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We now know that the messages we give students can change their performance dramatically, and that students need to know that the adults in their lives believe in them. Researchers are learning that students' ideas about their ability and potential are extremely important, much more than previously understood. As well as the messages we give students about their potential, brain research is now showing that messages students pick up from their parents about math and their parents' relationships with math can also change students' math learning and achievement.

In an important study researchers found that when mothers told their daughters they were not good at math in school, their daughter's achievement declined almost immediately (Eccles & Jacobs, 1986). In a new study neuroscientists Erin Maloney and colleagues found that parents' math anxiety reduced their children's learning of math across grades 1 and 2, but only if parents helped their children on math homework (Maloney, Ramirez, Gunderson, Levine, & Beilock, 2015) If they did not help them on homework, the parents' math anxiety did not detract from their children's learning.

The parents' math knowledge did not turn out to have any impact, only their level of math anxiety.

Both studies, again, communicate the importance of the messages students receive, as it was not math knowledge that harmed the students' performance but the parents' anxiety. We do not know what parents with math anxiety say to their children but it is likely they communicate the negative messages we know to be harmful, such as "math is hard" or "I was never good at math in school." It is critical that when parents interact with children about math they communicate positive messages, saying that math is exciting and it is an open subject that anyone can learn with hard work, that it is not about being "smart" or not and that math is all around us in the world. For more parental advice on ways to help students with math see the parent page.

Teachers also need to give positive messages to students at all times. Many elementary teachers feel anxious about mathematics, usually because they themselves have been given fixed and stereotyped messages about the subject and their potential. When I taught in my online teacher/parent class that mathematics is a multidimensional subject that everyone can learn, many of the elementary teachers who took it described it as life-changing and approached mathematics differently afterward. Around 85% of elementary teachers in the United States are women, and Beilock, Gunderson, Ramirez, & Levine (2009) found something very interesting and important. The researchers found that the levels of anxiety held by women elementary teachers also predicted the achievement of the girls in their classes, but not the boys (Beilock et al., 2009). Girls look up to their female teachers and identify with them at the same time as teachers are often and sadly conveying the idea that math is hard for them or they are just not a "math person." Many teachers try to be comforting and sympathetic about math, telling girls not to worry, that they can do well in other subjects. We now know such messages are extremely damaging.

Teachers and parents need to replace sympathetic messages such as "Don't worry, math isn't your thing" with positive messages such as "You can do this, I believe in you, math is an open, beautiful subject that is all about effort and hard work."

This article contains excerpts from Jo Boaler's new book, Mathematical Mindsets: Unleashing Students' Potential Through Creative Math, Inspiring Messages and Innovative Teaching
References

Beilock, L. S., Gunderson, E. A., Ramirez, G., & Levine, S. C. (2009). Female teachers' math anxiety affects girls' math achievement. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 107(5), 1860-1863.

Boaler, J. (2015). Mathematical Mindsets: Unleashing Students' Potential Through Creative Math, Inspiring Messages and Innovative Teaching. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Eccles, J., & Jacobs, J. (1986). Social forces shape math attitudes and performance. Signs, 11(2), 367-380.

Maloney, E. A., Ramirez, G., Gunderson, E. A., Levine, S. C., & Beilock, S. L. (2015). Intergenerational effects of parents' math anxiety on children's math achievement and anxiety. Psychological Science, 0956797615592630.

We now know that the messages we give students can change their performance dramatically, and that students need to know that the adults in their lives believe in them. Researchers are learning that students' ideas about their ability and potential are extremely important, much more than previously understood. As well as the messages we give students about their potential, brain research is now showing that messages students pick up from their parents about math and their parents' relationships with math can also change students' math learning and achievement.

