Based on extensive research conducted by the authors, Reasoning and Sense Making in the Mathematics Classroom, Pre-K-Grade 2, is designed to help classroom teachers understand, monitor, and guide the development of students' reasoning and sense making about core ideas in elementary school mathematics. It describes and illustrates the nature of these skills using classroom vignettes and actual student work in conjunction with instructional tasks and learning progressions to show how reasoning and sense making develop and how instruction can support students in that development. Students who can make sense of mathematical ideas can apply those ideas in problem solving, even in unfamiliar situations, and can use them as a foundation for future learning. Without them, students are reduced to rote learning, often experiencing frustration and failure. But what do reasoning and sense making during learning and teaching look like? Each chapter of Reasoning and Sense Making in the Mathematics Classroom, Pre-K-Grade 2 explores a different topic that young children encounter in mathematics, demonstrating with actual student work and classroom dialogue how their mathematical knowledge and reasoning ability move through "levels of sophistication" or learning progressions: After opening with a discussion of the nature of reasoning and sense making and their critical importance in developing mathematical thinking, chapter 1 examines how young students attempt to make sense of the concepts of place value and length measurement. Chapter 2 focuses on how early childhood instruction can engage students in mathematical reasoning while helping them construct a rich sense of number and operations. Chapter 3 identifies core algebraic ideas and shows how students can engage with these ideas in ways that not only deepen their understanding of arithmetic but also lays the foundation for the future study of algebra. Children's reasoning and sense making as they decompose and compose geometric shapes--including reasoning about area--is examined in chapter 4. The use of learning progressions to understand students' reasoning and to guide their sense making with appropriate teaching is also discussed. Not just a theoretical discussion, the book also provides specific suggestions for related instructional activities for each topic. Supplementary online resources can be accessed at NCTM's More4U website. Reasoning and Sense Making in the Mathematics Classroom, Pre-K-Grade 2 will be a valuable and practical addition to your professional library.

Help young minds explore algebraic concepts Algebra is the gateway to higher education, and preparing students to grasp algebraic concepts increases their opportunities to succeed. This book shows teachers how to create a strong foundation in algebra for very young children. Using in-depth math "explorations," the author unpacks—step by step—the hidden connections to higher algebra. Each exploration contains an elegantly simple grade-banded lesson (on addition, subtraction, patterns, and odd and even numbers), followed by a discussion of the algebra connections in the lesson, as well as suggestions for additional problems to explore. Throughout, readers will find: Clear explanations of algebraic connections Specific strategies for teaching the key ideas of algebra Lesson modifications for older or younger students An array of age-appropriate problems, games, and lessons Planting the seeds of Algebra, PreK–2 helps teachers foster mathematical habits of mind in students such as critical thinking, problem solving, adaptability, agility, communication, curiosity, and imagination. Growth in these ways of thinking and doing will transfer to other areas of education and life—raising the bar and challenging students to aspire.

Do your students need more practice to develop number sense and reasoning? Are you looking to engage your students with activities that are uncomplicated, worthwhile, and doable? Have you had success with number talks but do your students crave more variety? Have you ever thought, "What can I do differently?" Swap out traditional warmup practices and captivate your elementary students with these new, innovative, and ready-to-go routines! Trusted elementary math expert John J. SanGiovanni details 20 classroom-proven practice routines to help you ignite student engagement, reinforce learning, and prepare students for the lesson ahead. Each quick and lively activity spurs mathematics discussion and provides a structure for talking about numbers, number concepts, and number sense. Designed to jump-start mathematics reasoning in any elementary classroom, the routines are: Rich with content-specific examples and extensions Modifiable to work with math content at any K-5 grade level Compatible with any textbook or core mathematics curriculum Practical, easy-to-implement, and flexible for use as a warm-up or other activity Accompanied by online slides and video demonstrations, the easy 5–10 minute routines become your go-to materials for a year’s work of daily plug-and-play short-burst reasoning and fluency instruction that reinforces learning and instills mathematics confidence in students. Students’ brains are most ready to learn in the first few minutes of math class. Give math practice routines a makeover in your classroom with these 20 meaningful and energizing warmups for learning crucial mathematics skills and concepts, and make every minute count.

Just as athletes stretch their muscles before every game and musicians play scales to keep their technique in tune, mathematical thinkers and problem solvers can benefit from daily warm-up exercises. Jessica Shumway has developed a series of routines designed to help young students internalize and deepen their facility with numbers. The daily use of these quick five-, ten-, or fifteen-minute experiences at the beginning of math class will help build students' number sense. Students with strong number sense understand numbers, ways to represent numbers, relationships among numbers, and number systems. They make reasonable estimates, compute fluently, use reasoning strategies (e.g., relate operations, such as addition and subtraction, to each other), and use visual models based on their number sense to solve problems. Students who never develop strong number sense will struggle with nearly all mathematical strands, from measurement and geometry to data and equations. In Number Sense Routines, Jessica shows that number sense can be taught to all students. Dozens of classroom examples -- including conversations among students engaging in number sense routines -- illustrate how the routines work, how children's number sense develops, and how to implement responsive routines. Additionally, teachers will gain a deeper understanding of the underlying math -- the big ideas, skills, and strategies children learn as they develop numerical literacy.

In this important new book for pre- and in-service teachers, early math experts Douglas Clements and Julie Sarama show how "learning trajectories" help teachers become more effective professionals. By opening up new windows to seeing young children and the inherent delight and curiosity behind their mathematical reasoning, learning trajectories ultimately make teaching more joyous. They help teachers understand the varying level of knowledge and thinking of their classes and the individuals within them as key in serving the needs of all children. In straightforward, no-nonsense language, this book summarizes what is known about how children learn mathematics, and how to build on what they know to realize more effective teaching practice. It will help teachers understand the learning trajectories of early mathematics and become quintessential professionals.