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Connecticut Center for Early Childhood

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The videos in this series describe children's early mathematical development and provide examples of how early childhood professionals can both explicitly teach math skills and support their development through daily routines and play. These videos were funded by the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood.

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The videos in this series describe children's early mathematical development and provide examples of how early childhood professionals can both explicitly teach math skills and support their development through daily routines and play.

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Early Math Counts has four core objectives:

1. To give early childhood educators the knowledge and skills they need to teach early math

2. To help early childhood educators set up environments that promote math literacy

3. To provide math activities and lessons that foster the development of early math skills

4. To help create a world of math-literate children

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Desired Results For Children And Families

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It is an exciting time in California as the Desired Results Developmental Profile (DRDP) is being updated to align with the new Infant and Toddler Learning and Development Foundations (ITLDF) and the Preschool/Transitional Kindergarten Learning Foundations (PTKLF).

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This is an example page. It's different from a blog post because it will stay in one place and will show up in your site navigation (in most themes). Most people start with an About page that introduces them to potential site visitors. It might say something like this: Hi there!

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Amplify Desmos Math: Bringing you free tools and core curriculum lessons for K–12 math educators. Contact us to learn more!

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CA Preschool Learning Foundations Homepage

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CA Preschool Learning Foundations Homepage

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The California Preschool Learning Foundations outline key knowledge and skills that most children can achieve when provided with the kinds of interactions, instruction, and environments that research has shown to promote early learning and development. The foundations can provide early childhood educators, parents, and the public with a clear understanding of the wide range of knowledge and skills that preschool children typically attain when given the benefits of a high-quality preschool program.

The foundations were developed using an inclusive and deliberative input process, including statewide stakeholder meetings, public input sessions held throughout the state, public hearings, and public comment. Input from the various review opportunities was considered and incorporated as appropriate.

California Preschool Learning Foundations, Volume 1

On January 22, 2008, the California Department of Education (CDE) released the California Preschool Learning Foundations, Volume (PDF; 5MB) . Former State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell stated that these foundations offer our early childhood educators a clear understanding of what our youngest learners should know before entering kindergarten.

Volume 1 of the California Preschool Learning Foundations focuses on the domains of social-emotional development, language and literacy, English-language development, and mathematics. They provide a comprehensive understanding of what children learn in these four domains.

In an effort to partner with parents in the education of their preschool children, key sections of the publication are available and have been translated to support parents' understanding of the preschool learning foundations, their purpose, and what they describe as the knowledge and skills that children typically attain at 48 and 60 months of age. The translations include traditional Chinese, simplified Chinese, Hmong, Korean, Pilipino (Tagalog), Spanish, and Vietnamese, and are based on the prevalent non-English languages spoken by parents of preschool children in California.

Foreword by former State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell
Available Translations of the Foreword by former State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell

Introduction to the California Preschool Learning Foundations, Volume 1
Available Translations of the Introduction to the California Preschool Learning Foundations, Volume 1

Appendix to the California Preschool Learning Foundations, Volume 1 (DOC)
Available Translations of the Appendix to the Preschool Learning Foundations, Volume 1

The California Preschool Learning Foundations, Volume 1, can be purchased from CDE Press by calling the toll-free number at 1-800-995-4099, or by ordering through the CDE Press Catalog Listings of Publications (Item Number 001681) . The price of the publication is $21.95.

Fundamentos del Aprendizaje Preescolar de California, Volumen 1 (PDF)
Spanish translation of the California Preschool Learning Foundations, Volume 1

California Preschool Learning Foundations, Volume 2

The California Preschool Learning Foundations, Volume 2 covers the skills and knowledge that children attain at around 36 months and 48 months in the domain areas of visual and performing arts, physical development, and health.

Foreword by former State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell
Available Translations of the Foreword by former State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell

Introduction to the California Preschool Learning Foundations, Volume 2
Available Translations of the Introduction to the California Preschool Learning Foundations, Volume 2

Appendixes to the California Preschool Learning Foundations, Volume 2

The California Preschool Learning Foundations, Volume 2, can be purchased from CDE Press by calling the toll-free number at 1-800-995-4099, or by ordering through the CDE Press Catalog Listings of Publications (Item Number 001708) . The price of the publication is $21.95.

Fundamentos del Aprendizaje Preescolar de California, Volumen 2 (PDF)
Spanish translation of the California Preschool Learning Foundations, Volume 2

California Preschool Learning Foundations, Volume 3

The California Preschool Learning Foundations, Volume 3 covers the skills and knowledge that children attain at around 36 months and 48 months in the domain areas of history-social science and science.

Foreword by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson
Available Translations of the Foreword by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson

Introduction to the California Preschool Learning Foundations, Volume 3
Available Translations of the Introduction to the California Preschool Learning Foundations, Volume 3

Appendix A to the California Preschool Learning Foundations, Volume 3
Available Translations of Appendix A to the California Preschool Learning Foundations, Volume 3

The California Preschool Learning Foundations, Volume 3, can be purchased from CDE Press by calling the toll-free number at 1-800-995-4099, or by ordering through the CDE Press Catalog Listings of Publications (Item Number 001727) . The price of the publication is $21.95.

Fundamentos del Aprendizaje Preescolar de California, Volumen 3 (PDF)
Spanish translation of the California Preschool Learning Foundations, Volume 3

Additional Resources

Further information about the Preschool Learning Foundations is provided in a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document clarifying key issues for early childhood educators, administrators, and stakeholders. For information about some professional development opportunities, please refer to the California Preschool Instructional Network (CPIN) .
Return to Publications
Last Reviewed: Thursday, February 23, 2023

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The foundations outline key knowledge and skills that most children can achieve when provided with the kinds of interactions, instruction, and environments that research has shown to promote early learning and development.

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CGI Resources - CGI Math Teacher Learning Center

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Resources from CGI Math Teacher Learning Center

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CA Preschool/TK Learning Foundations - Math

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CA Preschool/TK Learning Foundations - Math

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Start your instruction off on the right foot with our wonderful warm-ups and math routines. These are designed to encourage students to talk and think, and to develop their number sense. New screens added 12/6/2023!

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Teacher Competencies that Promote Culturally Responsive Teaching

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Teacher Competencies that Promote Culturally Responsive Teaching

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An analysis of teaching standards in all 50 states to better understand whether states incorporate culturally responsive teaching.

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Source: DREME

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Guides to Help You Read Math Storybooks to Young Children - DREME

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We created math reading guides based on more than 60 children’s books to offer support around exploring math in picture books.

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Utilize video observation tools

Work as a team to analyze, tag, and discuss classroom footage. Our full-length "Uncut" videos can be used for calibration exercises with rubrics to create inter-rater reliability among observers.

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Work as a team to analyze, tag, and discuss classroom footage. Our full-length "Uncut" videos can be used for calibration exercises with rubrics to create inter-rater reliability among observers.

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https://robertkaplinsky.com/tag/open-middle-math-depth-of-knowledge-matrix/

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Open Middle Math Depth of Knowledge Matrix Archives - Robert Kaplinsky

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https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/19aE0OQ2Ut834oAoPhE_eViceBAQMpuBL?usp=sharing

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Social Justice Standards from Teaching Tolerance

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Social Justice Standards from Teaching Tolerance

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https://www.edutopia.org/article/4-great-ways-start-math-class

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Spending the first five minutes of elementary math classes with one of these launch routines can help all students feel ready to learn.

Yeti studio / Shutterstock

Many students experience disconnection and a sense of anxiety when they hear "It's time for math." Instructional routines and strategies that naturally invite and engage students in the first 5 minutes of class can significantly increase student engagement in the entire lesson. Instructional strategies that lead to student engagement build interest, sustain persistence, and support self-regulation and a sense of belonging. And when students feel that they belong, their engagement increases and they are more willing to participate in small group discussions, persevere through challenges, defend their thinking, reason through the thinking of others, and make connections.

At All Learners Network, we suggest opening each math class with a launch or number sense routine to set the tone for learning. This welcoming, inclusive activity is used daily, typically in the first few minutes of a balanced math block for purposeful, discussion-rich learning opportunities. The launch should be engaging, relevant, and open-ended enough that all students can participate.

Launch Routines

Notice and Wonder: This strategy provides students with different visual prompts to consider. We encourage the use of interesting photos that are relevant to students' lives. For example, a teacher might display a plate of cookies, a parking lot full of fast cars, a row of vegetables in a garden, or a vending machine of treats. Then, students can share what they notice about color, type of object, the organization of the objects.

Students can also be prompted to wonder, asking questions like, "How many cars in one row? How many in the whole parking lot? How many cookies are on the plate? How many of each snack in the vending machine?" From there, the teacher can choose one question to share strategies and solutions for but leave the rest of the questions up for further exploration later.

In this strategy, all students have the opportunity to share something that is observable and something they are curious about, allowing them to feel like their voices are valued in the classroom community.

Which One Doesn't Belong: In this strategy, a teacher displays four images and asks students which one doesn't belong. However, there isn't a single answer: There can be justifications for all of the items or images. For example, an image with four quadrants could have one frosted cookie, one chocolate-covered doughnut, one brownie, and one sandwich cookie.

In this discussion, some students might say the frosted cookie doesn't belong because it's the only one with frosting, whereas others may say the brownie doesn't belong because it has straight sides. Some students might find a reason for only one of the choices, whereas other students may find multiple reasons for each choice. Ultimately there is no one right answer, and the focus is on the reasoning that students provide for their choices.

Would You Rather: This strategy asks students to engage in conversation and justify their thinking. In one example, there are two images: a circular pizza and a rectangular pizza. The question reads: "Would you rather eat two slices from a round pizza with a 12-inch diameter that has been cut into eight pieces or eat one slice from a 15-by-10-inch sheet pizza that has been cut into six pieces?"

In this conversation, students are comparing which pizza they prefer and will need to justify their reasoning with evidence from the image. Some kids want more pizza, of course, and so they have to justify which slice gives them more, while others might say, "I like the smaller one because I don't want to eat a lot of pizza" or "I prefer a circle over a rectangle." All answers can be correct, as long as students can justify their logic.