In an important study researchers found that when mothers told their daughters they were not good at math in school, their daughter's achievement declined almost immediately (Eccles & Jacobs, 1986). In a new study neuroscientists Erin Maloney and colleagues found that parents' math anxiety reduced their children's learning of math across grades 1 and 2, but only if parents helped their children on math homework (Maloney, Ramirez, Gunderson, Levine, & Beilock, 2015) If they did not help them on homework, the parents' math anxiety did not detract from their children's learning.

The parents' math knowledge did not turn out to have any impact, only their level of math anxiety.

Both studies, again, communicate the importance of the messages students receive, as it was not math knowledge that harmed the students' performance but the parents' anxiety. We do not know what parents with math anxiety say to their children but it is likely they communicate the negative messages we know to be harmful, such as "math is hard" or "I was never good at math in school." It is critical that when parents interact with children about math they communicate positive messages, saying that math is exciting and it is an open subject that anyone can learn with hard work, that it is not about being "smart" or not and that math is all around us in the world. For more parental advice on ways to help students with math see the parent page.

Teachers also need to give positive messages to students at all times. Many elementary teachers feel anxious about mathematics, usually because they themselves have been given fixed and stereotyped messages about the subject and their potential. When I taught in my online teacher/parent class that mathematics is a multidimensional subject that everyone can learn, many of the elementary teachers who took it described it as life-changing and approached mathematics differently afterward. Around 85% of elementary teachers in the United States are women, and Beilock, Gunderson, Ramirez, & Levine (2009) found something very interesting and important. The researchers found that the levels of anxiety held by women elementary teachers also predicted the achievement of the girls in their classes, but not the boys (Beilock et al., 2009). Girls look up to their female teachers and identify with them at the same time as teachers are often and sadly conveying the idea that math is hard for them or they are just not a "math person." Many teachers try to be comforting and sympathetic about math, telling girls not to worry, that they can do well in other subjects. We now know such messages are extremely damaging.

Teachers and parents need to replace sympathetic messages such as "Don't worry, math isn't your thing" with positive messages such as "You can do this, I believe in you, math is an open, beautiful subject that is all about effort and hard work."

This article contains excerpts from Jo Boaler's new book, Mathematical Mindsets: Unleashing Students' Potential Through Creative Math, Inspiring Messages and Innovative Teaching
References

Beilock, L. S., Gunderson, E. A., Ramirez, G., & Levine, S. C. (2009). Female teachers' math anxiety affects girls' math achievement. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 107(5), 1860-1863.

Boaler, J. (2015). Mathematical Mindsets: Unleashing Students' Potential Through Creative Math, Inspiring Messages and Innovative Teaching. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Eccles, J., & Jacobs, J. (1986). Social forces shape math attitudes and performance. Signs, 11(2), 367-380.

Maloney, E. A., Ramirez, G., Gunderson, E. A., Levine, S. C., & Beilock, S. L. (2015). Intergenerational effects of parents' math anxiety on children's math achievement and anxiety. Psychological Science, 0956797615592630.

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Parents' Beliefs about Math Change Their Children's Achievement - YouCubed

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We now know that the messages we give students can change their performance dramatically, and that students need to know that the adults in their lives believe in them. Researchers are learning that students' ideas about their ability and potential are extremely important, much more than previously understood.

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_Storybooks [Uses of Number & Numerations and Counting] (1)

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_Storybooks [Uses of Number & Numerations and Counting]

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Story as a Stimulus [Spatial Awareness and Location]

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Read Aloud: Your Fantastic Elastic Brain | JoAnn Deak, Ph.D.

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Watch videos instantly on Bing—enjoy direct playback, discover related clips, and dive into trending content all in one place.

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… and some bonus games, just for fun!
Looking for new and different ways for students to practice their math skills? Games are a great way to not only practice calculations, but also notice patterns, short cuts and strategies! Here are a few to try with dice.

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Steve Wyborney's Blog: I'm on a Learning Mission.

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Welcome to Splat! You are only moments away from a VERY POWERFUL, highly interactive number sense strategy that can be used at any grade level!

