Ever watched a student solve 146 ÷ 12 by drawing 146 dots… one by one?

In this episode, the MMM team dives into a common but frustrating classroom challenge: students who cling to inefficient math strategies like counting on fingers, skip counting, or repeated subtraction—long after they’ve outgrown them. These early strategies worked, and students trust them. So how do we help them build confidence in more sophisticated approaches?

You’ll hear from our newest team member, Beth Curran, as we unpack why students get stuck, what teachers can do in the moment, and how school leaders can build the conditions for long-term change.

Listeners Will:

• Understand why students cling to familiar but inefficient math strategies
• Learn what teachers can do in the moment to nudge students toward more flexible thinking
• Explore how dynamic assessment and anticipating student responses builds instructional skill
• Hear how one district used the Five Practices to build teacher capacity over time
• Reflect on what it takes to build a math improvement flywheel that actually gains momentum

If you're supporting students—or teachers—who are stuck using early math strategies, this episode gives you real steps to move forward with clarity, confidence, and purpose.

Not sure what matters most when designing math improvement plans? Take this assessment and get a free customized report: https://makemathmoments.com/grow/

Math coordinators and leaders – Ready to design your math improvement plan with guidance, support and using structure? Learn how to follow our 4 stage process. https://growyourmathprogram.com

Looking to supplement your curriculum with problem based lessons and units? Make Math Moments Problem Based Lessons & Units

Show Notes Page

Love the show? Text us your big takeaway!

Are you wondering how to create K-12 math lesson plans that leave students so engaged they don’t want to stop exploring your math curriculum when the bell rings? In their podcast, Kyle Pearce and Jon Orr—founders of MakeMathMoments.com—share over 19 years of experience inspiring K-12 math students, teachers, and district leaders with effective math activities, engaging resources, and innovative math leadership strategies. Through a 6-step framework, they guide K-12 classroom teachers and district math coordinators on building a strong, balanced math program that grows student and teacher impact. Each week, gain fresh ideas, feedback, and practical strategies to feel more confident and motivate students to see the beauty in math. Start making math moments today by listening to Episode #139: "Making Math Moments From Day 1 to 180.

You poured your heart into teaching a key math concept—and a student tells you they’ve never even heard of it. Sound familiar?

In this episode, hosts Yvette Lehman and Jon Orr explore one of the most frustrating challenges in math instruction: retention. Why does it feel like students forget everything they’ve learned? And more importantly, what can we actually do about it? Through the lens of a school we support, we dig into one team’s evolving plan to increase student retention—without overhauling their entire curriculum. Spoiler: it starts with strategic spiraling, cumulative assessment, and a flywheel approach to continuous improvement.

Listeners Will:

• Hear how one school used benchmark data to identify 6–8 key math concepts for intentional spiraling.
• Learn how mixed practice and cumulative assessment can improve long-term retention in math.
• Discover how limited PD time was used to reflect on summative results and adjust pacing
• Understand why retention is a system design issue—not a teacher failure
• Get inspired to make one small, meaningful shift in your own classroom or school

If you're tired of reteaching the same math content every year, press play to explore a sustainable approach to helping students actually retain what they’ve learned in math.

Not sure what matters most when designing math improvement plans? Take this assessment and get a free customized report: https://makemathmoments.com/grow/

Math coordinators and leaders – Ready to design your math improvement plan with guidance, support and using structure? Learn how to follow our 4 stage process. https://growyourmathprogram.com

Looking to supplement your curriculum with problem based lessons and units? Make Math Moments Problem Based Lessons & Units

Show Notes Page

Love the show? Text us your big takeaway!

Are you wondering how to create K-12 math lesson plans that leave students so engaged they don’t want to stop exploring your math curriculum when the bell rings? In their podcast, Kyle Pearce and Jon Orr—founders of MakeMathMoments.com—share over 19 years of experience inspiring K-12 math students, teachers, and district leaders with effective math activities, engaging resources, and innovative math leadership strategies. Through a 6-step framework, they guide K-12 classroom teachers and district math coordinators on building a strong, balanced math program that grows student and teacher impact. Each week, gain fresh ideas, feedback, and practical strategies to feel more confident and motivate students to see the beauty in math. Start making math moments today by listening to Episode #139: "Making Math Moments From Day 1 to 180.

Are your teachers reluctant to move beyond the standard algorithm—even when it clearly isn’t working for their students?

In this episode, we explore a real-world example of a school trying to shift toward computational fluency—but getting stuck. The teachers agree that students need more accurate and efficient methods, but many still believe offering multiple strategies only adds confusion. Instead of pushing a solution, the school’s principal is taking a different approach: creating space for math epiphanies, building content knowledge, and shifting belief through structured staff learning.

If you're a school leader or coach supporting math fluency in your school or district, this episode unpacks what it really takes to create shared commitment—not through mandates, but through deep learning.

Listeners Will:

• Learn how one school is building teacher buy-in for strategy-based fluency
• Understand why resistance to multiple strategies often stems from gaps in math content knowledge
• See how protected staff time is being used to shift beliefs and build instructional confidence
• Discover practical moves (like ICQ protocols and fluency-focused video routines) that create space for reflection and dialogue
• Reflect on the dual role school leaders must play—as both facilitators and math thinkers

If your school or district is working toward stronger fluency and deeper math learning, press play to explore what it really takes to lead that shift.

Not sure what matters most when designing math improvement plans? Take this assessment and get a free customized report: https://makemathmoments.com/grow/

Math coordinators and leaders – Ready to design your math improvement plan with guidance, support and using structure? Learn how to follow our 4 stage process. https://growyourmathprogram.com

Looking to supplement your curriculum with problem based lessons and units? Make Math Moments Problem Based Lessons & Units

Show Notes Page

Love the show? Text us your big takeaway!

Are you wondering how to create K-12 math lesson plans that leave students so engaged they don’t want to stop exploring your math curriculum when the bell rings? In their podcast, Kyle Pearce and Jon Orr—founders of MakeMathMoments.com—share over 19 years of experience inspiring K-12 math students, teachers, and district leaders with effective math activities, engaging resources, and innovative math leadership strategies. Through a 6-step framework, they guide K-12 classroom teachers and district math coordinators on building a strong, balanced math program that grows student and teacher impact. Each week, gain fresh ideas, feedback, and practical strategies to feel more confident and motivate students to see the beauty in math. Start making math moments today by listening to Episode #139: "Making Math Moments From Day 1 to 180.