A teacher might first show 7 x 8 = ____.

Students solve the problem and are prompted to use the solution to solve 14 x 8.

Students solve and are prompted to use that solution to solve 28 x 8.

Number Strings/Problem Strings: This strategy helps students discover patterns and relationships and engage with the properties of operations. In a number string, teachers start by showing students the first problem to solve, sharing strategies and the solution, and then encourage students to use that solution to solve the next expression in the string. Number strings help kids see that you can break apart (decompose) numbers to help you solve a new equation. Some strings are done as a number talk (mental math), and in others students are recording their own thinking.

The conversation wraps up with a discussion of similarities and differences between the completed equations. These are considered "low-floor/high-ceiling" tasks, as they are open-ended enough for all students to engage at the beginning and then increase in complexity as the string progresses.

If we want all students to learn in math class, we need to ensure that they are engaged and feel a sense of accomplishment and belonging from the very beginning. Using a launch or number sense routine in the first 5 minutes ensures that students feel their voices are heard, they are valued, and they have a way to contribute.
I'd like to thank my colleague T.J. Jemison for his contributions to this article. You can follow him on Twitter.
These routines also provide opportunities for dialogue between and among peers. Students learn how to communicate effectively through regular conversations about the math they do while engaging with their peers and building confidence at the beginning of math class. This sense of belonging increases engagement and supports students in being ready to learn from the beginning of the lesson.

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Spending the first five minutes of elementary math classes with one of these launch routines can help all students feel ready to learn.

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UDL Classroom Article: Change How You Think about Barriers

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UDL Classroom Article: Change How You Think about Barriers

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https://blog.brookespublishing.com/your-first-step-toward-a-udl-designed-classroom-change-how-you-think-about-barriers-guest-post/

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Happy Tuesday, #TeamInclusion! I have a guest post today that co-teachers and UDL advocates will want to read and share. It's by Dr. Deborah Taub, a UDL/inclusive ed expert and the Director of Research and Programs at Keystone Assessment. Through some short but powerful vignettes, she shows us what's possible when co-teachers embrace UDL principles while planning instruction for students with special needs.

After you read this, tell us your experience: Does instructional planning in your school sound more like the first or second example? What are your barriers, if any, to adopting the planning approach Mrs. Summers and Mr. Harris took? What resources can we develop to help you? Read on, and then share your thoughts in the comments below!

***

There are often two questions about Universal Design for Learning (UDL) that I hear when training:

1. Why would I do this? It is no different from differentiated instruction, and

2. How in the world would I do this? It is huge!

Two quick vignettes of teachers planning for instruction illustrate the answer to both questions.

Ms. Jacobs and Mr. Snyder are planning instruction for Dawn, a student with complex instructional needs who is included in Ms. Jacobs' English class.

Ms. Jacobs: We are reading The Giver for the next couple of weeks. The students will be creating a timeline of a historical event and examining how it connects to their lives as a part of the social studies curriculum.

Mr. Snyder: Dawn can't read, so I don't think The Giver is going to be possible for her. And the subject matter doesn't really connect to her daily life so maybe I'll give her an adapted copy of Wilfred Gordon McDonald Partridge instead. It also deals with the importance of memories and forgetting and it is written at a second grade reading level so it should be easier to understand than The Giver.

Ms. Jacobs: Oh, that is a great idea. And maybe her timeline could be sequencing from her daily schedule instead of from history?

Now compare these teachers to Mrs. Summers and Mr. Harris, who are also planning for a student with complex instructional needs included in Mrs. Summers' English class.

Mrs. Summers: We are working on the themes and ideas in The Giver. The students will be creating a timeline of a historical event and examining how it connects to their lives as a part of the social studies curriculum.

Mr. Harris: I love that book-but it can be a bit of a barrier for some of our students unless we pair it with some accessibility supports. We can easily get some adapted versions of The Giver and maybe offer students the opportunity to partner read or use their online text readers.

Mrs. Summers: Yes, that makes sense. We may want to highlight key words or pictures to summarize the main points for some of our students who will still need additional help. And while we are at it, let's think about how to make it a bit more engaging for some of our students...maybe we can start with timelines related to their own lives and then move from there to historical events that shaped their world instead of from a historical event to themselves. It can go both ways.

Mr. Harris: Plus we could use some online timeline creation tools, pictures, or text-based timelines to provide students with lots of ways to engage with the timeline and get interested in the task.

The difference between these two conversations is subtle, but it illustrates one of the key ways differentiated instruction and UDL differ-as well as one of the biggest leaps teachers need to make if they are going to move to UDL-designed curriculum, instruction, and assessment. The biggest difference (and the most vital change teachers need to make to move to UDL-designed curriculum, instruction, materials, and assessment) is moving from the idea that the student is what creates barriers to learning to the idea that the curriculum, instruction, materials, and assessment create the barriers. And, while the conversations above may seem only minutely different, the belief that the student has the potential to access and make progress toward any goal significantly changes the way teachers approach planning, instruction, and assessment.

Consider the classic study by Rosenthal and Jacobsen (1968) that examined how student performance and teacher expectations were tied together. They found that "when we expect certain behaviors of others, we are likely to act in ways that make the expected behavior more likely to occur" (Rosenthal and Babad, 1985). Our instructional decisions are based on our expectations, even if we are not necessarily consciously aware of them.

When we work from the premise that the barrier is within the student, then our job as educators is to fix the student so he can access instruction and materials. This belief sets up limits for all the things a school system can't change about a student: missing limbs, intellectual disabilities, an impoverished home, language and cultural differences, etc. When we work from the premise that barriers are within the instruction and materials, then our job as educators is to change instruction and materials to remove and reduce those barriers. We, as educators and school systems have control over those things.

This doesn't mean it isn't difficult. Looking at creating a UDL classroom may seem absolutely overwhelming. Consider the CAST website for their curriculum self-check: it is HUGE. There are so many things to think about. And then, on top of that, for students with complex learning needs you are still probably going to need to add some individualized supports on top of the universally designed curriculum, like Mrs. Summers and Mr. Harris did when they added summarized text or pictures to represent key concepts and ideas from the full text. Conceptualizing the barrier as being within the curriculum, instruction and materials rather than the student may seem overwhelming for what initially seems like a tiny difference in how these two sets of teachers plan and teach. In my experience though, it is that single key difference that helps create a UDL classroom. It is that single key difference that improves students' opportunities to learn and sets up systems that improve student performance. In addition, it is that key difference that sets the stage for inclusive practices. So, if you want to build an inclusive classroom, the biggest step you can take is to change how you think about barriers.

Want to hear more from Deborah Taub? Be sure to check out this podcast she did on alternate assessment over at Think Inclusive, and this post on leaving behind the notion of inclusion as a place.

More on presuming the competence of all learners: "Presuming Competence: What It Is, What It Looks Like"

Deborah Taub is Director of Research and Programs at Keystone Assessment, where she provides research and professional development assistance for states, territories, and other entities working to develop and sustain best practice. She has assisted states in building and evaluating systemic programs, especially around issues of inclusive practice for students with complex instructional needs, such as those with low incidence disabilities or who are dually identified as having a disability and ELL. Dr. Taub has designed, implemented, and evaluated alternate assessments for students with significant cognitive disabilities, developed UDL and standards-based curricula and instruction, and conducted validity and alignment evaluations. She's an advisory member of National Center for Universal Design for Learning's UDL Taskforce, and a member of the TASH Inclusive Education Committee and the Council for Exceptional Children's CCSS Advisory Group.

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Your first step toward a UDL-designed classroom: Change how you think about barriers (Guest post) - Brookes Blog

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Happy Tuesday, #TeamInclusion! I have a guest post today that co-teachers and UDL advocates will want to read and share. It's by Dr. Deborah Taub, a UDL/inclusive ed expert and the Director of Research and Programs at Keystone Assessment. Through some short but powerful vignettes, she shows us what's possible when co-teachers embrace UDL principles [...]

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CAST Website - Interactive UDL Guidelines

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CAST Website - Interactive UDL Guidelines

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https://udlguidelines.cast.org/

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The UDL Guidelines are a tool used in the implementation of Universal Design for Learning, a framework to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all people based on scientific insights into how humans learn. Learn more about the Universal Design for Learning framework from CAST. The UDL Guidelines can be used by educators, curriculum developers, researchers, parents, and anyone else who wants to implement the UDL framework in a learning environment. These guidelines offer a set of concrete suggestions that can be applied to any discipline or domain to ensure that all learners can access and participate in meaningful, challenging learning opportunities.

Reenvisioning the UDL Guidelines

Because the UDL Guidelines are meant to be informed by feedback from the field as well as new research, they have been updated several times in the past. We are in the process of updating the Guidelines once again in our UDL Rising to Equity initiative.

This update will focus specifically on addressing systemic barriers that result in inequitable learning opportunities and outcomes. CAST aims to develop a transparent, inclusive, and community-driven process. If you are interested in collaborating and staying updated on our progress, we invite you to complete a brief survey.

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The UDL Guidelines are a tool used in the implementation of Universal Design for Learning, a framework to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all people based on scientific insights into how humans learn. Learn more about the Universal Design for Learning framework from CAST. The UDL Guidelines can be used by educators, curriculum developers, researchers, parents, and anyone else who wants to implement the UDL framework in a learning environment. These guidelines offer a set of concrete suggestions that can be applied to any discipline or domain to ensure that all learners can access and participate in meaningful, challenging learning opportunities.

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This page was developed to assist teachers in finding digital tools to help support learners in need of accommodations.

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Robert J. Marzano, PhD, is the co-founder and Chief Academic Officer of Marzano Research in Colorado. A leading researcher in education, he is a speaker, trainer, and author of more than 40 books and 300 articles on topics such as instruction, assessment, writing and implementing standards, cognition, effective leadership, and school intervention. His books include The Art and Science of Teaching and Effective Supervision. His practical translations of the most current research and theory into classroom strategies are internationally known and widely practiced by both teachers and administrators.

