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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...

“Yours is not to reason why, just invert and multiply!” Sound familiar? This is how many of us learned how to divide fractions, by using the “invert and multiply” algorithm. But did we really understand...

Before you read on, think about how you would respond if someone asked you what it means to have decimal number sense.  If you’re struggling, don’t worry, number sense is hard to define. According to...

Writer William Zinsser once said that “writing is how we think our way into a subject and make it our own (1988, p. 16).” This quote resonates with me because when I write, I must...

In recent years, there has been a growing awareness within the math education community about the benefits of individual math interviews. And, there is an even broader awareness of the importance of building mathematical strength,...

Math word problems can be vexing. How many times have you heard someone say, “I hated those word problems when I was in school!” Although we’ve come a long way from trying to figure out...

What’s a Venn Diagram? Way back in the 1880’s, John Venn popularized this graphic organizer to illustrate the relationships between two or more sets of items. In fact, Venn-style diagrams have been around since the...

Mathematician Marcus Du Sautoy once said, “The power of mathematics is often to change one thing into another, to change geometry into language.” His quote reminds me of one of my favorite math experiences that...

A respected colleague once reminded me of an old saying, “You can’t fatten a pig by weighing it.” She was a classroom teacher and exasperated by all the testing she had to do with her...