by Shannon McCartney | Sep 15, 2025 | *Place Value
Ever felt like banging your head against the wall teaching rounding? You’re not alone! Many students memorize the old “underline the place, look next door, 5 or higher round up” rule without truly understanding why they round up or down. And even when students can...
by Shannon McCartney | Jun 23, 2025 | *Curriculum, *Math Practices, *Technology, Audience - K-5
One of the most common questions we get from educators is: “Which math curriculum should we use?” The answer isn’t simple—because a curriculum is much more than a textbook. It’s a blend of standards, instructional strategies, pacing, and implementation. A textbook is...
by Shannon McCartney | Apr 8, 2025 | *Number Talks, *Numeracy
If you’re wondering whether to start with number talks or numeracy talks, you’re not alone. Teachers often ask: “My students struggle with number sense—should I jump into number talks, or is there something I need to do first?” The short answer: It depends...
by Shannon McCartney | Dec 5, 2022 | *Numeracy, Audience - Lower Elementary (K-2)
Ever feel like the years are flying by and standing still at the same time? Usually, it’s children that help us feel this odd sensation, but I also can’t believe it’s been TEN years since I first created my numeracy screeners! Ten years ago, I developed a set of...
by Shannon McCartney | May 24, 2022 | *Early Intervention, *Intervention Strategies, *Numeracy, *Parent Connection, Audience - K-5
It’s hard to believe that we are nearing the end of the school year. Whether you get out in May or June, it has certainly been yet another school year “that was like no other.” Many of us were back to full days of in-person instruction with our students, and I...
