Elementary Mathematics Curriculum Materials

The book presents comparative analyses of five elementary mathematics curriculum programs used in the U.S. from three different perspectives: the mathematical emphasis, the pedagogical approaches, and how authors communicate with teachers. These perspectives comprise a framework for examining what curriculum materials are comprised of, what is involved in reading and interpreting them, and how curriculum authors can and do support teachers in this process. Although the focus of the analysis is 5 programs used at a particular point in time, this framework extends beyond these specific programs and illuminates the complexity of curriculum materials and their role in teaching in general. Our analysis of the mathematical emphasis considers how the mathematics content is presented in each program, in terms of sequencing, the nature of mathematical tasks (cognitive demand and ongoing practice), and the way representations are used. Our analysis of the pedagogical approach examines explicit and implicit messages about how students should interact with mathematics, one another, the teacher, and the textbook around these mathematical ideas, as well as the role of the teacher. In order to examine how curriculum authors support teachers, we analyze how they communicate with teachers and what they communicate about, including the underlying mathematics, noticing student thinking, and rationale for design elements. The volume includes a chapter on curriculum design decisions based on interviews with curriculum authors.

This professional learning programme for Key Stage 3 mathematics teaching is grounded in the latest research on the characteristics of effective professional development. The materials help teachers: - deepen their content knowledge for important mathematical concepts in their grade - increase their understanding of how students learn these mathematical ideas - use their knowledge to develop effective lessons and improve instruction - enhance their collaboration skills. The mathematical content of Teaching by Design in Mathematics matches content topics in number and operations identified for each grade by the NCTM Curriculum Focal Points. The culminating activity of the programme is the co-creation of a prototype lesson which is taught to students by team members; the team then investigates the impact of the lesson on student learning. The cycle of investigating, planning, teaching, observing, debriefing, and revising a lesson together contributes to a climate of continuous professional learning.

This professional learning programme for Key Stage 2 mathematics teaching is grounded in the latest research on the characteristics of effective professional development. The materials help teachers: - deepen their content knowledge for important mathematical concepts in their grade - increase their understanding of how students learn these mathematical ideas - use their knowledge to develop effective lessons and improve instruction - enhance their collaboration skills. The mathematical content of Teaching by Design in Mathematics matches content topics in number and operations identified for each grade by the NCTM Curriculum Focal Points. The culminating activity of the programme is the co-creation of a prototype lesson which is taught to students by team members; the team then investigates the impact of the lesson on student learning. The cycle of investigating, planning, teaching, observing, debriefing, and revising a lesson together contributes to a climate of continuous professional learning.

Strengthen your mathematics lessons through collaborative planning Teaching by Design in Elementary Mathematics is a series of comprehensive professional development guides that help teachers investigate how students learn. Grounded in the latest research, this book is one of three volumes focused on grade-appropriate number and operations topics aligned with the Common Core State Standards. The capstone activity of each book guides the group through the co-creation and implementation of a prototype lesson. The teacher teams then evaluate the impact of the lesson on student learning and work together to revise it for maximum effectiveness. Through the process, teachers develop: Deeper content knowledge of important mathematical concepts Improved understanding of how students learn these mathematical ideas A stronger foundation for developing effective lessons and improving instruction Enhanced collaboration skills Each volume includes a large assortment of reproducible handouts as well as built-in facilitation notes. Teachers will also find helpful resources that address the issue of finding time for school-based professional development and teacher collaboration.

This book compiles and synthesizes existing research on teachers’ use of mathematics curriculum materials and the impact of curriculum materials on teaching and teachers, with a particular emphasis on – but not restricted to – those materials developed in the 1990s in response to the NCTM’s Principles and Standards for School Mathematics. Despite the substantial amount of curriculum development activity over the last 15 years and growing scholarly interest in their use, the book represents the first compilation of research on teachers and mathematics curriculum materials and the first volume with this focus in any content area in several decades.