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Robert J. Marzano, PhD, is the co-founder and Chief Academic Officer of Marzano Research in Colorado. A leading researcher in education, he is a speaker, trainer, and author of more than 40 books and...

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https://familymath.stanford.edu/

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Free, Research-Based Materials for Supporting Family Math.

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Readiness Assessments for Math Project (RAMP) from SCOE

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Readiness Assessments for Math Project (RAMP) from SCOE

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This resource was developed as a collaborative effort between members of the Stanislaus County Office of Education Math and Literacy teams, Tuolumne County Superintendent of Schools, and Ceres Unified School District, with input from Stanislaus County teachers, students, and administrators.

The assessments for Grades 1-8 are aligned to the scope and sequence of both Eureka Math and GO Math.

For questions, revision suggestions or further support, please contact:

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SCOE Readiness Assessments for Math Project

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Presented by Amplify and Desmos, Math Teacher Lounge is a video series designed for K-12 math educators. Your hosts Bethany Lockhart Johnson and Dan Meyer will dig deep on topics you care about and feature guests you need to know about.

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Illustrative tasks and resources for content standards.

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Providing instructional and assessment tasks, lesson plans, and other resources for teachers, assessment writers, and curriculum developers since 2011.

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"...shows the mathematics of each grade level as a set of tasks that fit on one page."

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This is the challenge math standards author Jason Zimba responded to in 2019. To meet the challenge, he recruited a team to create Math Milestones™.

Math Milestones™ shows the mathematics of each grade level as a set of tasks that fit on one page. Standards and textbooks are dense and extensive, but teachers and students can see the the Milestones all at once. Math Milestones™ is a carefully crafted set of tasks that embody the mathematics of each grade, K-8. Each grade's tasks are a visualization of the grade-level standards in the language of teachers and students. These tasks are the foundation for a growing set of resources for purposes such as professional learning, curriculum analysis, assessment innovation, and parent support.

Math Milestones™ is an initiative of Student Achievement Partners founded by Jason Zimba, John W. Staley, and Elizabeth Meier. Our mission is to empower partners, states, and districts to improve mathematics achievement and strengthen mathematical identity among diverse communities of Black students, English learners, and students in poverty.

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This is the challenge math standards author Jason Zimba responded to in 2019. To meet the challenge, he recruited a team to create Math Milestones™. Math Milestones™ shows the mathematics of each grade level as a set of tasks that fit on one page.

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10 Retrieval Activities to Boost Student Learning & Retention

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10 Retrieval Activities to Boost Student Learning & Retention

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https://t.co/ybXNdQWGOv

Upgrading the traditional math warm-up with the brain in mind

Source: Liesl McConchie

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Here are 5 weeks of number sense routines (5-10 minute math talks) tailored to each grade K-5. Every slide deck includes a "how to" and a week each of:

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https://www.serpinstitute.org/math-by-example

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Development of MathByExample was led by Julie Booth (Temple University) through a SERP collaboration with several school districts. Major contributors to program development include: Kelly McGinn and Laura Young (Temple University), Allie Huyghe, Matthew Ellinger, Emily Schwartz, Avery Jones, and David Dudley (SERP). Special thanks! to the teachers, administrators, and students in our partner districts-Baltimore City Schools, Public Schools of Beloit, Public Schools of Brookline, Fort Madison Community School District, Oak Park Elementary District 97, and Penns Valley Area School District-who were essential to the project's success, providing feedback at critical points and inviting us into their classrooms along the way!

The collaboration has been supported to conduct this work by the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, through Grant R305A150456 to Strategic Education Research Partnership Institute. The information provided does not represent views of the funders.

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MathByExample assignments give students practice solving problems, as well as practice modeling, analyzing, critiquing, and articulating mathematical arguments.

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https://achieve.lausd.net/cms/lib/CA01000043/Centricity/domain/335/lessons/integrated%20math/cards/ThreeReadsCard-low.pdf

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Matt:
Hello SEL education community, my name is Matt Pearsall. I am the community manager here in the SEL and education community and I am really excited to be able to share with you today at the beginning the inauguration of our of our new speaker series when we start- we're having a regular series of community members and other people coming in and talking to us giving brief talks around various different topics on social emotional learning and I am not only excited to be kicking off this event but also really excited to be able to kick off at this event featuring somebody who had a chance to meet here before A long time SEL champion in the SEL education community, Lynn Thomas. And so we're gonna be talking about supporting learner variability and without further ado I wanto kind of introduce you all to Lynn Lynn can you tell everybody a little bit about yourself before we jump in?

Lynn:
Hi I'm Lynn Thomas I'd love to Matt. I'm really happy to be here. Really excited about speaking to everybody I'm an ed secondary school english teacher from dunville ontario and I'm also an HP Teaching Fellow and I really advocate for mental health support and mental wellness and social emotional learning. I'm really excited to be here today.

Great! And so this topic of supporting learner variability one of the things on it that I really appreciated when I heard that you wanted to talk about this was that this is something that we all, we, every educator deals with every single day and so kind of hearing how you this connection you found in a little bit you were telling me about it before we started got me really excited. So can you tell us a little bit more about about this this this tool that you've been using and and why it's so exciting?

Well yes definitely. I'm really excited to share it with you so um it's a tool that was introduced to me through being an HP Teaching Fellow and it's something that has been created by Digital Promise who are a non-profit organization who research and try and fill the digital learning gap. And the wonderful thing about it is like learner variability as we all know our kids come to school with all kinds of stuff in their backpack and everybody learns different and we try to adjust and do everything in our programs to try and support all those students and that's a real feat how do you do it for you know 30 odd kids in a room and that kind of thing and a lot of times it can be overwhelming when we try and think about well but how do I account for trauma? How do I account for social emotional learning? how do I account for any cognitive issues? How do I account for background knowledge? You know English language learner, there's so many things that it can feel overwhelming.

And how do you put all that together so the really cool thing about it - and it's called the Learner Variability Navigator - is that it does put all those things together and I love the fact that a lot of times we often think about when we want to do a social emotional learning activity it's very explicit and what I love about this is it offers strategies that are based on research to support any of the different variables or factors that affect learning. And it gives you teaching strategies and methodologies that support those things so you can build it as a thread throughout your program, like every single day and every single lesson without feeling like you're adding more. You know it's switching to how you teach something as opposed to teaching one more thing. And I think that sometimes can really you know it's it's a hard thing to figure out how to do. And you know what are those things it supports so well.

Matt: I think we got you got muted there Lynn there we go you're back

Lynn: okay so I'm having trouble picking which screen I want. That's the one. I got it. Okay sharing. Okay is it right can you see the Learner Variability Navigator? Yep okay.

So this is the Digital Promise's Learner Variability Project. As I said, Digital Promise is an independent nonprofit and their mission is to accelerate innovation and improve opportunities for learning. So basically, what they've done is they've taken research and put it at our fingertips. This is open source and free for all educators. So, you can see as we move down through their research, they've defined basically four pillars that are the main areas that they look at.

So you know here we have social emotional learning, and but we also have content cognition and student background. And then what they did is created looked at those pillars and looked at them in these different models. So they've broken it down basically into kind of numeracy and literacy, which basically they can hit on every single subject. Right, so for ease and because it's the one I'm most familiar with. So you know we'll have a look at the grade 7-12 model and explore the factors. So the first time I saw this, I was blown away by this part so here you can see the four pillars divided in the columns and you can see the factors that they discovered affected learning the most what's really marvelous is when I hover over any one of these factors you can see how some fade out and highlight and it shows automatically right there visually how they're interconnected. And I thought that was just brilliant because sometimes we would forget like you know I wouldn't have thought reading fluency would be affected that much by social emotional learning right and it really emphasized the importance of integrating everything together to support the whole child. And you know you can see like hearing is a factor you know it. I thought it was marvelous, but it gets better.

So on any one of these I can click on and it will take me to a summary page. And then basically outlines what the factor is here it can go it goes into a little more deeper explanation about those connections you know critical literacy so it talks about why is emotion why does critical literacy get affected by emotion you know why does competition get affected so those it really helps. It's, it's like the best teacher PDA out there, I think also.

And again explains all the main ideas so in emotion and if you continue down the page it gives you lots of opportunities to learn more. And I like this - the view measures and references. And it's a little different on for each of the factors, but what's wonderful is one you could dig into the references if you wanted to, but it also gives you measures. So sometimes, these are specific sorts of assessments that you could use in the classroom sometimes they're more specialized where it might be your school psychologist or something like that would deliver and interpret these sorts of assessments but there's a lot of them that the classroom teacher could utilize to then give themselves a better base of understanding so then if we go back and as I said sometimes there's a couple of different measures in there and and then you can see it goes into what are the strategies for this factor and before we get into there I will go back up to the top and you'll notice here we have strategies. So I'll show you that and again here we can see all the different areas down the left hand side and on the right hand side we see all the various strategies again that have been extensively researched and you can see just by the color coding what ones support each of the different factors and for example we can look at annotating. And again like before when I click on annotating I'm taken to a summary page that gives me an overview of what is this strategy and what is it like. But it's really awesome because it then gives me a perfect like a lovely example of it in action in a classroom. It also on the right hand side gives me an example of a technology tool that does a really good job in supporting this specific factor, so you know if you want to need to want to etcetera integrate technology you can find out what ones are really good at supporting that factor.

And as before you there's a ton of examples so you can really learn how are people using this strategy in their classroom and find something that really works for you and learn about it better and even dig into more research if you want to go down rabbit hole, which I have you know so and you can really find out different strategies and what they look like and how successful they can be and work in the classroom.

