Recommended Reads!

Connecting Arithmetic to Algebra, as the title suggests has strategies for connecting every day computation work to the underlying ideas in each operation. The focus on the operation helps students at a very early age develop algebraic reasoning and make general claims about how the number system works. What the title doesn't suggest, but is very key to the importance of this book, is in what way once we focus more on operations, more students will have access to important mathematics.

This book focuses on all the research about growth/fixed mindsets and in what way it can be used to strengthen student understanding of mathematics. Mathematical Mindsets is backed by a wealth of research, emboldening us to transform our teaching and improve student confidence and learning.

This is an oldie but goodie. I've read it cover to cover BUT you can get a lot from just one paragraph! It's very readable and has great examples of how children learn number sense and what to make of their misconceptions. This would be a good Book Study book one day!

I use this book every summer for a course I teach. One thing we know, the more students talk about their math ideas, the more they understand. Focusing on productive math discussions is a priority. There are many books and resources we can use to help us fine tune our math discussions, this book provides a very scripted, sequential way of looking at student work with the whole class so support and promote student discussions.