Like students, many teachers can fall victim to the notion that some people are just not built for math. This mindset could be hindering both you and your students.
Learn to empower yourself and your students to be confident and capable in math instruction and math learning with the following resources and tools.
Developing critical math skills in students
Both cognitive and meta-cognitive math skills (like problem-solving) and social and emotional learning skills (like collaboration) are essential for students to excel in math. Students should not only be able to add and subtract, but should also be able to communicate their thought process and develop a growth mindset.
Find the skills that make a successful math student in our Anatomy of a Math Person student poster below. Download to display in your classrooms.
Anatomy of a Math Person for Students
Everyone is a math person! Math people …
- Think positively about themselves and their abilities
- Use their imagination
- Look for patterns and evaluate options
- Explain their answers
- Share ideas and ask questions
- Solve problems
- Collaborate with others
- Explore the world around them
Math instructional strategies for teachers
With ongoing changes to the math curriculum and frameworks, teachers, like students, may also need to build confidence in math. So it’s important to rethink and reevaluate your math lessons. Shifting your math instructional mindset can greatly affect student performance, leading to improved math skills. Studies show that when teachers reexamine their perceptions of ability and adopt a growth mindset, their students see an improvement in their attitudes toward math. Find teaching strategies below in our Anatomy of Math Person teacher poster to create an engaging approach to math instruction.
Anatomy of a Math Person for Teachers
Math teachers …
- Adopt a growth mindset
- Observe, modify, and reevaluate their lessons
- Encourage math discourse
- Emphasize hands-on learning
- Reward progress
- Engage in teacher collaboration
- Personalize instruction and offer choice
More math resources and tools
Continue to build math confidence and math foundational skills with ExploreLearning math solutions.
About Reflex (Grades 2-6)
Adaptive and individualized, Reflex is the most effective system for mastering basic facts in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
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About Frax (Grades 3-5)
Frax stops the fractions struggle and puts students on a path to ongoing success in higher mathematics. Game-based and story-driven, the adaptive system meets students where they are and unlocks new games, challenges, and rewards for their efforts.
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