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Creating a classroom of problem solvers can feel overwhelming when you're trying to fit problem solving, fluency, discourse, assessment, intervention, and curriculum pacing into a single math block.

In this episode we're unpacking the six essential elements that help students become confident, capable mathematicians and how these elements work together to create a classroom where students do the thinking, talking, and problem solving.

Inspired by the research in Adding It Up: Helping Children Learn Mathematics, we'll explore why mathematical proficiency is about so much more than getting the right answer and how small shifts in instruction can help students develop deeper understanding, stronger reasoning, and greater independence.

In this episode, we're chatting about:

• How thinking routines build reasoning, discourse, and fluency
• Where intervention, small groups, and strategic instruction fit
• What purposeful fluency really means
• How student-engaged assessment supports learning and growth
• Why identity and belonging are essential for mathematical success
• How to fit it all together without adding more to your day

Whether you're implementing Word Problem Workshop, exploring student-centered math instruction, or simply looking for ways to increase student thinking and engagement, this episode will help you reimagine what your math block can be.

Resources Mentioned:

📘 Word Problem Workshop: 5 Steps to Creating a Classroom of Problem Solvers https://amzn.to/4enq6bD

📚 Adding It Up: Helping Children Learn Mathematics https://amzn.to/4vLN1o3

🌎 monamath.com/

📲 Instagram: @hellomonamath

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