This post includes 50 (fifty!) free, downloadable PowerPoint math lessons!

Watch the video, download some (or all) of the lessons, and experience what happens when you unleash this resource in your classroom!

I've been excited to click the Publish button on this post for several weeks! It's time!
UPDATE: The Fraction Splat! Series (with 20 more downloadable lessons) is now available!
After reading this blog post, take a look at THE 12 MOST POPULAR MATH STRATEGIES AND DOWNLOADS ON THIS BLOG.

Splat Through 10
How many dots are under the Splat?

Splat Through 20
How many dots are under the Splat?

Multiple Splats
(Note: Splats that are the same color must cover the same number.)
Splat 3.1 - multiple splats Splat 3.2 - multiple splats Splat 3.3 - multiple splats Splat 3.4 - multiple splats Splat 3.5 - multiple splats
Instant Multiple Splat
(Note: An additional feature of this level is the opportunity to ask, "What could the total be?")

Splat 4.1 - Instant Multiple Splats Splat 4.2 - Instant Multiple Splats Splat 4.3 - Instant Multiple Splats Splat 4.4 - Instant Multiple Splats Splat 4.5 - Instant Multiple Splats
2-Color Splat
(Splats of different colors must have different values.)

Splat 5.1 2-color Splat Splat 5.2 2-color Splat Splat 5.3 2-color Splat Splat 5.4 2-color Splat Splat 5.5 2-color Splat Splat 6.2 Instant 2-color Splat Splat 6.3 Instant 2-color Splat Splat 6.4 Instant 2-color Splat Splat 6.5 Instant 2-color Splat
Instant 2-Variable Splat
(Splats of different colors must have different values. Splats of the same color must have the same value.)
Splat 7.1 Instant 2-variable Splat Splat 7.2 Instant 2-variable Splat Splat 7.3 Instant 2-variable Splat Splat 7.4 Instant 2-variable Splat Splat 7.5 Instant 2-variable Splat
Number Splat
(Note: Only the numbers circled on the screen may be used.)
Splat 8.1 - Number Splat Splat 8.2 - Number Splat Splat 8.3 - Number Splat Splat 8.4 - Number Splat Splat 8.5 - Number Splat Splat 9.1 - Instant Number Splat Splat 9.2 - Instant Number Splat Splat 9.3 - Instant Number Splat Splat 9.4 - Instant Number Splat Splat 9.5 - Instant Number Splat
Instant Number Splat with 2 Variables
(Note: Only the numbers circled on the screen may be used, and Splats of different colors must have different values.)
Splat 10.1 - Instant 2-Variable Number Splat Splat 10.2 - Instant 2-Variable Number Splat Splat 10.3 - Instant 2-Variable Number Splat Splat 10.4 - Instant 2-Variable Number Splat Splat 10.5 - Instant 2-Variable Number Splat
NOTE: I wrote each of these lessons using PowerPoint, so I recommend playing them in PowerPoint. If you do not have PowerPoint, you may want to download the PowerPoint viewer so that you can play the lessons.

UPDATE: The Fraction Splat! Series (with 20 more downloadable lessons) is now available!
Other Posts and Resources Which May Be of Interest Tiled Area Questions The Maze Hundreds Chart
Introducing Cube Connectors
Provide Massive Space to Notice
Primary Tile Questions
3 Powerful Tile Strategies (and 40 new downloadable pages)
Please take a moment to subscribe to the blog so you'll be notified each time new resources are posted!

I would treasure hearing about your experiences using Splat! to promote number sense in your classroom!

All my best,
Steve

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Splat! - Steve Wyborney's Blog: I'm on a Learning Mission.

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Welcome to Splat! You are only moments away from a VERY POWERFUL, highly interactive number sense strategy that can be used at any grade level!

