Building students’ skills and confidence early can pave the way to their interest and success in math in middle school, high school, and beyond. But that’s often easier said than done.
Previously, it wasn’t uncommon to hear our elementary school students say:
- “I don’t like math.”
- “Math is boring.”
- “Math is too hard.”
- “I’m so bad at math.”
One issue was that our curriculum was outdated. It was less interesting than other resources, and not all of the grade-level standards were being met. Teachers frequently had to come up with activities or search for additional materials. This led to issues with consistency that intensified throughout the pandemic.
Another problem was that our curriculum progressed too quickly, and it lacked opportunities for students to engage in hands-on learning. While students appeared to grasp concepts during lessons, their test scores often suggested otherwise.
We recognized that our approach to teaching math needed improvement, so we made the decision to pick a curriculum that included hands-on activities and games in the lessons. We had to bring the fun back to math! Today our students are showing that they are gaining a better grasp of math skills, and engagement is at an all-time high.
Following are five strategies we’ve implemented to build a love of math.
Tap into students’ curiosity with play and hands-on activities
In 2023, a team of district teachers evaluated several elementary math curriculum programs and invited three vendors to present. Two of the companies delivered typical canned sales presentations, but the third company took a different approach. This approach had us doing math, playing and laughing so we could see the power of learning through play and how it benefits students. This energetic, fun experience helped us make our final selection.
We began using ClearMath Elementary from Carnegie Learning in fall 2023. We now incorporate meaningful play and games into every K-5 classroom to tap into students’ curiosity and bring math to life. When students dive into a hands-on investigation or online game, they discover concepts that help explain the world around them. They actively engage with the content rather than sitting and passively listening to their teacher talk. They develop deep focus and learn how to persevere through challenges without giving up. They see how math appears in everyday life as they explore different scenarios. Math becomes something they experience rather than memorize. This builds students’ confidence because they feel like they own their learning.
Shift from lecturing to facilitating student learning
These changes didn’t happen overnight. We had to learn how to become facilitators of student learning. To make this shift, we participated in professional learning and asked a lot of questions. By the first day of school, we were ready to jump in and give it a try.
We also got extra support during the year by having our curriculum provider send a professional development specialist to model lessons and assist us with lesson planning. The benefit of having an outside person was that we knew he wasn’t here to judge; he was here to help.
Build thinking classrooms
Three years ago, our elementary math leaders participated in a book study on “Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics” by Peter Liljedahl. We’ve since married this approach with our curriculum. For example, we do a daily math routine with open-ended problems called Headline Stories. We form “visibly random groups” and then invite students to solve these problems standing and working on “vertical non-permanent surfaces,” as Liljedahl describes in his book.
At first, it was difficult to relinquish control and let students talk and debate as they tried out different problem-solving approaches. But it works! Almost every time we start a discussion, a couple of kids will now jump up and ask, “Do you want us to go to the boards?”
Embrace the noise
Lively student discussions can get loud. This was an adjustment for those of us who like quiet classrooms, but seeing students’ enthusiasm helped us step out of our comfort zones.
In addition to a higher decibel level, we now have a much higher level of discourse, even in our kindergarten classrooms. Students are also teaching and learning from each other, which takes some pressure off us. This collaborative approach is also shifting the mindset of students who didn’t like math before. Instead of dreading math, they look forward to it because they have so much fun with their peers.
Pause to reengage with past learning
Instead of racing through lessons, we now employ the teach-teach-pause instructional model. Students learn new concepts and skills, and then we pause so they can reflect on their learning and revisit key concepts.
During reengagement days, students rotate through exploration centers that allow them to clarify, reinforce, or stretch their learning. Their favorite center is a game-based online learning program called MATHia Adventure. Students like that they can play games that directly connect to what they’re learning. We often hear them shout, “Hey, this is like what we just did!”
By regularly taking pause days, we can ensure students are moving toward mastery and provide the extra support they need to keep up — rather than catch up — with our grade-level learning goals.
Increasing enjoyment and growth in math
The level of rigor and excitement in math is now higher than it has ever been. Before, when we’d ask “What’s your favorite class?” most students would reply, “Gym.” Now they say, “Math.”
Here’s what else they’re saying:
- “I love math!”
- “The math every day is really fun and we get to do fun games.”
- “I like when we do math activities with friends because as we go to harder things, if they need help, I’ll be there to help them.”
As for quantitative improvements, we were surprised last year when we saw students’ MAP math scores rise on our mid-year assessment. For several years, we had experienced a dip in mid-year MAP math scores. We thought that was the norm, but it was just our trend. Our students are continuing to grow, and several achieved double-digit gains on our most recent assessment.
Change isn’t easy, but we must do what’s best for students. When we embrace change, great things can happen. Our classrooms are louder but also more fun and productive for everyone. Our students are becoming thinkers, problem-solvers, and communicators, and it’s a joy to watch.
Opinions expressed by SmartBrief contributors are their own.
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