And finally up here in explorers what's really cool is you can create your own workspace and I'm just gonna show you directly the workspace that I created and what it does. Basically, it's you can go and select five or six factors that maybe you want to focus in on. You know, your class needs etc and that's what I did with this where I was given a new course to start this year our whole board is shifting our grade english courses to indigenous literature and so looking at that coming into coming back to school this year obviously I had a lot of things that I had to think about so I selected specific factors that I thought were going to be really important. So background knowledge because it's kind of lacking critical literacy always important in the english classroom but I also looked at given the emotions and adverse experiences and it's great because this workspace you can give annotation notes so you know I thought okay there's a lot of things that might be triggering just because of the subject matter this year emotions are probably going to be a big factor because of coming out of you know isolation etc and you can share the workspace so you could collaborate with colleagues wow you can just share it straight as a view viewing piece and the strategies that it came up with now it gives me a really great panorama I guess strategies that I can use and build on in my classroom so I know I'm supporting those different factors throughout what I'm teaching, no matter what the content material is.

This is really cool. This is, it's amazing yeah - the depth and breadth has just been phenomenal and the learning possibilities like as a teacher to see how those things are connected and learn the strategies that can support so many different things at the same time is just phenomenal. Yeah I think I mean one of the most powerful things I think from this is I hear a lot, I hear people saying "Well how do we move social motion learning into the classroom?" and I think there's a lot of real there's a lot of high level ways that we talk about that a lot but this really makes it very concrete it's like here's this teaching strategy that that probably most educators will recognize They'll say "oh I already do that, yeah like a gallery walk." How many of us do gallery walks all the time? Well now it's like, "Oh look at that, it supports emotion and it supports motivation. Wow, I wouldn't have thought that." Yeah right - or a guided inquiry. Like, "oh it didn't occur to me that that could be a social emotional learning tool."

Lynn: Yeah and and when when when when we kind of are aware of that then we can be a lot more intentional about how we're approaching it and saying that I'm not just doing this as an academic exercise I'm doing it as a social emotional learning exercise at the same time.

Yeah. Yeah, and I thought it was really cool you know obviously we still need those explicit times where you know maybe we're looking at the vocabulary and the social emotional word wheel or you know and that check-in and that kind of thing but to then carry it throughout the day in the various ways that you teach I think is just phenomenal. Yeah, wow. I really appreciate you you sharing this with us. I think I'd like to ask just one one question here at the end before we before we wrap up and say that that for people approaching this for the first time, what's the what's the where should they start? What's the what's the what's the first place they should go to, you know, What I - just again - it's pretty straightforward how they have it set up is just go to the Learner Variability Project, and I believe you put that n the chat for people to grab and I also gave you a link to a slideshow. Oh yeah let me put that I I made surrounding the learner Navigator Yeah sorry the Learner Variability Navigator and there's a ton of links in there and one specific link at the end resources is basically kind of a one-pager of how to get started and how to create your own workspace. And it's like a one-pager and there's a ton more examples of workspaces that are really really helpful to see how people have utilized it like one teacher used it and sent the link home of her workspace because it explained to the parents all the different strategies and factors

That is a really cool yeah really neat idea because I feel like that's that's something that that's often a real that's a it's a gap in communication between families and educators about about why are we doing things what are the what are the reasons what are the reasons that we do this why does education look different than it used to that sort of those sort of conversations though yeah exactly exactly. So you know there's a wide array of ways that you can use it you know for for your own learning to improve your own practice but also to reach out and make connections with your parents and community

Matt: Well thank you so much for sharing this Lynn, I know the thing I'm going to dig into in this as soon as we get off of here is I'm going to go look at the assessment tools that are laid out in there because that is something that I come that comes up all the time about what are some different ways that we can assess things that are that are they can be done alongside academics. This would be is going to be really useful to a lot of people. That's where I'm headed, yeah for sure.

Lynn: And like I said you could get lost going down the rabbit hole in this Navigator, but it's well worth it.

Matt: Cool! Well again Lynn, thank you so much. I really appreciate you joining us, and for those of you watching at home, I just wanna remind everyone that this is the this is the first of our of our social emotional learning kind of speaker series we're having in the SEL and education community you can continue the conversation right here you see the link to our group. We'd love to see you there. We'll be doing more of these. We've got another one coming up a week from from today with JV Johnson talking about emotional motion management. So, without further ado thank you very much, and we will see you all next week take care everybody. Thank you, Lynn.

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Learner Variability Navigator | Learner Variability Project

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Matt: Hello SEL education community, my name is Matt Pearsall.

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PZ's Thinking Routines Toolbox | Project Zero

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The Toolbox organizes the Thinking Routines into categories that describe the types of thinking the routines help to facilitate. Some routines appear in more than one category, and some routines have different versions that offer modifications for specific age groups or more specific conceptual challenges.

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Curriculum Design Example - UDL and SWD supports

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Curriculum Design Example - UDL and SWD supports

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These materials empower all students with activities that capitalize on their existing strengths and abilities to ensure that all learners can participate meaningfully in rigorous mathematical content. Lessons support a flexible approach to instruction and provide teachers with options for additional support to address the needs of a diverse group of students, positioning all learners as competent, valued contributors.

When planning to support access, teachers should consider the strengths and needs of their particular students. The following areas of cognitive functioning are integral to learning mathematics ( Addressing Accessibility Project, Brodesky et al., 2002).

Conceptual Processing includes perceptual reasoning, problem solving, and metacognition.

Language includes auditory and visual language processing and expression.

Visual-Spatial Processing includes processing visual information and understanding relation in space of visual mathematical representations and geometric concepts.

Organization includes organizational skills, attention, and focus.

Memory includes working memory and short-term memory.

Attention includes paying attention to details, maintaining focus, and filtering out extraneous information.

Social-Emotional Functioning includes interpersonal skills and the cognitive comfort and safety required in order to take risks and make mistakes.

Fine-motor Skills include tasks that require small muscle movement and coordination such as manipulating objects (graphing, cutting with scissors, writing).

Supplemental instructional strategies that can be used to increase access, reduce barriers and maximize learning are included in each lesson, listed in the activity narratives under " Access for Students with Disabilities." Each support is aligned to the Universal Design for Learning Guidelines ( udlguidelines.cast.org), and based on one of the three principles of UDL, to provide alternative means of engagement, representation, or action and expression. These supports provide teachers with additional ways to adjust the learning environment so that students can access activities, engage in content, and communicate their understanding. Supports are tagged with the areas of cognitive functioning they are designed to address to help teachers identify and select appropriate supports for their students. Designed to facilitate access to Tier 1 instruction by capitalizing on student strengths to address challenges related to cognitive functions or disabilities, these strategies and supports are appropriate for any students who need additional support to access rigorous, grade-level content.

Teachers are encouraged to use what they know about their students' IEPs, strengths and challenges, and a UDL approach to ensure access. In cases where students may benefit from alternative means of access or support, teachers can draw on ideas from the tables below or visit udlguidelines.cast.org for more information.

UDL Strategies to Enhance Access

The tables below include select examples of the types of supports that are found in these materials. Each UDL principle includes varied levels with suggestions that support ways to increase access to the learning goal, ways to develop or build understanding, and ways to empower learners to internalize learning and executive function.

Engagement
Students' attitudes, interests, and values help to determine the ways in which they are most engaged and motivated to learn. Supports that provide students with multiple means of engagement include suggestions that support students' motivation to engage with content, develop effort and persistence, and internalize self regulation.

Provide Access by Recruiting Interest

Provide choice: invite students to decide which problem to start with, select a subset of problems to complete, which strategy to use, the order they complete a task

Provide access to a variety of tools or materials

Leverage curiosity and students' existing interests; invite students to name connections to their own lived experiences

Use visible timers and alerts to prepare for transitions

Representation
Teachers can reduce barriers and leverage students' individual strengths by inviting students to engage with the same content in different ways. Supports provide students with multiple means of representation, include suggestions that offer alternatives for the ways information is presented or displayed, develop student understanding and use of mathematical language and symbols, and describe organizational methods and approaches designed to help students internalize learning.

Develop Language and Symbols

Support use of vocabulary, mathematical notation, and symbols with charts, pictures, diagrams, tables

Highlight connections between representations to make patterns and properties explicit

Present problems or contexts in multiple ways, with diagrams, drawings, pictures, media, tables, graphs, or other mathematical representations

Use translations, descriptions, movement, and images to support unfamiliar words or phrases

Action and Expression
Throughout the curriculum, students are invited to share both their understanding and their reasoning about mathematical ideas with others. Supports that provide students with multiple means of action and expression include suggestions that empower students with: access to appropriate tools, templates, and assistive technologies, options for the ways they communicate their learning, and resources that facilitate executive functioning.

Develop Expression and Communication

Offer flexibility and choice with the ways students demonstrate and communicate their understanding

Invite students to explain their thinking verbally or nonverbally with manipulatives, drawings, diagrams

Support fluency with graduated levels of support or practice

Apply and gradually release scaffolds to support independent learning

Support discourse with sentence frames or visible language displays

For additional information about the Universal Design for Learning framework, or to learn more about supporting students with disabilities, visit the Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST) at udlguidelines.cast.org.
Accessibility for Students with Visual Impairments
Features built into the materials that make them more accessible to students with visual impairments include:

1. A color palette using colors that are distinguishable to people with the most common types of color blindness.

2. Tasks and problems designed such that success does not depend on the ability to distinguish between colors.

3. Mathematical diagrams are presented in scalable vector graphic (SVG) format, which can be magnified without loss of resolution, and are possible to render in Braille.

4. Where possible, text associated with images is not part of the image file, but rather, included as an image caption that is accessible to screen readers.

5. Alt text on all images, to make the materials easier to interpret for users accessing the materials with a screen reader.

If students with visual impairments are accessing the materials using a screen reader, it is important to understand:

All images in the curriculum have alt text: a very short indication of the image's contents, so that the screen reader doesn't skip over as if nothing is there.

Some images have a longer description to help a student with a visual impairment recreate the image in their mind.

It is important for teachers to understand that students with visual impairments are likely to need help accessing images in lesson activities and assessments, and prepare appropriate accommodations. Be aware that mathematical diagrams are provided as scalable vector graphics (SVG format), because this format can be magnified without loss of resolution.

