Teaching Practices for Elementary Mathematics

As a veteran teacher in your school district who specializes in teaching mathematics, you have been tasked with creating a professional practice and resources guide for teaching mathematics to be distributed to new teachers in the district. This guide will help new teachers learn about the different teaching practices that can be used to engage students in mathematical exploration, reflection, and learning.

Questioning and Inquiry

Questioning and inquiry are essential teaching practices for elementary mathematics. By asking questions, teachers can help students to think critically about mathematics and to develop their own mathematical understanding. Questions can be used to introduce new concepts, to assess student understanding, and to guide students through the problem-solving process.

Here are some examples of how questioning and inquiry can be used in elementary mathematics instruction:

• Asking open-ended questions: Open-ended questions are questions that do not have a single correct answer. These questions can be used to encourage students to think critically about mathematics and to develop their own mathematical understanding. For example, a teacher might ask, “How many different ways can you make a group of 5?”
• Using wait time: Wait time is the amount of time that a teacher waits after asking a question before providing a response. Wait time can help students to think about the question and to formulate their own answers. For example, a teacher might ask, “What is the next number in the sequence 5, 10, 15, 20?” and then wait 5 seconds before providing a response.
• Scaffolding questions: Scaffolding questions are questions that provide support to students as they are working on a problem. These questions can be used to help students to break down a problem into smaller steps, to identify the key concepts involved, and to develop a solution strategy. For example, a teacher might ask, “Can you think of a way to solve this problem using subtraction?”

Math Talks and Discourse

Math talks and discourse are another important teaching practice for elementary mathematics. Math talks are opportunities for students to share their mathematical thinking with each other and with the teacher. Discourse is the conversation that takes place during math talks.

Math talks and discourse can help students to develop their mathematical communication skills, to learn from each other, and to build a community of learners. Here are some tips for facilitating effective math talks and discourse:

• Create a safe and supportive environment: Students need to feel comfortable sharing their mathematical thinking in order for math talks and discourse to be effective. The teacher should create a safe and supportive environment where students feel respected and valued.
• Set clear expectations: Students need to know what is expected of them during math talks and discourse. The teacher should set clear expectations for participation, listening, and responding.
• Model mathematical thinking: The teacher should model mathematical thinking throughout the math talk process. This will help students to see how to think about and communicate mathematics.
• Encourage all students to participate: All students should be encouraged to participate in math talks and discourse. The teacher should use strategies such as wait time and probing questions to encourage all students to share their thinking.

Problem Solving

Problem solving is a critical skill for students to develop in elementary mathematics. Problem-solving skills can be used in everyday life, in the workplace, and in higher education.

There are many different ways to teach problem solving in elementary mathematics. Here are some tips for teaching problem solving:

• Start with real-world problems: Real-world problems are more engaging for students than abstract problems. Start by presenting students with real-world problems that they can relate to.
• Break down problems into smaller steps: Complex problems can be overwhelming for students. Break down problems into smaller steps so that students can focus on one step at a time.
• Provide scaffolding: Scaffolding is the process of providing support to students as they are working on a problem. Scaffolding can be provided in the form of hints, questions, or step-by-step instructions.
• Encourage students to persevere: Problem solving can be challenging. Encourage students to persevere and to not give up when they encounter a difficult problem.

Instructional Tools and Resources

There are many different instructional tools and resources that can be used to teach elementary mathematics. Here are a few examples:

• Manipulatives: Manipulatives are physical objects that can be used to represent mathematical concepts. Manipulatives can be used to help students to understand abstract mathematical concepts and to develop their problem-solving skills.
• Technology: Technology can be a powerful tool for teaching mathematics. There are many different software programs and apps that can be used to teach mathematics.
• Online resources: There are many online resources that can be used to teach mathematics. These resources can provide students with additional practice problems, tutorials, and interactive activities.