Heather Zetterberg, Math Specialist
Audrey Morrow Krone, Grade 1 Teacher
January 8, 2025
The “why” that forms the foundation for the “how”.
Coordinating
People
Critical
Negotiation
Quality
Service Orientation
Judgement/Decision-Making
➨ There is no such thing as a “math” person
➨ Everyone can reach the highest level they want to, with hard work
➨ Encourage students to believe in themselves
➨ Mistakes “grow your brain”
➨ It is good to struggle and make mistakes
➨ Always ask rich questions
➨ Answer questions with questions periodically
➨ Math is a creative subject that is, at its core, about visualizing patterns and creating solution paths that others can see
➨ Creativity is about finding non-standard, original, innovative solution methods
➨ Math is a connected subject and a form of communication
➨ Math is represented in different forms:
➨Words ➨Pictures ➨Graphs ➨Equations,…
➨ Top mathematicians think slowly and deeply
➨ Faster doesn’t mean “smarter”
➨ Math is a growth subject, it takes time to learn and it is all about effort
➨ Active, engaging tasks might not yield written evidence
➨ Teachers confer with students often
➨ Students see math differently
➨ Students are encouraged to use and share different ideas, methods, and perspectives
“how” - the systems and practices we use.
Active
Include Questions that Invite Communication
Multi-dimensional
Call on a Student’s Number Sense
Require Flexibility, Efficiency, and Accuracy
Provide Opportunities to Struggle
Offer Open, Low Floor - High Ceiling Tasks
Help Develop Conceptual and Procedural Skills
Use each digit card 0-9 exactly one time to make the equations true.
Create an addition problem that requires regrouping.
Give your child a story problem to solve
Have your child explain how to solve the problem.
Give your child coins to practice counting money. Use accurate mathematical vocabulary.
Ask your child to point out patterns they find.
Stay positive about Math and share your excitement about the subject.
Invite your child help you cook.
Invite your child to teach you something they learned in class that day.