By Cristina Roof, Math Specialist, Lexington Public Schools What are students thinking as they sit on the rug during a whole-class lesson? How much are they learning? How much are they simply just sitting quietly in their own world? These questions became the focus of...
TK/PK Math
Pacing with Purpose in IM® Math
Jun 8, 2026
By Sarah Caban, Director, PK–12 Learning Experiences A snow day. An assembly schedule. A class that needs more time to build understanding before moving on. Suddenly, you’re behind and asking yourself: Should I . . . rush the next lesson? skip activities? cut...
What Painting Rocks Can Teach Us About Math Identity
Jun 2, 2026
By Neal Tucker, Director of Marketing, with Linelle Brunson, EdD., Senior Specialist in Partnerships When I got home from the District 7 New York City Public Schools Math Showdown in the Bronx, I brought back a painted rock that says ”I’m a math person.” The IM is the...
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...
Recipes, Not Scripts: Finding Balance in Curriculum Implementation
May 12, 2026
By, Kiran Purohit, EdD, New Visions for Public Schools, Vice President of Curriculum and Instruction and Jennifer Wilson, EdD, Illustrative Mathematics, Senior Director, Implementation Enablement New Visions for Public Schools, an IM Certified® partner, has worked...
What LEGO Taught Us About Play-Based Learning in Transitional Kindergarten
Mar 18, 2026
By Cherelle McKnight, Director, PK–6 Content During a virtual writing retreat, IM’s PK–6 content team gathered on Zoom and . . . played. My desk was covered with loose parts—small objects meant for building, arranging, and imagining. At one point, we were invited to...
Staying Curious in Transitional Kindergarten: What Inquiry Play Reveals About How Students Think
Mar 11, 2026
By Lindy Olejniczak, PK–6 Content Specialist This past year, I was playing with my friend’s 2.5-year-old sons. The “game” started with bringing colored balls from a ball pit and tossing them to me. As I caught each one, I began arranging them in different ways. At one...
Free, High-Quality Math Curriculum and Support for California Classrooms
Feb 18, 2026
By the Illustrative Mathematics team California educators are navigating big shifts in math instruction, grounded in access, coherence, and deeper student understanding. California AccessIM was designed to meet this moment. Available to all educators at...
Too Many Students Believe They’re Not “Math People.” Early Math Can Change That.
Feb 3, 2026
By: Dr. Kristin Umland, IM CEO and Cofounder A recent RAND survey found that the students who are the most likely to maintain interest in math are those who understand and enjoy it, feel supported, and see themselves as “math people.” It also found that nearly a third...
Reenvisioning Classroom Observations
Dec 17, 2025
Catherine Castillo, Sr. Specialist, Implementation Enablement Claire Neely, Sr. Specialist, Implementation Enablement “Both rigorous performance evaluation and frequent formative feedback are important building blocks for promoting a strong teacher workforce. Mounting...
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RECENT POSTS
- How Do Students Go from Receiving Information to Belonging in a Classroom? Jun 16, 2026
- Pacing with Purpose in IM® Math Jun 8, 2026
- What Painting Rocks Can Teach Us About Math Identity Jun 2, 2026
- 10 Ways to Get Students Up and Moving in Math Class May 26, 2026
- From Fragmentation to Coherence: What NYC District 7 Shows About Sustaining Math Improvement May 18, 2026
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