Using Math Menus
Giving students a menu of activities to choose from helps differentiate instruction and engage all learners.
Uncovering the Math Curriculum
Too often, mathematics instruction gives students the erroneous notion that learning math is all about learning procedures, rather than making sense of ideas.
Go Figure: Math and the Common Core
The Common Core State Standards for Mathematical Practice will require teachers to strengthen students’ numerical reasoning and mental math skills.
Snapshots of Student Misunderstandings
To find out what students really understand about that math lesson, try one-on-one interviews – and be ready for some surprises.
Win-Win Math Games
Games can motivate students, capture their interest, and are a great way to get in that paper-and-pencil practice.
Nine Ways to Catch Kids Up
How do we help floundering students who lack basic math concepts?
Marilyn Burns: Mental Math
Figuring out answers in our heads is an important skill. Give it a starring role in your math teaching.
Marilyn Burns on the Language of Math
Parlez-vous geometry? Sprechen sie fractions? An expert’s guide to teaching math’s unique vocabulary.
Building a Teaching Bridge from Reading to Math
I’m convinced that one of the greatest challenges at the elementary level is teachers’ content knowledge.
Looking at How Students Reason
Mathematics teachers gain a wealth of information by delving into the thinking behind students’ answers, not just when answers are wrong but also when they are correct.
The Building Blocks of Math
My favorite ways to teach addition and subtraction in the early grades.
3 Lessons by Marilyn Burns: Using Storybooks to Teach Math
For many of us, the storybook shelf isn’t the first place we go to when we start to plan a math lesson. But children’s books can be a great math teaching tool.
Marilyn Burns Talks About Today’s Classroom
In this series of three articles, developed from an interview, Marilyn Burns shares her ideas about helping children learn in the math classroom; talks about how teachers can learn to really understand mathematics; and suggest ways to help parents understand the role of the NCTM Standards in the classroom.
A Can of Coke Leads to a Piece of PI
A professional development exercise for educators is an adaptable math lesson for many grades.
Writing in Math
Innovative teachers can make writing an invaluable part of math instruction.
10 Big Math Ideas
Here are ten “big ideas” I now embrace for helping children learn, understand, and enjoy math class.
Q & A with Marilyn Burns
Here are Marilyn’s answers to your most frequently asked questions.
Algebra in the Elementary Grades? Absolutely!
Algebra is now second in importance after number and operations, even for elementary students.
Math Journals Boost Real Learning
How words can help your students with numbers.
Teaching Arithmetic: Lessons for Extending Multiplication, Chapter 4, Silent Multiplication
In this chapter, Marilyn and Maryann Wickett describe a lesson that engages students in exploring patterns with factors and products. The word Silent in the title identifies the teaching method they used for the lesson described in the chapter.
Making Sense of the Math Standards
Marilyn Burns shows you how to put the new standards into perspective – and into practice.
Tackling the Third R
Marilyn Burns shares her secrets for teaching arithmetic.
Can I Balance Arithmetic Instruction with Real-Life Math?
Marilyn outlines why it’s important to teach arithmetic and shows you how to match what you’re teaching with children’s real-world needs.
How I Boost My Students’ Number Sense
It’s not as tough as you think! Try these strategies.
How to Make the Most of Math Manipulatives
A fresh look at getting students’ heads–and hands!–around math concepts.
Writing in Math Class? Absolutely!
How to enhance students’ mathematical understanding while reinforcing their writing skills.
Arithmetic: The Last Holdout
Ms. Burns urges mathematics teachers to stop teaching standard algorithms and to start having children invent their own methods. She also explores, along the way, some of the ramifications of this major change in arithmetic instruction.
A Collection of Math Lessons From Grades 3 Through 6, Chapter 10, Foot Activities
This chapter presents a sequence of lessons about area and perimeter that involve students with measurement activities using their feet. The lessons were presented on four days spread over a two-week period.