As secondary math teachers, we're often frustrated by the lack of true number sense in our students. Solid research at the elementary level shows how to help all students become mathematically proficient by redefining what it means to compute with number sense. Pam Harris has spent the past ten years scrutinizing the research and using the resulting reform materials with teachers and students, seeing what works and what doesn't work, always with an eye to success in higher math. This book brings these insights to the secondary world, with an emphasis on one powerful goal: building numeracy.--Page [4] of cover

Building Powerful Numeracy for Middle and High School Students brought the world of research on numeracy at the elementary level to the secondary level, helping teachers build numeracy in their students and showing how that work supports students in understanding higher math. Now, Pam Harris continues her work by offering lessons and activities that promote her strategies for teaching as much mathematics as possible with as little memorization as possible. Two types of activities for building numeracy are included in this workbook: Student Workouts include reproducible worksheets that students can work on independently or in pairs, followed by robust class discussion to promote understanding of the ideas. Teacher Directed Activities are whole-class mini-lessons designed to help students construct numerical relationships as they work with the teacher. While the student workouts provide starting points for students to build important numerical relationships and choose effective strategies, the teacher directed activities provide opportunities for discussing, comparing, modeling, verbalizing strategies, finding and describing patterns, and making generalizations. Together they help develop the mathematical habits of mind that students need for higher math.

Transform mathematics learning from “doing” to “thinking” American students are losing ground in the global mathematical environment. What many of them lack is numeracy—the ability to think through the math and apply it outside of the classroom. Referencing the new common core and NCTM standards, the authors outline nine critical thinking habits that foster numeracy and show you how to: Monitor and repair students’ understanding Guide students to recognize patterns Encourage questioning for understanding Develop students’ mathematics vocabulary Included are several numeracy-rich lesson plans, complete with clear directions and student handouts.

"A multimedia professional learning resource"--Cover.

A thinking student is an engaged student Teachers often find it difficult to implement lessons that help students go beyond rote memorization and repetitive calculations. In fact, institutional norms and habits that permeate all classrooms can actually be enabling "non-thinking" student behavior. Sparked by observing teachers struggle to implement rich mathematics tasks to engage students in deep thinking, Peter Liljedahl has translated his 15 years of research into this practical guide on how to move toward a thinking classroom. Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics, Grades K–12 helps teachers implement 14 optimal practices for thinking that create an ideal setting for deep mathematics learning to occur. This guide Provides the what, why, and how of each practice and answers teachers’ most frequently asked questions Includes firsthand accounts of how these practices foster thinking through teacher and student interviews and student work samples Offers a plethora of macro moves, micro moves, and rich tasks to get started Organizes the 14 practices into four toolkits that can be implemented in order and built on throughout the year When combined, these unique research-based practices create the optimal conditions for learner-centered, student-owned deep mathematical thinking and learning, and have the power to transform mathematics classrooms like never before.

Following up her' best-selling book, Number Sense Routines: Building Numerical Literacy Every Day in Grades K-3, Jessica Shumway turns her focus to upper elementary classrooms. Number Sense Routines: Developing Mathematical Understanding Every Day in Grades 3-5 is about tapping into every child' s innate number sense and providing daily, connected experiences that are responsive to children's learning needs. Consistent, Daily Routines Work:' Adaptable to any curriculum, Shumway' s 5, 10, or 15 minute warm-up routines are an easy and effective way to build and solidify students' number sense foundations as a supplement to any program Planning and Facilitating Your Classroom:' No matter how familiar the routine, Shumway provides insight on how to keep daily warm-ups fresh. She reveals careful thinking and planning that goes into each routine and offers detailed vignettes and dialogues of how they unfold in real classrooms Assessment Strategies:' As students engage in the process, each routine becomes an exciting opportunity to gain insight into where they are in their understanding and help students articulate their mathematical thinking Identify Big Ideas: Not only will these math routines help develop students' mathematical understanding as they move towards using standard algorithms, but teachers will learn to better recognize the big ideas that emerge in discussions, how to encourage important strategies based in number sense, and how to facilitate conversations on key mathematical concepts. ' 'These routines may appear in other places, [but] I have never seen them written in such detail and with so many variations.. . .. Although she makes what she does sound easy, we all know that teaching math well is anything but easy. It is challenging and complex. Unpacking what students are saying, helping them make connections not only to the math but to each other's ideas, while simultaneously recording their ideas using mathematical models, visuals, or equations is no easy task. Jessica provides wonderful visuals, examples of student work, and so much more to help educators develop the tools they need to improve their practice and in so doing improve student learning. ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' – From the Foreword by math coach and consultant Lucy West

Realizing that middle-grades students bring to classrooms different experiences that shape their meaning about mathematics, both from inside and outside the classroom, it seems that embracing culture...is one important way to address a need in schools - that is, high achievement in mathematics by all students. - Michaele Chappell and Denisse Thompson If your students can text like this: cul8r bff, they can solve for this: 3x+5=39+2x In the middle grades personal identity becomes more important to learning than ever. More than a decade of research tells us that effective school mathematics has to be relevant to the lives and cultures of every student. Chappell and Thompson bring you a unique and user-friendly teacher resource that incorporates popular media from a variety of cultures in rich and engaging math investigations. A wide range of math concepts - from algebraic thinking to number and operation, geometry to probability - are embedded within dynamic activities. Engage your media-savvy students with investigations from popular films, games, literature, and the internet. Connect your students to stories from African American, Latino, Asian, and Native American cultures. Activities are ready to use or customizable for your classroom. CD-ROM includes: 90+ reproducible investigations with answer keys available as customizable Word documents Quick-reference matrix that cross references the activities by the five content strands of the Principles and Standards for School Mathematics from the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and by the four cultural groups. You can bring middle school math to life for all your students. This resource, ready to supplement your existing curriculum, shows you how and why to do it