One of my favorite lessons starts with a cat named Sid who lives in a house on Aristotle Street. But he also lives at five other houses on the same street, so he can eat...

I was recently visiting some friends at their house in the desert, and one of them was making pancakes for breakfast. “Hey, I’m looking at two recipes,” he called out from the kitchen. “One calls...

What is Choral Counting? Choral Counting is a routine that helps students notice patterns in our number system and develop their math discourse skills. Choral Counting can also support students’ understanding of counting concepts, place value, and...

Transitional Kindergarten: A Place Where Math Happens Transitional kindergarten provides young children, typically four-year-olds, with an extra year of age-appropriate learning to develop essential academic and social-emotional skills so that they’re well-prepared for kindergarten. It...

Recently, colleague Karyn Conner and I worked with a group of five first grade teachers in Vista, California. The teachers had just experienced a district-wide professional development day focusing on writing in math class, and...

What are Counting Collections? When I first heard of Counting Collections, my first thought was, “What’s the big deal?” But as I learned more, I soon realized that this deceivingly simple activity is in fact...

Have you ever encountered a math activity that is so rich that it addresses multiple topics, spans grade levels, can be used as an assessment, naturally differentiates, and engages children like nobody’s business? Meet Make...

The beginning of the school year is a time for many introductions, especially during math class. It’s a time when we build a foundation that supports sense making, independence, and engagement. It’s also a time...

Before you read on, imagine how a first grader might respond when asked to solve 23 + 20. Some might just stare at you, not having an entry point. Some might start counting from one,...

In a recent blog post (see Developing Decimal Number Sense), we talked about decimal number sense, what it is and how to develop it in our students. Defining decimal number sense isn’t easy, but it...