Math is Figure-Out-Able!

In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on December 7, 2022.  Note: It’s more fun if you try to solve the problem, share it on social media, comment on others strategies, before you listen to Pam and Kim’s strategies. Check out #MathStratChat on your favorite social media site and join in the conversation.

Why are ratio tables so amazing? In this episode Pam and Kim describe ratio tables and what makes it on the favorite mathematical models short list. Then they show it off with a Problem String. Talking Points: What is a ratio table? Can ratio tables be both vertical or horizontal? Does the context of a ratio table matter? Should you ever erase when using a ratio table? What else should students se...

In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on November 30, 2022.  Note: It’s more fun if you try to solve the problem, share it on social media, comment on others strategies, before you listen to Pam and Kim’s strategies. Check out #MathStratChat on your favorite social media site and join in the conversation.

Do your students ever say things like, "I just know" or "I don't know"? What can we do with that? How can we help students have meaningful discussions about their thinking and why is it so important? In this episode, Pam and Kim discuss the challenges of saying and representing our thinking, and how we can help students clarify their thinking in order to be able to discuss...

In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on November 23, 2022.  Note: It’s more fun if you try to solve the problem, share it on social media, comment on others strategies, before you listen to Pam and Kim’s strategies. Check out #MathStratChat on your favorite social media site and join in the conversation.

We're wrapping up our series on the Over strategy. In this episode Pam and Kim reason through a Problem String to develop the Over strategy for division. Talking Points: A Problem String to develop relationships for the Over strategy for division Great teacher move that we call "the trail off method" to help students generalize and justify the relationships they are using Calling ou...

In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on November 16, 2022.  Note: It’s more fun if you try to solve the problem, share it on social media, comment on others strategies, before you listen to Pam and Kim’s strategies. Check out #MathStratChat on your favorite social media site and join in the conversation.

We are not over with the Over strategy! This week Pam and Kim dive into the Over strategy for multiplication. Talking Points: A new name for the Double and Half strategy? A Problem String to develop relationships for the Over strategy for multiplication Where Over strategy for multiplication fits in the hierarchy of multiplicative strategies Using the Over strategy to help students begin to use mo...

In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on November 9, 2022.  Note: It’s more fun if you try to solve the problem, share it on social media, comment on others strategies, before you listen to Pam and Kim’s strategies. Check out #MathStratChat on your favorite social media site and join in the conversation.

We just love the Over strategy! In this episode Pam and Kim go through a Problem String to develop the relationships used to think about the Over strategy for subtraction. Talking Points: Over strategy is a great experience for people new to thinking Real Math. The Over strategy is one of the major relationships that students need to own. A Problem String to nudge the Over strategy. The Over strat...

In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on November 2, 2022.  Note: It’s more fun if you try to solve the problem, share it on social media, comment on others strategies, before you listen to Pam and Kim’s strategies. Check out #MathStratChat on your favorite social media site and join in the conversation.

In case you haven't noticed, Kim has a favorite strategy. In this episode Pam and Kim discuss one of the most important strategies and how to use it for addition. Talking Points: Great listener feedback! A Problem String Where does the Over Strategy fit in the hierarchy of strategies? How does the Over Strategy help build place value? Modeling is super important Where we find the Over strateg...

In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on October 26, 2022 Note: It’s more fun if you try to solve the problem, share it on social media, comment on others strategies, before you listen to Pam and Kim’s strategies. Check out #MathStratChat on your favorite social media site and join in the conversation.

How can we help cement students' learning without memorizing steps? In this episode Pam and Kim share the power of anchor charts and how you can make them with your students.  Talking Points:  What is an anchor chart? Why have students co-create the anchor chart with teacher fascilitation? Why is "Do, Say, Represent" critical for student learning? What kinds of things go on an ancho...

In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on October 19, 2022.  Note: It’s more fun if you try to solve the problem, share it on social media, comment on others' strategies, before you listen to Pam and Kim’s strategies. Check out #MathStratChat on your favorite social media site and join in the conversation.

When dealing with word problems it can be tricky for students to decide which operation to use, so we need a way to help them memorize what to do in any given situation... right? In this episode Pam and Kim discuss how reasoning empowers students to skip rotely memorized steps to choosing operations and get straight to problem solving! Talking Points: Word problems feel unfair to students who have...

In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on October 12, 2022.  Note: It’s more fun if you try to solve the problem, share it on social media, comment on others' strategies, before you listen to Pam and Kim’s strategies. Check out #MathStratChat on your favorite social media site and join in the conversation.

When we teach Real Math, students come up with all sorts of cool strategies! But which ones are the main strategies, and how do we make the distinction? In this episode Pam and Kim take a listener submitted strategy and discuss where and what its uses are. Talking Points: The Most Important Numeracy Strategies are a relatively finite set. Are there other strategies that work and are mathematically...

What fun rhymes will best help your students learn to round? Just kidding! In this episode Pam and Kim describe their wholistic approach to rounding that helps kids build relationships like place value! Talking Points: No rhymes needed. Modeling on a number line to reason about how far a number is from a landmark. Keep students reasoning about number with rich experiences. Conversations about the...

Finding elapsed time can be a tricky concept, but when combined with a number line, we can make it figureoutable! Join Pam and Kim as they discuss using addition strategies to find elapsed time. Talking Points: Daily schedule on an open number line I Have, You Need with combinations of 60 How students might approach elapsed time Three kinds of elapsed time problems

Do your students struggle tracking time or reading an analog clock? In this episode Pam and Kim discuss three simple ways you can help your students internalize time and elapsed time. Talking Points: Help students build a feel for benchmark units of time Notice and tell what time it is a lot with kids Notice aloud how long things take throughout the day

A lot of people feel like when it comes to high school math, it's just not possible to think and reason through things anymore. Not true! In this episode Pam and Kim make the transition from Proportional Reasoning to Functional Reasoning and writing the equation of a line using relationships and what students already know. Talking Points: Is math always Figure-Out-Able? How ratio tables prepa...

What does teaching Real Math look like at your grade level? In the last episode Pam and Kim discussed the One Third/Two Thirds rule to structure math time. In this episode they give specific examples at various grade levels of what it might really look like. Talking Points: 1st Grade - doubling and halving 3rd Grade - concepts around 100 5th Grade - multiplication and volume 7th Grade - rates (see...

A listener asked how would we structure our math class. In this episode Pam and Kim discuss the approach they'd take to provide their students with the best math education experience possible to learn Real Math and still meet their required standards and scope and sequence. Talking Points: The Two-Third/One-Thirds rule Rich Tasks - see Episodes 102 and 103 Test Prep?! Use instructional routin...

The school year is starting! For this exciting time, Pam and Kim want to discuss what starting strategies can help you and your students to build thinking relationships and strategies rather than simply answer getting. Talking Points: Problem Talks are great ways to pre-assess your students Partial strategies are a great starting place but we have to help students develop more sophisticated strate...