Teaching Essential Mathematics, Grades K-8: Increasing Engagement and Building Understanding of Key Concepts

“The activities can be used to help students understand the reason for the algorithms. Students should not just learn ‘how,’ but also ‘why.'” –Carrie Chiappetta, Math Teacher Magnet Middle School, Stamford, CT “This is a much needed resource book for both inservice and preservice teachers.” –Helen Melvin, Second-Grade Teacher Dr. Levesque School Elementary School, Fort Kent, ME Creative, ready-to-use classroom activities for teaching essential math concepts! Not all educators feel comfortable teaching math, yet it is critical for all students to gain a solid foundation of mathematical understanding in grades K-8. Written by a national consultant in mathematics instruction and assessment, this resource helps educators gain the confidence they need to teach math in creative and engaging ways. Teaching Essential Mathematics, Grades K-8 provides teachers with an overview of the key mathematics concepts students need to acquire and includes hands-on activities and clear examples to help students learn these concepts in depth. The classroom-ready activities and calculator exercises are organized according to the NCTM content standards, and each activity is directly aligned with specific benchmarks. The material also features: Suggestions for incorporating cooperative learning into mathematics instruction A comprehensive glossary of mathematical terms to broaden educators’ subject knowledge Reproducible blackline masters that can be used with students immediately Both new and veteran teachers can leverage this book’s many rich examples and student-centered learning tasks to re-energize their instruction and renew students’ enthusiasm.