Accessibility experts who reviewed this curriculum recommended that students who would benefit should have access to a Braille version of the curriculum materials, because a verbal description of many of the complex mathematical diagrams would be inadequate for supporting their learning. All diagrams are provided in the SVG file type so that they can be rendered in Braille format.

References

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Illustrative Mathematics Universal Design for Learning and Access for Students with Disabilities - Teachers | Kendall Hunt

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These materials empower all students with activities that capitalize on their existing strengths and abilities to ensure that all learners can participate meaningfully in rigorous mathematical content. Lessons support a flexible approach to instruction and provide teachers with options for additional support to address the needs of a diverse group of students, positioning all learners as competent, valued contributors.

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Learning for Justice is a community education program of the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) that centers civic and political action education for everyone.

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Zearn Math | Top-rated Math Learning Platform

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Learning with Zearn helps math make sense. Students explore math through pictures, visual models, and real-life examples. Log in to your Zearn account.

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110 Math Lit Books w/ YouTube read alouds

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110 Math Lit Books w/ YouTube read alouds

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A book list of 110 math literature titles for early elementary ages with links to read alouds on YouTube. Great as a hook for new skills, to preview books, re-read, or as a supplement your lesson plans.

I've researched, read, and collected a lot of math books. My oldest loves math, and some of these books have been a great hook for learning new skills. I've been incorporating read-alouds in our math basket each week.
There's something about a YouTube read aloud video. It's a cross between books and TV that hits the sweet spot with kids. I used to use videos daily with my first graders during their snack. Ten minutes of peace. Ahhh. Plus they were so excited to see a book they read or read the book again after they "saw it on TV."
Hyperlinked text links to YouTube read alouds.

How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin
Six Dinner Sid (counting and patterns)
Fish Eyes, A Book You Can Count On
10 Terrible Dinosaurs

Lifetime: The Amazing Numbers in Animal Lives
Arctic 5 Arrives (skip counting by 5)
The Cheerios Counting Book (counting by 1s and 10s)

Leaping Lizards (skip counting by 5s and 10s)
Spunky Monkeys on Parade (skip counting by 2s, 3s, 4s)

A Place for Zero: A Math Adventure
Zero the Hero
Zero is the Leaves on the Tree

How Big is a Million
How Many Jelly Beans
Can you Count to a Googol?
A Million Dots

Ten Flashing Fireflies
Animals on Board
The Grapes of Math

A Fair Bear Share (regrouping)
Mall Mania (addition strategies)

The Action of Subtraction
Subtraction Action
Elevator Magic

Captain Invincible and the Space Shapes
Whale of a Tale (2d shapes and origami)
Three Pigs, One Wolf, and Seven Magic Shapes
Grandfather Tang's Story

Follow the Line
Seeing Symmetry

The Penny Pot
A Chair for my Mother (saving money)
Alexander, Who Used to be Rich Last Sunday

The Berenstein Bears' Trouble with Money
A Dollar, A Penny, How Much, How Many?
Follow the Money
The Coin Counting Book

One Cent, Two Cents, Old Cents, New Cents
Once Upon a Dime
A Dollar for Penny

Slugger's Car Wash
Eyewitness Book: Money

If You Were an Odd Number
If You Were an Even Number
Splitting the Herd
The Odds Get Even

On the Scale, A Weighty Tale
Fannie in the Kitchen (cooking measurements)

The Clock Struck One (time to the hour)
It's About Time

Sir Cumference
Sir Cumference and the First Round Table
Sir Cumference and the Dragon of Pi
Sir Cumference and All the King's Tens
Sir Cumference and the Sword in the Cone

Hershey's
Multiplication Book
Fractions
Addition Book
Weights and Measures

More math from the Resource Room:

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110 Math Literature Books for Early Elementary Grades with links to YouTube read-alouds - The Homeschool Resource Room

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A list of 110 (mostly literature) books for learning math aimed at early elementary age children. Links are to read aloud videos on YouTube - to use as a hook for new skills, to preview books, if our library doesn't have a copy available, or as a support to read alouds.

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Fluency Resources for Addition & Subtraction

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Fluency Resources for Addition & Subtraction

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Fluency Resources for Multiplication & Division

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Fluency Resources for Multiplication & Division

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Higher order thinking - math and science.pdf

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Let's make the "next normal" a "better normal."
Explore professional books and service offerings for teachers, coaches, and school leaders so that, together, we can benefit from the lessons learned to accelerate learning, rebuild agency, and rethink schools. It's time to "rebound" to a better normal!

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Let's make the "next normal" a "better normal." Explore professional books and service offerings for teachers, coaches, and school leaders so that, together, we can benefit from the lessons learned to accelerate learning, rebuild agency, and rethink schools. It's time to "rebound" to a better normal!

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Classroom Challenges are lessons that support teachers in formative assessment. There are 100 lessons in total, 20 at each grade from 6 to 8 and 40 for 'Career and College Readiness' at High School Grades 9 and above. Some lessons are focused on developing math concepts, others on solving non-routine problems.

The Brief Guide for teachers and administrators (PDF) is recommended reading before using these lessons for the first time.

Each lesson is downloadable as an all-in-one PDF to print out, and a supporting PowerPoint presentation.

Finding a Lesson

There are several ways of navigating:

1. Use the menu on the left to browse by grade and topic area, or search for a key phrase.

2. Go to the Standards tab to find lessons linked to a particular content standard or practice.

3. The complete set of lessons is listed below in alphabetic order.

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Classroom Challenges are lessons that support teachers in formative assessment. There are 100 lessons in total, 20 at each grade from 6 to 8 and 40 for 'Career and College Readiness' at High School Grades 9 and above.

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Problem Solving in All Seasons - PK-Grade 2

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Problem Solving in All Seasons - PK-Grade 2

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Problem Solving in All Seasons Grades 3-5

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Problem Solving in All Seasons Grades 3-5

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Being an English Language Arts teacher is about sharing your love for reading with students, bringing characters to life, modeling how to evaluate and think critically, and artfully choosing texts that help students build knowledge about themselves and the world around them. It is also about storytelling through written and verbal expression and giving students the learning opportunities to practice these skills and find their voice.

As teachers, what we choose to teach and talk about matters, and it is our job to choose topics and texts that reflect our students because they matter. For far too long, our Black, Indigenous, and students of color have either seen themselves tokenized, misrepresented, or not represented at all. It is time to reconsider what texts we view as canon, what voices we regard as worthy, and what themes, storylines, and storytelling mediums are considered academic or rigorous. It is time to select the stories that really matter: ones that center and empower our BIPOC students.

Those whose classes are predominantly white, these stories still matter and are critical to your work as an antiracist educator. I challenge you to assess your existing curriculum, make shifts in your instruction, and commit to bringing diverse voices into your learning spaces (and not just during heritage months or on multicultural diversity day).
Stories as Windows
A window is something you can see the world through, and the texts we put in front of our students should share this quality. When it comes to reading, we have all heard the narrative that books transport readers to different realms and allow us to escape. Or, books give us a way to experience another culture or live the life of a person who may be different from us or may have come long before us. While this all may seem harmless, one can argue that these thoughts are insensitive and lack critical awareness. When we teach students this, we give students the impression that cultures and places in the world require escape, that they are different in a bad way, and this can perpetuate ideas of xenophobia and assimilation.

Instead, what if we were to use windows to learn history, authentic perspectives, and perhaps, shared experiences? What if these windows could help us be better global citizens and teach us ways to navigate, honor culture, and make prosocial choices?

When thinking of windows, consider:

Who are my students?

What are their interests?

What do my students find curious?

What world knowledge can we build together?

What connections to prior knowledge can we make?

Through what ways can I learn different things about my students?

Stories as Mirrors
Mirrors allow us to see ourselves. They show us what we look like, they let us examine ourselves, and they can give us a glimpse of our ancestry and heritage. Sometimes a mirror will show you a part of you that you did not notice before, and there is beauty in that. When choosing stories, they should reflect images of our students' multiple identities and the world we truly live in.

Seeing ourselves in literature is a gift. It is an empowering experience as a reader to see a protagonist who has a similar name to us and shares a similar background. It is uplifting to meet a character who is like you in some way and relate to them, watch them develop and grow over time in a way that is not cliche. It is inspiring to read an author's work whose voice feels like that of a family member. It is special to be able to connect with a person you will never get to meet. These mirrors help us see ourselves in relation to the world and help us build connection and a sense of belonging. They also show readers what is possible.

When thinking of mirrors, consider:

What more do I need to know about my students?

What are their funds of knowledge?

How does intersectionality live in our learning spaces?

How do my students see themselves?

What activities can I design to help students explore their identity/identities?

How can I prepare myself so I can best support students in this process?

Thinking Critically About The Texts
We love to tout "rich texts" and "complex texts" but what does that really mean when white authors are massively overrepresented and authors of color are virtually absent in our public school curricula?

When selecting texts, some teachers use the Text Complexity Model, which takes into account:

Qualitative measures: the makeup of a text including its knowledge demands and levels of meaning

Quantitative measures: things like Lexile level, text difficulty, and readability.

The reader and task: the reader's background, their reading skills and metacognitive reading strategies, prior experiences and funds of knowledge, developmental levels of appropriateness, and the task itself.

I would argue that teachers should also use a critical race lens when selecting texts. To have a critical race lens means to understand oneself deeply in relation to dominant culture and its racist and oppressive systems and policies. It also involves seeing how our experiences may differ from others based on these systems and policies. Teachers who have this awareness can call out racism in various settings. In terms of text selection, they can choose texts that counter the single story and false narratives as well as challenge token inclusion and interrupt dominant ideologies around assimilation and meritocracy in the existing curriculum.

Here are some questions to help facilitate your text selection process:

Author and Identity-- Who wrote this? Can you use poets, artists, and other creatives as storytellers? What values do these authors stand for? Do they have the right to carry BIPOC voices?

Characters and Character Development-- Who is the protagonist and how are they developed? What characters are represented and are they misrepresented? Does the character development perpetuate stereotypes or false and harmful narratives? What role does intersectionality play in the story? Do characters look like the different yet full selves of your students?

