A clear need exists for substantial improvement in mathematics proficiency in U.S. schools. The RAND Mathematics Study Panel was convened to inform the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Educational Research and Improvement on ways to improve the quality and usability of education research and development (R&D). The panel identified three areas for focused R&D: development of teachers' mathematical knowledge used in teaching; teaching and learning of skills needed for mathematical thinking and problem-solving; and teaching and learning of algebra from kindergarten through the 12th grade.

Results from national and international assessments indicate that school children in the United States are not learning mathematics well enough. Many students cannot correctly apply computational algorithms to solve problems. Their understanding and use of decimals and fractions are especially weak. Indeed, helping all children succeed in mathematics is an imperative national goal. However, for our youth to succeed, we need to change how we're teaching this discipline. Helping Children Learn Mathematics provides comprehensive and reliable information that will guide efforts to improve school mathematics from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. The authors explain the five strands of mathematical proficiency and discuss the major changes that need to be made in mathematics instruction, instructional materials, assessments, teacher education, and the broader educational system and answers some of the frequently asked questions when it comes to mathematics instruction. The book concludes by providing recommended actions for parents and caregivers, teachers, administrators, and policy makers, stressing the importance that everyone work together to ensure a mathematically literate society.

Because fluency practice is not a worksheet. Fluency in mathematics is more than adeptly using basic facts or implementing algorithms. Real fluency involves reasoning and creativity, and it varies by the situation at hand. Figuring Out Fluency in Mathematics Teaching and Learning offers educators the inspiration to develop a deeper understanding of procedural fluency, along with a plethora of pragmatic tools for shifting classrooms toward a fluency approach. In a friendly and accessible style, this hands-on guide empowers educators to support students in acquiring the repertoire of reasoning strategies necessary to becoming versatile and nimble mathematical thinkers. It includes: "Seven Significant Strategies" to teach to students as they work toward procedural fluency. Activities, fluency routines, and games that encourage learning the efficiency, flexibility, and accuracy essential to real fluency. Reflection questions, connections to mathematical standards, and techniques for assessing all components of fluency. Suggestions for engaging families in understanding and supporting fluency. Fluency is more than a toolbox of strategies to choose from; it’s also a matter of equity and access for all learners. Give your students the knowledge and power to become confident mathematical thinkers.

This book is open access under a CC BY 4.0 license. The book presents the Proceedings of the 13th International Congress on Mathematical Education (ICME-13) and is based on the presentations given at the 13th International Congress on Mathematical Education (ICME-13). ICME-13 took place from 24th- 31st July 2016 at the University of Hamburg in Hamburg (Germany). The congress was hosted by the Society of Didactics of Mathematics (Gesellschaft für Didaktik der Mathematik - GDM) and took place under the auspices of the International Commission on Mathematical Instruction (ICMI). ICME-13 brought together about 3.500 mathematics educators from 105 countries, additionally 250 teachers from German speaking countries met for specific activities. Directly before the congress activities were offered for 450 Early Career Researchers. The proceedings give a comprehensive overview on the current state-of-the-art of the discussions on mathematics education and display the breadth and deepness of current research on mathematical teaching-and-learning processes. The book introduces the major activities of ICME-13, namely articles from the four plenary lecturers and two plenary panels, articles from the five ICMI awardees, reports from six national presentations, three reports from the thematic afternoon devoted to specific features of ICME-13. Furthermore, the proceedings contain descriptions of the 54 Topic Study Groups, which formed the heart of the congress and reports from 29 Discussion Groups and 31 Workshops. The additional important activities of ICME-13, namely papers from the invited lecturers, will be presented in the second volume of the proceedings.

This book discusses misunderstandings related to the scientific method of creative problem solving and decision-making. The author has conducted extensive research in this field for more than 15 years and shows that the misunderstandings have created great harms in the educational field and in most other fields. This book will be important reading for all those interested in better education, better thinking, and a better society.

This book series will provide readers with the landscape of mathematics teaching practices in Singapore classroom. In this first book of the series, Theory-Informed Practices, the book will have a collection of teachers' classroom practices that are informed by theory. It will provide classroom exemplars of how teachers make use of theories to inform their practices to better cater to the needs of the learners. This book which targets at the practitioners is written in a way that help the practitioners to be better in consuming and applying such efforts in the own classrooms. It provides the interested readers not only the landscape but also the spectrum of pedagogical approaches and strategies that are theoretically informed and adopted by the Singapore mathematics teachers. This book is written by expert teachers for teachers. It will also be of interest to graduate students, mathematics educators and the international mathematics education community who are looking for greater insights to the Singapore mathematics classrooms.

In this book, nationally renowned scholars join classroom teachers to share equity-oriented approaches that have been successful with urban high school mathematics students. Compiling for the first time major research findings and practitioner experiences from Railside High School, the volume describes the evolution of a fundamentally different conception of learners and teaching. The chapters bring together research and reflection on teacher collaboration and professional community, student outcomes and mathematics classroom culture, reform curricula and pedagogy, and ongoing teacher development. Mathematics for Equity will be invaluable reading for teachers, schools, and districts interested in maintaining a focus on equity and improving student learning while making sense of the new demands of the Common Core State Standards. Book Features: Core principles of an equity-centered mathematics program. Examples of how to focus and organize the collaborative work of a math department to develop a shared pedagogy. Student experiences with an equity pedagogy that focuses on building perseverance, flexibility in thinking, and deep conceptual understanding. Connections between reconceptualizing learners and teaching, and achieving deep mathematics learning and equitable outcomes. Contributors include: Jo Boaler, Ilana Seidel Horn, Judith Warren Little, and Rachel Lotan. “Mathematics for Equity provides a kaleidoscopic view, in the voices of teachers, researchers, and students themselves, of one of the nation’s most ambitious and successful attempts at teaching mathematics for equity. It shows what it takes to create a climate that supports students and teachers in engaging in meaningful mathematical activity—and, alas, how vulnerable such environments are to the wrong kinds of ‘accountability.’ Read it and learn.” —Alan H. Schoenfeld, University of California at Berkeley “Want to fix what's wrong with mathematics instruction in your school? Read this book with your colleagues and do what it inspires you to do. Written by the brave teachers and former students who did it, as well as researchers.” —Phil Daro, writing team, Common Core Standards, Strategic Education Research Partnership