Blog

Strategies, ideas, and resources to help you Mold Math Mindsets.

Visual Models for Problem Solving in 1st Grade

May 10, 2020

As students enter 1st grade, they continue to work on math comprehension using early structures, like the Kindergarten journal we introduced last week, but now we begin to add visual models to the mix! Let’s recap a child’s developmental journey through problem...

Solving Word Problems in Kindergarten

Apr 23, 2020

From real objects in the physical world, to quantitative pictures, to story mats and acting out problems, each step in the developmental journey takes our littles closer to confidence in the word problem solving process. Each step is important so that we help them...

Math in the Real World with Littles: Word Problem Story Mats

Apr 16, 2020

Itsall about getting kids to express their knowledge of mathematics concretely, pictorially, and abstractly – and these story mats will help!

Math in the Real World with Littles: Quantitative Pictures

Apr 9, 2020

Pictures with things to count! Use quantitative pictures to help students examine math in real life and think more deeply about numbers.

Math in the Real World with Littles: Creating a Math Friendly Home

Apr 2, 2020

Mathematical Practice 2 states that children should be able to “Reason abstractly and quantitatively.” What does that even mean?? This is one of the math practices that really stumps many of the teachers I work with, and rightly so! The practice itself is a little...

Working with Fractions: Subtracting Fractions

Mar 27, 2020

Last, but not least, we’re closing out our Working with Fractions series with subtracting fractions with Concrete, Pictorial, Abstract (CPA) means. When it comes to subtracting fractions, this operation is very similar to adding fractions in how students...

Working with Fractions: Adding Fractions

Mar 20, 2020

Finding the least common denominator? Find out why that’s more work and see how understanding equivalent fractions make adding fractions easier!

Working with Fractions: Dividing Fractions

Mar 12, 2020

For most of us dividing fraction is one of those things where we got the right answer in math, but we don’t really remember why. Most of us memorized a procedure with a concept we don't understand: “don’t ask why, just invert and multiply.” Maybe it’s time to ask...