Themes and Ideas-- Do themes mirror assimilationist ideology and make students feel like they need to conform to dominant culture? Do themes teach students that working hard is all you need to do to succeed? Do the hardships and resolutions of stories encourage students to follow the status quo? Are you willing to get rid of texts that do this? Are you prepared to provide students with counter narratives? Do the ideas of the texts uphold white supremacist culture or capitalist culture? For example, ideas of false urgency, perfectionism, and individualism?

Joy and Resilience-- Do your texts highlight and showcase the joy of Black people, Indigenous people, and people of color? Do your texts (stories, songs, poems, narratives, articles, art expressions) tell and showcase counter narratives? Do you celebrate joy and tell stories of joy beyond heritage months? If you recognize and applause students for resilience, how do you demonstrate to them why they're resilient and have had to be resilient? How often are the stories you tell ones of destruction and death? Do your texts explain why students have "grit" and resilience?

Language-- Does the language in a text cause harm, marginalize, exclude, etc.? How is language or differences in language portrayed in the text? Is it negative? How can we honor students' home language and language variants in the texts we put in front of students?

A Quick Note About Nonfiction Texts

There is an abundance of nonfiction texts to choose from in the age of information and ever flowing news cycles. You may choose to analyze articles, news stories, opinion pieces, Tweets, headlines, graphs and charts, and other informational texts. Either way, it is equally important that we choose texts that help teach students about themselves and social issues that arise and those that are all around us. Consider the role you might play in gatekeeping or withholding important information our students deserve to know.

I know that we are all doing and holding a lot as teachers. Whether you are teaching in a classroom, from a distance, or in a hybrid or blended learning environment, know that you are not alone. May you continue to show up and bring life to the stories that matter.

Thank you for the support around this post. The purpose of this edit is to amplify and give credit to Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop. I would be remiss to not name Dr. Bishop and her influence on my understanding of this analogy. Whether it was through a video I watched, a professional development session, or an article I read, her work made a lasting impact on my instructional practice.

In our collective mission of becoming actively antiracist and pushing our practice when it comes to elements like critical literacy, diversifying and decolonizing our libraries, and cultural responsivity, we encounter the work of tremendous and revolutionary thinkers, many of whom are Black women. As we continue to study, learn, and spread knowledge, I encourage you to do some intellectual digging! Who influenced this? Where did this idea come from? Who led this work? And then share and credit that knowledge.

Learn more about Dr. Bishop:

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the importance of windows and mirrors in stories

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The Importance of Windows and Mirrors in Stories | PBS Education

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Your source for teaching inspiration, blogs, and online professional events.

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Building Equitable Learning Environments Library

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Building Equitable Learning Environments Library

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The BELE Resource Library is an evolving repository of resources and recommendations for folks working at all levels of the K-12 education system-including educators, administrators, policymakers, and parents-to use in pursuit of an improved student experience at school-one where every student feels valued and can develop fundamental life skills.

This collaborative space features resources sourced from across the BELE Network designed to support teachers, create student-centered learning experiences at school, guide the investment of funds, and much more.

The BELE Resource Library is grounded in seven Essential Actions that describe the changes and processes needed to create supportive, engaging and caring environments for students and adults.
You can navigate the Resource Library using "Search by Essential Action" or the drop-down menu of filters below the search bar to find the best resource to meet your needs.

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Learn more and get curated resources by visiting the BELE Library.

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The Mindset Kit is a free set of online lessons and practices designed to help you teach and foster adaptive beliefs about learning.

Sign up to receive updates & join our community
Get started

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Mindset Kit - Resources for growth and learning mindsets

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A free resource for educators and parents who want to foster learning mindsets such as growth mindset. Follow lessons and practices from experts and members of our community.

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Fostering Student Engagement in the Mathematical Practices article

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Fostering Student Engagement in the Mathematical Practices article

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100 Numbers to Get Students Talking Task

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100 Numbers to Get Students Talking Task

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Good group work (Source: Sara VanDerWerf)

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Sara VanDerWerf - Inspiration and resources for mathematics teachers

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New UPDATE - October 2022 - with new 100 Numbers form at end of post (scroll down)

UPDATE May 2020 - Several super creative educators are re-imagining this activity for the COVID-19 era. Scroll to the bottom for links to their ideas.

UPDATE! (8.17.17) There are 3 new versions of this activity - scroll to the bottom for links/downloads.

I have 5-10 things that other math teachers ask me for again and again. (eventually I'll blog about all of them). The item in this blog is one of them. This one is different though because I also get tons and tons of feedback on how useful it is.

My friend Megan Schmidt (@veganmathbeagle) blogged this week about Making Groups Work using a task she got from me. She encouraged me to blog about the same task she did. The following post will have some similarities to Megans with a few additions. Make sure to read her post. ONE SIDE NOTE: MARILYN BURNS (math goddess) commented on her post on this activity, so this activity must have something you may want to look at - just sayin.

January 2017 update: Thom Gibso n recently made a video about him using this task with his students. Check it out here and read further for my take on this task.

My goal:

A quote that has longed haunted me from a presentation I saw several years ago is ' He/she who does the most talking does the most learning' . I had heard versions of this before, but 10 years ago I decided to get serious about changing the percentage of time I talk in class and increase the percent of time EVERY student in my class was talking. I changed lots of things. This post is about just one tweak I made. The results of all these tweaks was a noticeable increase in the time EVERY student in my class talked about math out loud. My goal is to get all students talking - about math - every day.

A TASK to get every group to look like this Day 3 of school.

If I am going to get students to talk every day of class, then I need to teach them how to work in groups and teach them how to talk to one another. This is my goal week one of school. Lots of years ago, Beth Esposito gave me this task (I think it is an AVID task) that I've adapted. It is magic. It makes groups look like the pics above with little effort on my part. I've used this activity in both middle and high school and it works great at both levels. Here is the task. I call it the 100# task.

Implementing the task:

1. Group students any way you like (my groups week one are alphabetical). Groups of 4 work best for this task. Groups of 3 and 5 work too.

2. This task takes a minimum of 25 minutes and can last up to a 55 minute class period depending on how you implement the task. I spend longer with middle school students and it seems to go more quickly with HS students. I've done this task on the 3rd day of school the last several years.

3. You will need one highlighter per student and 3 copies per group of the first page of this task. 1-100_group_work_activity (Note: This document is a set of directions I attached to my districts curriculum guides that has some of the information written below 1-100 Task Directions or Teachers

4. Tell your students that in this class they will be expected to talk about math out loud everyday. Many days they will be talking and working with either a partner or their group. Today we are going to practice what it is like to work in groups.

5. Give directions for the task. I show the task on my Smart Board for 1 minute and turn it off. I then say their group will have 3 minutes to find as many numbers from 1-100 in order. Group members will take turns going in a circle highlighting each number as they find it. Student 1 will highlight 1, student 2 highlights 2, student 3 highlights 3....when we get back to student 1, they highlight the next number. They can help each other find numbers, but each student has to highlight their number in turn.

6. Ask students to clear their tables of everything . Hand out one highlighter per student. Hand out one copy of the numbers 1-100 to each group UPSIDE DOWN.

7. Put a 3 minute timer up front. (note to teachers, groups generally find 20-40 numbers the first time they do this activity). Say go. While students are working, GET OUT YOUR PHONE and start taking pictures of the groups as they work. I take pics of every group in round 1 and 2 of this activity.

8. At 3 minutes, say 'hands up'. Ask groups how many numbers they found. Tell them we will be doing this activity again. Have students talk with their group about a strategy to do better the next time. Give groups 2-5 minutes to talk. Have a few groups share out what went well in round 1.

9. This is where you have some choice. You need to do this 3 minute activity at least twice, but can do it 3 or 4 times. I do the 3 min round twice with HS students and 3 times with MS students.

10. If you only do this twice, then ask students to also talk about any patterns they noticed in the numbers. Tell them there is a pattern to the numbers. (On day 2 I gave them the definition of math-the study of patterns and we talked about how recognizing patterns can make us more efficient) Ask students to share out what they noticed. I do this on the smart board. I've always had at least one group in every class that noticed that the first number was in the top left quadrant and the 2nd number was in the upper right quadrant as shown below (and I show this to everyone on the smart board after a group names it). If you are doing the 3 min round 3 times, wait to talk about patterns until between rounds 2 and 3.

11. In round 2 (and 3) tell students that their goal is to get more than round 1. (Note, I love how Megan implemented this part and recorded their results in round 1 and 2 and calculated the % increase. I've not done it that way yet, but I will). Set the timer for 3 minutes. Say go and TAKE PHOTOS again.

12. At 3 minutes day 'hands up'. Collect the results. I've always had EVERY single group's result go up.

13. Next show students the photos you took while they are working in groups. When I do this, almost every student says 'I did not even know you took our photo'. I then ask why do you think this was? They say they were so focused on the task that they did not

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notice what was going on around them. I say, this is what I want group work to look like EVERY time we do group work in my class.

14. I have every student get out their notebook and do a individual quick write on the question "What does great group work in math look like?" Students share their ideas with their groups and groups share out ideas with the class as I record their ideas.

15. The next day I come to class with a consolidated list of what group work looks like in Ms. Van's classroom. I tell them this is the rubric we will use all year. Here is a copy of what my 2015-2016 students came up with.

16. The next day it is imperative that you have a group task for students to work on in class so they can practice working in groups using the rubric they developed.

17. Here are the tasks I've used the last couple of years. You want to choose a task that has multiple entry points for all level of students. Something they will struggle with a bit, but not too much. Something that is emotionally safe for the class since we are just getting to know one another. Since I use this the first week of school I select tasks that should be review of material they've learned in the past (but may have forgotten). Here are my favorite tasks to use for this:

1. In grade 7 I used Dan Meyer's Partial Product Task. Students should enter 7th grade with an understanding of ratios, and this is a great task for week 1.

