About the course
This beginning Thinking Math course focuses on research about how children learn mathematics and implications of these findings for the classroom. TM K-2 has been redesigned to help teachers understand the content and practice standards of the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics and their connection to the research. Ten Principles capture practices that lead to a better understanding of math for all students and are applicable at all grade levels. The principles— which deal with ideas such as tapping what students know, helping them visualize problems, and building the expectation and ability to justify their work—are exemplified through the research on counting, addition and subtraction. The course takes a broad look at the importance of recognizing and using patterns and relationships throughout math, addresses the kind of questioning that promotes thinking in math class, and provides a framework for implementing curriculum and lessons. This course focuses on research about how children learn mathematics and implications of these findings for the K-2 classroom.
Course Objectives:
• Gain a deeper understanding of today’s rigorous content standards, the mathematical practices and how attention to both is necessary for success.
• Learn the Ten Principles of math instruction drawn from research, including tapping knowledge students already have, helping them visualize and model problems, stressing both concepts and procedure, and building the expectation and ability to reason mathematically.
• Connect these principles to specific content: counting, place value, addition and subtraction, solving word problems, fundamental structures of mathematics and developing number sense.
• Discuss the roles of teachers in helping students succeed with mathematics, e.g. posing questions that promote thinking, planning coherent instruction, and selecting appropriate tasks at the appropriate level.