Debate in Kindergarten: Building Appreciation for Ten Frames

20 Jan 202020 Jan 2020

If we want students to harness the power of visual representations -- to own them -- students need to understand why that representation is important.  Visual representations can be elegant…

Using Instructional Routines to Inspire Deep Thinking

21 Oct 20195 Feb 2022

Originally published on the Illustrative Mathematics blog (October 13, 2019). We want students to think about math deeply. Creatively. Analytically. Instead, what often happens is that students race towards quick solutions. So…

Talking about Geometry in Kindergarten, Part 1: Same or Different

4 Jan 20196 Feb 2022

  Talking helps us make sense of ideas. Talking helps us synthesize our ideas. Talking helps us communicate our ideas. We want to get this kindergarten class talking -- a…

Leading Act 3: Using the 5 Practices & Intentional Talk To Deepen Discourse About the “Whopper Jar”

3 Oct 201722 Jun 2021

The books 5 Practices for Orchestrating Productive Mathematics Discussions (Smith and Stein, 2011) and Intentional Talk (Kazemi and Hints, 2014) have helped me transform how I facilitate discussions. I try my best…

“Which is Greener?”: Connecting Fractions, Percents, and Ratios in Sixth Grade

16 Jun 201719 Sep 2017

Math should tell a story -- through the structure of units, and the structure of a year. There is no singular correct narrative; instead, I find joy in weaving different…