2. In grade 8 I used the In & Out 100×100 task from Robert Kaplinsky's site.

3. This year in AdvAlgebra I used Fawn Nguyens Noah's Ark task. This task would work well at most grade levels. Noahs-Ark

4. UPDATE 9.14.18: I get asked all the time for other tasks to use with students. If you have one, please share what you use. One recent person emailed asking about tasks for 5th grade. My good friend, Laura Wagenman, responded that she loves using Jo Boaler's Four 4's as a first task after the 100 #'s group modeling task. She shared all of her upper elementary beginning of the year stuff HERE. (thanks Laura).

18. After spending time working with partners on the task, give students some type of exit ticket to reflect on their group work for the day. Here is one I used.

19. I recommend printing out and posting the pictures you took of groups working. Every time you do group work, point to the pictures and say 'Today we are doing a group task, what do I expect your group to look/sound/feel like today?'

20. You can use this task mid year too. If you do, I recommend using it at the start of a quarter or semester.

That's it. The 25 minutes I spend on this task at the start of the year pays off big time I do group or partner work. Students know what group work should look like, as a result more students talk in class. I have more tricks up my sleeve to get students talking, but this is one of the first I do each school year.

UPDATE! (8.17.17) There are 3 new versions of this activity!

Greta Bergman made a version 2 of this activity to use with students who had seen my original one above. It includes expressions and a new pattern. Check it out on her blog HERE for more information and to download the pdf.

Tony Riehl made a version for groups of 3. Download his version HERE: 100s chart for groups of 3

I teach HS and have shared the original task with many, many in my district. I too want to try something new this fall. Here is what I came up with for my Advanced Algebra (Alg 2) classes. I am a bit concerned using expressions made up of factors vs. just numbers as it takes away from the week 1 safety of the original task. I am a bit fearful of students shutting down if they don't define themselves as being quick with math facts. I plan to define a few terms prior by printing this on the pack of their task sheet (I always pass out the 100#'s upside down).

I then plan to have them flip the sheet to the 100# expressions side and let them all silently look at it for 30-60 seconds before we begin to give them some time to look for their first few numbers.

There are a couple of things to notice on this version. Every expression is some factored form (some using exponents) of the numbers 1 to 100. You will notice the prime numbers are written as '11' vs '11×1′. I plan to ask questions later about what they notice about the placement of numbers.

I switched up the starting quadrant (quadrant 4) and the direction (counter-clockwise) compared to the original. I am a bit worried about starting with 10 to the zero power for 1, we will see how this goes. I will be using this the week of August 28th. I'll update you on how this activity goes.

Here is the Word-doc of my new version with factor/expressions: 100# task FACTORS

Let me know if you find mistakes or have suggestions for improving this task. Have a great start to your school years.

I thought I'd show you how I display the photos I take of my students as they work on the 100# task. I just put this years photos up in my classroom for our Open House tonight. I love to have the photos on my walls so I can refer to them whenever we do a group task and ask "What are 4 things I am looking for all groups to be doing while we work today" as I point at the pictures. (for more on how I hung these up, see my post 'A peek inside my classroom ')

I'd love to hear what you think. Email me at sarav@mpls.k12.mn.us or Tweet me @saravdwerf or Comment below.
UPDATE January 21, 2019
I get asked often about other activities you can use if you've already used the 100 number task. Check out this twitter thread for other ideas...Click the tweet below to see other's ideas.

Does anyone have good first day of the semester tasks that involve students working together in groups? I've done @saravdwerf 100 task and Building 3D shapes out of yarn. #mtbos
- Julia Shube (@jnshube) January 21, 2019

UPDATE Spring/Summer 2020

On idea from teachers is to create slides and move this into ZOOM breakout rooms.

UPDATE October 2022 - For everyone that has asked for another version of the 100#'s - Lauren Johnson came to your rescue!

Link to Lauren's version.... https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1s6vsVw4nApkNCULr1SPK9ZPPnI8eqYYkH6fsTGFyvbc/edit#slide=id.g16c940c7438_1_34 (organized in diagonal quadrants)

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100 Numbers to Get Students Talking - Sara VanDerWerf

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New UPDATE - October 2022 - with new 100 Numbers form at end of post (scroll down) UPDATE AUGUST 2020: Is it possible to do the 100 Number Task in Distance Learning? I have a new post answering this question.

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Decomposing 5 (K.OA.3)

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Concept: Math in Literature, composing and decomposing numbers within 10 (K.OA.3)

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You've got what it takes - you know your child best. But even superheroes need a team. We're here to help you support learning at home - with simple actions to help your child reach their goals.

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Author: Kathryn Otoshi

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Math Flips are flashcards with a problem on the front and a similar problem on the back (instead of a problem and an answer) to encourage relational thinking rather than answer-getting.

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Public Math is a collective that seeks to support positive math identities through projects that engage children, families, and adults in playful, creative mathematics as they go about their daily lives. Playgrounds, public transportation, waiting rooms, fairs, and neighborhoods are the venues for our work.

We are grateful for the financial support of CPM, Desmos, The Math Learning Center, and The Math Happens Foundation.

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Public Math is a collective that seeks to support positive math identities through projects that engage children, families, and adults in playful, creative mathematics as they go about their daily lives. Playgrounds, public transportation, waiting rooms, fairs, and neighborhoods are the venues for our work.

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Resources and guidance to support Black, LatinX, and Multilingual students to thrive in grades 6-8 A Pathway to Equitable Math Instruction is an integrated approach to mathematics that centers Black, Latinx, and Multilingual students in grades 6-8, addresses barriers to math equity, and aligns instruction to grade-level priority standards.

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Social Justice and Equity Resources from NCTM

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Social Justice and Equity Resources from NCTM

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NCTM Social Justice and Equity Resources - National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

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NCTM's Social Justice and Equity Resources See What's Inside Our Featured Books A Fresh Look at Formative Assessment in Mathematics Teaching (2018) Chapter

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Children are listening and learning from everything we say. The goal of the Kids Math Talk Podcast is to give parents and educators practical tips and insights that will deepen mathematical understanding while also encouraging the conversation about math to remain active and positive.

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L'idée de ce site a pris naissance grâce à une conversation avec Tracy Zager et Chris Hunter. De plus, d'autres personnes en dehors de la conversation initiale ont inspiré, d'une façon ou d'une autre, ce site.
The idea for this site was born out of a conversation with Tracy Zager and Chris Hunter. Furthermore, other people, in one way or another, have inspired the creation of this site. ​

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Custom Number Talk Images Créer vos propres images! Voici une ressource de Berkeley Everett . Offert en format PowerPoint ou Google Slides, vous n'avez qu'à modifier les diapositives afin de...

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Hosted by Chris Shore of The Math Projects Journal

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Parents know that we need to read 20 minutes a day with our kids.

But teaching math to your kids doesn't have to be intimidating. It can be fun. Just as children say goodnight to the moon, they can say hello to numbers, shapes and measurement.

Talking Math with Your Kids provides ideas and products that get children and caregivers talking about math with creativity and joy.

Whether you're reading books on the couch, cooking dinner, running errands, or scheduling your day, opportunities for math talk abound.

This website collects research about, and examples of, math talk with children. Each post offers suggestions for adapting the examples for your own children, interests, and lives.

Enjoy and let me know how those conversations are going in your home. Use the contact form to ask questions, send feedback or to send along a conversation for highlighting on this site.
Thanks for reading. Read more about Christopher

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Parents know that we need to read 20 minutes a day with our kids. But teaching math to your kids doesn't have to be intimidating. It can be fun. Just as children say goodnight to the moon, they can say hello to numbers, shapes and measurement.

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Source: Graham Fletcher

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Standards for Mathematical Practice Posters

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Standards for Mathematical Practice Posters

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Grades K-2

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Standards for Mathematical Practice Kindergarten

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Standards for Mathematical Practice Kindergarten

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Standards for Mathematical Practice 1st Grade

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Standards for Mathematical Practice 1st Grade

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Standards for Mathematical Practice 2nd Grade

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Standards for Mathematical Practice 2nd Grade

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Standards for Mathematical Practice Posters

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Standards for Mathematical Practice Posters

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Grades 3-8

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Questions to develop mathematical thinking

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Same But Different is a powerful routine for use in math classrooms. The images can be used for teaching a way of thinking: grayscale thinking, categorical thinking; helping students to build a network of ideas and an approach for learning and thinking about mathematics.

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By William McCallum and Kate Nowak
People use routines for all kinds of things. Routines give structure to time and interactions. People like structure. When a child comes home from school, there might be a routine. She expects a snack, homework time, play time, dinner, some television, a bath, pajamas, a book, and to get tucked into bed. She might have responsibilities, like setting the table for dinner, and engage in predictable dialog along the way, like sharing something that happened at school. She might expect her father to sing her a song. (Over and over and over again, in the case of my daughters-Bill.) The routine makes her comfortable and makes necessary chores go smoothly.

All classrooms have routines, too. Maybe when students enter the room, they always turn in their homework, sit down, take out their supplies, say hi to other students, and start some bell work. Maybe there is a routine for being excused to use the restroom or for borrowing a pencil.

You may have heard of routines used for instruction. These are also routines: they give structure to time and interactions. But their purpose is for learning academic content. They are a good idea for the same reason all routines are a good idea: they let people know what to expect, and they make people comfortable. Let's step through an instructional routine that many people are familiar with: think, pair, share .

Instructional Routines give structure to time and interactions. But their purpose is for learning academic content.

A teacher poses a question to the whole class. She asks students to think about it quietly for a few minutes. Then they turn to a partner and explain their thinking, and listen to how the partner is thinking. (Possibly, the teacher is eavesdropping.) Finally, the teacher selects a few students to share their thoughts with the whole class.

This routine reduces the pressure of responding. Everyone can come up with a response, rather than just the first person to raise their hand. Sharing with a partner is less scary than speaking in front of the whole class. Once a few people are asked to share with the whole class, they have already had a chance to rehearse and refine their response.

