In early November 2013, the authors started talking about visiting the Hurley School, a dual-language school in Boston, Massachusetts. The Hurley School had spent considerable time transitioning to the Common Core State Standards on literacy, but little time addressing the shifts in math. They worried that math classes were no longer rigorous…

Teaching English language learners has long presented challenges for teachers tasked with bringing these students to a level of language comprehension comparable to that of native speakers. These challenges and issues can lead to difficulty comprehending core academic topics for those learning the English language. "Optimizing Elementary…

In joint partnership, Achieve, The Council of Chief State School Officers, and Student Achievement Partners have developed a Toolkit for Evaluating the Alignment of Instructional and Assessment Materials to the Common Core State Standards. The Toolkit is a set of interrelated, freely available instruments for evaluating alignment to the CCSS; each…

In joint partnership, Achieve, The Council of Chief State School Officers, and Student Achievement Partners have developed a Toolkit for Evaluating the Alignment of Instructional and Assessment Materials to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). The Toolkit is a set of interrelated, freely available instruments for evaluating alignment to the…

Math doesn't have to be mysterious--even though its language is strange and its customs confusing. Like any foreign country, it can become familiar through exposure and understanding. Six ways to take the mystery out of math are described. (MT)

Presents 15 fun math problems which can be used as filler activities when students have completed their regular work. (JMB)

This paper discusses the use of Stern teaching materials with children with Down syndrome. The theory underlying the design of the materials is discussed, the teaching approach and methodology are described and evidence supporting effectiveness is outlined. (Contains 2 figures.)

Three activities related to pets are presented. The first focuses on caring for a pet. The second focuses on who is responsible for the actions of a pet. The third is a mathematics activity on pet overpopulation. The activities are designed to be duplicated for class use. (JN)

A nature walk composed of five activities to help primary students develop a sense of shape and to interest older pupils in concepts such as symmetry and geometric recursion is described. Other suggestions for indoor activities are offered. (MT)

Several activities designed to allow students to play with and explore the special properties of the number nine are presented. A reproducible activity page is included. (MT)

Math manipulatives let students see the components of an abstract problem, help build a concrete language for talking about math concepts, and encourage students to gain confidence in their ability to figure things out. Many suggestions for using manipulatives in math instruction are offered. (MT)

An eight-step teaching guide to help elementary students become familiar with electronic calculators. (Author/SJL)

Contrasts nominal, cardinal, and ordinal uses of numbers with linguistic and historical examples. (MKR)

This paper discusses the use of Numicon number teaching materials with children with Down syndrome. The theory underlying the design of the materials is discussed, the teaching approach and methodology are described and evidence supporting effectiveness is outlined. (Contains 4 figures.)

The paper describes strategies for remediating mathematics difficulties (particularly the process of regrouping or "borrowing" in whole number subtraction) in children. Three interrelated aspects of the process (the meaning of subtraction, understanding of non-standard numerals, and the function of the subtraction algorithm), are considered. The…