Impact Research An ideal Illustrative Mathematics (IM) classroom is one where students’ curiosity drives learning, their feedback shapes instruction, and their identities are embedded in every mathematical task. Student voice...
From Struggle to Success: A Math Coach’s Insights on IM® Math
Apr 17, 2025
Jennifer Cullen, Math Instructional Coach/Interventionist, Hortonville Area School District How do you transform math instruction to reach every student—from those who struggle to those who soar? We recently sat down with Jennifer Cullen, an experienced instructional...
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RECENT POSTS
- Vision First: How East Hartford Public Schools Set the Stage for IM® Math Oct 28, 2026
- The TK Year: Play Is Not the Opposite of Rigor Oct 20, 2026
- A District on the Rise: How Dover School District Strengthened Coherence with IM® 6–8 Math Oct 7, 2026
- The TK Year: What Makes Transitional Kindergarten Unique Sep 30, 2026
- Anatomy of an IM® Math Lesson: The Lesson Narrative as a Roadmap for Understanding Sep 8, 2026
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