But why are routines in general good for learning academic content? One reason is that students and the teacher have done these interactions before, in a particular order, and so they don't have to spend much mental energy on classroom choreography. They know what to do when, who is expected to talk when, and when they are expected to write something down. The structure of the routine frees them up to focus on the academic task at hand.

A well-designed routine opens up conversations and thinking about mathematics that might not happen by themselves.

Furthermore, a well-designed routine opens up conversations and thinking about mathematics that might not happen by themselves. Here are some examples. All of the lessons in our middle school curriculum start with a warm-up to get students' mathematical juices flowing. One routine we use is a Notice and Wonder routine, like from grade 6. Students might notice that the cards are 4 in by 2.5 in, or that the height is missing. They might wonder what the height is, or how many cards will fit in a box. For the rest of the lesson, their minds are activated to seek out dimensions of the polyhedra they work with.

Another routine we use for warm-ups is called Which One Doesn't Belong ? In this example , some students might notice non-mathematical reasons why a figure might not belong. For example, A is the only one with no yellow in it. Others might notice that D does not cover the plane, or that B has no pentagons. As students hear each other's reasons, they are drawn into thinking more about mathematical properties. Articulating the difference between A and B requires a closer examination of the tiling patterns than you might expect if you simply presented the figures and asked students to examine them.

An instructional routine has the ultimate goal of mathematical learning. If you have a particular learning goal in mind, an instructional routine gives you a framework for moving students toward that goal with a structured sequence of events. A good routine provides all students opportunities to do mathematics. One teacher piloting our middle school curriculum told us that the notice and wonder routines were an eye-opening experience for him. His students who were "too cool for school," sitting bored at the back of the classroom, started competing for things to notice and wonder. They became mathematically activated for the rest of the lesson.

It's hard work teaching in a way that gets kids thinking mathematically, sharing their reasoning, and actively looking for strategies and procedures to solve problems. Just as a good bedtime routine eases the burden of caregivers and makes an evening go more smoothly, a good instructional routine eases the burden of teachers and makes more time for doing mathematics.
Next Steps

If you want to know more about the IM instructional routines, they are described . (Free registration required to view.)

To learn more on implementing routines in your classroom, IM has developed a professional learning workshop.

For further reading on applying routines, take a look at featured blog post, Using the 5 Practices with Instructional Routines

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What is an instructional routine? - IM CERTIFIED® BLOG

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By William McCallum and Kate Nowak People use routines for all kinds of things. Routines give structure to time and interactions. People like structure. When a child comes home from school, there might be a routine. She expects a snack, homework time, play time, dinner, some television, a bath, pajamas, a book, and to get [...]

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Mathematics Instructional Activities and Routines from UW

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Mathematics Instructional Activities and Routines from UW

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Teaching Math to Young Children for Families and Caregivers

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Teaching Math to Young Children for Families and Caregivers

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These videos and activities provide families with information about how to support children as they practice math skills at home.

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Overview

Early childhood, between the ages of 2-8, is an important period for developing math skills. From the first years of life, your child is learning math and developing interest in the subject through everyday routines and play. Your support for the development of math knowledge and skills will help prepare your child for future success in school and life. Check out this infographic title, Supporting Your Child in Developing Math Skills for Future Success, to learn more about how early math success opens doors for future success in college and careers.

These family and caregiver resources and activities, organized by math topics such as counting or shapes, include research-based and easy-to-follow steps to help you support your child's math skills during a typical day.

The activities and resources are organized under five different sections. The first two sections cover number, shape, pattern, measurement, and data analysis. In these sections the activities and resources support the development of specific math skills. The next three sections provide activities and resources that can be used to support the development of all math skills more broadly, such as suggestions for ways to include math learning during a typical day or trip to the grocery store (section three). Check out the At A Glance table below for a quick overview of the sections and what you will find in each one. To get started you might review each section and think about what areas your child needs more support in. Alternately, you might start in an area that your child is most interested in and build on their engagement with math!

Using the activities will be a fun way to spend time together!

Resources at a Glance

Section

What You Will Find

1. Numbers and Operations

Recognizing small numbers

Counting

Comparing

Identifying numerals

Problem-solving

2. Geometry, patterns, measurement, and data analysis

Recognizing, naming, and comparing shapes

Identifying and creating patterns

Measuring

Collecting and organizing information

3. Support math throughout the day

Embed math in everyday routines and activities

Make a math-rich environment

Play games to teach math concepts

4. View and describe the world mathematically

Model problem-solving

Use math language

Ask open-ended questions

5. Observe and build on what your child knows

Build on what your child knows

Video

Wherever you start, we encourage you to select appropriate activities for your child. The goal is to engage your child in activities that promote learning in a positive environment, not to induce frustration or math anxiety that can discourage participation in math-related activities throughout school. To learn more about math anxiety watch this short video.
Two Classroom Strategies to Reduce Students' Math Anxiety
Additional Resources

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educational improvement; excellence in education; educational research; statistics; statistical data; statistical surveys; national center for education evaluation and regional assistance.

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Teaching Math to Young Children for Families and Caregivers

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Overview Early childhood, between the ages of 2-8, is an important period for developing math skills. From the first years of life, your child is learning math and developing interest in the subject through everyday routines and play. Your support for the development of math knowledge and skills will help prepare your child for future success in school and life.

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Math Anywhere! is a community-based project in Vancouver, Washington which aims to build positive math experiences outside of school.

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We've partnered with Northwest Early Learning to offer Canvas courses for educators, thanks to a grant from Washington STEM. These courses are designed for preK and elementary school teachers and cover the Math Anywhere approach and how to implement it in the...

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We've partnered with Northwest Early Learning to offer Canvas courses for educators, thanks to a grant from Washington STEM. These courses are designed for preK and elementary school teachers and cover the Math Anywhere approach and how to implement it in the...

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This is Which One Doesn't Belong?, a website dedicated to providing thought-provoking puzzles for math teachers and students alike. There are no answers provided as there are many different, correct ways of choosing which one doesn't belong. Enjoy!

Which One Doesn't Belong?

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This is Which One Doesn't Belong?, a website dedicated to providing thought-provoking puzzles for math teachers and students alike. There are no answers provided as there are many different, correct ways of choosing which one doesn't belong. Enjoy!

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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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Resource: Achieve the Core

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The Coherence Map shows the connections between Common Core State Standards for Mathematics.

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Disclaimer: On this page you can find the Common Core State Standards in Mathematics and English Language Arts. The standards are temporarily located on this page while we work to address technical challenges with CoreStandards.org. Thank you for your patience and we will share an update on CoreStandards.org when we have one.
English Language Arts Standards English Language Arts Standards (ADA Compliant) Mathematics Standards Mathematics Standards (ADA Compliant)

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Disclaimer: On this page you can find the Common Core State Standards in Mathematics and English Language Arts. The standards are temporarily located on this page while we work to address technical challenges with CoreStandards.org. Thank you for your patience and we will share an update on CoreStandards.org when we have one.

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2023 Mathematics Framework

At its meeting on July 12, 2023, the State Board of Education (SBE) adopted the Mathematics Framework for California Public Schools: Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve ( Mathematics Framework). The framework is important guidance designed to help educators align classroom teaching with California's rigorous math learning standards.

The Mathematics Framework reflects input from California parents, educators, students, and others who commented during the two 60-day field review periods that were held in 2021 and 2022.

California is committed to achieving excellence in math teaching and learning through curriculum and instructional approaches grounded in research and reflective of best practices across the globe. The Mathematics Framework provides guidance for mathematics learning for all students at all levels of math-including calculus-and ensures students have a wide variety of options including pursuing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) in college and career.

Frequently Asked Questions
Information about the draftMathematics Framework.

Schedule of Significant Events for the Revision of the Mathematics Framework
At its meeting on July 13, 2022, SBE revised the Schedule of Significant Events (Timeline) for the Revision ofMathematics Framework. The Timeline was originally approved by the SBE on May 8, 2019, and was previously revised on September 11, 2019, May 7, 2020, July 14, 2021, and November 3, 2021.

A professionally-edited and designed PDF version of the framework will be posted at a later date. The content will not substantively change from the version posted below.

Curriculum Framework and Evaluation Criteria Committee

At their January 08, 2020, meeting the State Board of Education appointed 20 members to the Mathematics Curriculum Framework and Evaluation Criteria Committee (Mathematics CFCC) to assist in the development of the Mathematics Framework.

The Mathematics CFCC Meetings and Notices

Focus Groups

Pursuant to the California Code of Regulations, Title 5, Section 9511(c), the California Department of Education (CDE) convened four focus groups across California.

Listserv

Additional Resources

2013 Mathematics Framework

Assembly Bill 250 (Chapter 608, Statutes of 2011) called for the revision of the Mathematics Framework to align with the California Common Core State Standards for Mathematics.

Video: Overview of the Mathematics Framework (Dated 26-Feb-2015)
This video for teachers, administrators, and other educators provides an overview of the Mathematics Framework and how it supports implementation of the California Common Core State Standards for Mathematics.

Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (PDF; 3MB)
Links to the standards adopted by the California State Board of Education in August 2010 (Modified January 2013 Publication Version).

Common Core State Standards (CCSS) Initiative
The multi-state initiative released the CCSS on June 2, 2010. The initiative site includes information about the development and research behind the standards, appendices, the states that have adopted the CCSS, and frequently asked questions.

Appendix A
Designing High School Mathematics Courses Based on the CCSS.

2005 Mathematics Framework (Available on request)
The Framework was adopted by the State Board of Education on March 9, 2005.
*To order a copy of this framework please contact CDE Press.

Content Standards
Links to downloads of all Content Standards.

All Curriculum Frameworks
Links to downloads of all Curriculum Frameworks.

Questions: Curriculum Frameworks and Instructional Resources Division | CFIRD@cde.ca.gov | 916-319-0881

Last Reviewed: Friday, October 20, 2023

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Curriculum frameworks provide guidance to educators, parents, and publishers, to support implementing California content standards.

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Source: Youcubed.org

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Choose your own maths adventure with our interactive tools that allow you to build a custom playlist of inspirational activities!