by Sarah Caban
From the start of the year, we want students to know they are capable of engaging in grade-level mathematics.
In the Opportunity Myth (2018), data shows that there is an opportunity gap for historically marginalized students—often students of color—between the grade-level expectations laid out in standards and students’ opportunities to engage with this content in their math classes.
Continue reading “The Story of Grade 5”
by LaToya Byrd and Jenna Laib
School looks different this year. It’s easy to focus on the changes that will need to be made—the new practices, the new routines, the new technologies—but we must first focus on our central beliefs about teaching and learning, and use those beliefs to determine what’s important. It is essential to build a strong classroom community.
This community should strive to be one where learners know, use, and enjoy mathematics. How do you envision this math class? And how does that relate to your own mathematical experiences?
Continue reading “Helping Elementary Students Cultivate a Strong Math Community”
It was easy to say yes!
By Crystal Magers
Last spring, I was approached by our Math Coordinator and asked about piloting a new math program. I knew my staff was ready for building-wide consistency and we were ready to try something new. I easily said yes!
My teachers were offered training over the summer and access to the resources to begin teaching this fall.
After just a few weeks of instruction, my staff began to voice concerns.
Continue reading “Shifting Practices: Helping Everyone—from Students to Administration—Find their Voice in the Math Classroom”
Continue reading “Building a Supportive Home/School Partnership”While families arrive with different school experiences and perspectives on what “doing math” means, they often share common questions: What do I need to know to set my child up for success in math this year? and How can I continue to support them throughout the school year? Hosting a family math night can answer these questions and help bring a school community together.
By Kristin Gray, Director of K–5 Curriculum & Professional Learning
“An excellent mathematics program includes a curriculum that develops important mathematics along coherent learning progressions and develops connections among areas of mathematical study and between mathematics and the real world.“
Principles to Action by National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
Developing coherent learning progressions and connections among areas of study requires crafting lessons to tell a mathematical story. Lessons must coherently build across units and grade levels and attend to many things: the mathematics, representations, activity structures, and learning trajectories, to name only a few. Each of these considerations impact how students access the mathematics and influence the belief that mathematics is a connected set of ideas that makes sense.
Continue reading “Storytelling in the IM K-5 Math Curriculum”
By William McCallum
What are extraneous solutions?
A while ago I wrote a blog post about solving equations where I talked about seeing the steps in solving equations as logical deductions. Thus the steps
\begin{align*}3x + 2 &= 5\\3x &= 3\\x &= 1\\ \end{align*}
are best thought of as a sequence of if-then statements: If $x$ is a number such that $3x + 2 = 5$, then $3x = 3$; if $3x = 3$, then $x = 1$. Continue reading “Truth and Consequences Revisited”
There are always so many things to do in preparation for a new school year. At this point of the summer, to-do lists start getting made, materials get purchased, rooms are organized, and math class planning begins. Whether you are using the IM 6–8 Math curriculum for the first time or entering your second or third year with the program, there are always new things to learn. While the Illustrative Mathematics blog is packed with great information from curriculum authors, teachers, and coaches, it can often be a job in and of itself to narrow down what to read.
Continue reading “IM Preparing for the School Year”
In continually moving forward with our vision of creating a world where learners know, use and enjoy mathematics, the Illustrative Mathematics team is so excited to announce the launch of our official blog! Continue reading “Welcome to the new Illustrative Mathematics blog!”
