Math Instructional and Teaching Strategies

As math teachers, we are always looking for strategies that help our learners understand the concepts we’re teaching. I asked teachers on Instagram to tell me game-changing strategies that made their math lessons more effective. Several of the ideas were small changes that can have a big impact. 

Here are some of the most common suggestions to take your math lessons to the next level:

Vertical White Boards

Popularized in the book Building Thinking Classrooms, having students work together at white boards increases collaboration and thinking. White boards (or other non-permanent surfaces) make mistakes feel more acceptable. Students are more likely to try different approaches, even if they are not sure how to get an answer. Vertical white boards helps everyone in the group and the teacher to see the work. They are a great way to encourage collaborative problem solving.

Movement

Incorporating movement into lessons helps keep students engaged. And, when the teacher also moves around, the meaningful interactions and conversations increase. Movement can be in the form of scavenger hunts, acting out math problems, placing math problems around the room, having students quiz each other with cards, etc.

Timers

Timing part of the lesson or an activity is a great tool for keeping students (and ourselves!) on track and focused. How many times have you planned an awesome lesson only to end up spending time on a topic or part that wasn’t that important? Although sometimes getting off track or slowing down is what is best for students, veering off topic too often can mean missing critical lessons. Timers can help students quickly transition to a new activity. Timers can be used to ensure students spend adequate time on different portions of a lesson. For tasks like reviewing homework problems or completing bell work, timers can ensure we don’t take away too much time from the main lesson that day.

Number Talks

This routine can promote fluency and number sense with any age group. With Number Talks, students are given a problem to solve in their heads. Then students share their mental math strategies. A Number Talks routine throughout the year helps students get more and more efficient as they learn more strategies. Students also get practice explaining their thinking and listening to peers. Looking to start Number Talks with your middle school students? Check out this full year of Number Talks!

Discovery Learning

Allowing students the chance to investigate and figure out math concepts can build their understanding and confidence. Many students are used to being told how to do everything in math. If at first you get pushback from students, it may be because they have always relied on the teacher. However, if we want to create lifelong learners, letting students take control is a step in that direction. Approaching math concepts similar to an experiment is a great way to get students to start discovery math ideas themselves. Once they do, they will gain confidence and be more willing to tackle challenging math problems. (Read more about planning a discovery lesson in this blog post.)

Visuals

Supporting new concepts with visuals helps students make sense of the math. Once we move beyond manipulatives, visuals can bridge the gap between the concrete and abstract. Students may want to draw visuals similar to manipulatives to help them think through a problem. Showing visuals to support algorithms helps students see why the algorithms work. Sketching the stories of word problems can help students think about what is happening.

Productive Struggle

Struggle is a part of the learning process. We can help students have a positive mindset when they face challenges. We can prepare lessons and activities that promote productive struggle. During activities, our questioning can push students to think deeper and work through struggles (instead of rescuing them when they haven’t found an answer). We must keep our focus on the process and the growth instead of just a right answer. Productive Math Struggle by John J. SanGiovanni, Susie Katt, and Kevin J. Dykema is an excellent book all about promoting perseverance in math.

Manipulatives

Students are never too old for manipulatives! Adding a hands-on element builds understanding and engagement. When students get to use manipulatives to explore math, they feel like they are playing, which is a good thing! Manipulatives help students discover and make connections on their own. They play a big role in developing math confidence and sense-making.

I hope you find this list helpful. If you have a game-changing strategy you use in your math class, I'd love to hear about it in the comments.