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Are you a busy teacher looking for a no-prep maths game? Try Wipeout! 🎲⁠ ⁠ How to play:⁠ 🩷 Students write numbers 2-12 on their whiteboard.⁠ 🩷 They take turns rolling two dice, adding them up, and crossing out the answer.⁠ 🩷 First to cross out all their numbers wins! 🏆⁠ ⁠ Give it a go and let me know how your class likes it!👇⁠ ⁠ #NoPrep #TeacherHack #MathGames #ClassroomFun #WipeoutGame 

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@mrsedgar
Are you a busy teacher looking for a no-prep maths game? Try Wipeout! 🎲⁠ ⁠ How to play:⁠ 🩷 Students write numbers 2-12 on their whiteboard.⁠ 🩷 They take turns rolling two dice, adding them up, and crossing out the answer.⁠ 🩷 First to cross out all their numbers wins! 🏆⁠ ⁠ Give it a go and let me know how your class likes it!👇⁠ ⁠ #NoPrep #TeacherHack #MathGames #ClassroomFun #WipeoutGame
♬ original sound - Jo Edgar | Teacher Planners

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Navigating Play in A Redeveloped Curriculum: A Primary Inspector’s Perspective

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More or less : Murphy, Stuart J., 1942- : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

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This activity focuses on similarities and differences between shapes.

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This challenge is best done in a group of at least four children.

You'll need to print out this sheet or, if you would like much larger cards, these sheets. The sheets will need to be cut into twelve separate cards.

Share all the cards out amongst the group.

Can you each work out what shape or shapes you have part of on your card?

Can you describe the shapes without showing it to anyone else?

What will the rest of the shape or shapes look like do you think?

How could you sort the cards?

We would love to hear your descriptions and hear about the ways you sorted or arranged the cards.

This problem is also available in French, called Casse-tête de formes.

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This challenge is best done in a group of at least four children. You'll need to print out this sheet or, if you would like much larger cards, these sheets. The sheets will need to be cut into twelve separate cards. Share all the cards out amongst the group.

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This tool allows you to create any geometric shape imaginable. Squares, triangles, rhombi, trapezoids and hexagons can be created, colored, enlarged, shrunk, rotated, reflected, sliced, and glued together.

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Maths for the summer holidays: Primary and Secondary Maths at Home collections

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PMC - Oide - Welcome to the Primary Mathematics Curriculum Hub

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Welcome to our PMC in Action page, where you have a front row seat to witness the incredible learning experiences of pupils from various school contexts across Ireland.

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Estimating, comparing, measuring: Age 5-7 | NRICH

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This collection is one of our Primary Curriculum collections - tasks that are grouped by topic.

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Stuart J. Murphy's MathStart: Level 3 Books

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Stuart J. Murphy’s Mathstart: Level 2 books

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Stuart J. Murphy's MathStart: Level 1 books

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Preparation for Teaching and Learning Guidelines

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The term "growth mindset" comes from the groundbreaking work of Carol Dweck. She identified everyone holds ideas about their own potential. Some people believe that their intelligence is more or less fixed and in math - that you can do math or you can't. About 40% of students have these damaging "fixed mindset" ideas. Another 40% have a "growth mindset" - they believe that they can learn anything and that their intelligence can grow. The other 20% waver between the two mindsets.

Students with a fixed mindset are those who are more likely to give up easily, whereas students with a growth mindset are those who keep going even when work is hard, and who are persistent. The two mindsets are associated with different achievement pathways as the papers on this page show. It is possible to change mindsets - my student online class which can be accessed under courses - has been shown to shift students' mindsets from fixed to growth and cause higher mathematics achievement. There are a range of resources on this page - a poster of math norms, a strategizer card with lots of teaching ideas, a short video to boost students' mindset, and some interesting short papers.

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The term "growth mindset" comes from the groundbreaking work of Carol Dweck. She identified everyone holds ideas about their own potential. Some people believe that their intelligence is more or less fixed and in math - that you can do math or you can't. About 40% of students have these damaging "fixed mindset" ideas.