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Developing Mathematical Reasoning - Book Cover

Developing Mathematical Reasoning

Avoiding the Trap of Algorithms
This book illuminates a hierarchy of mathematical reasoning to help teachers guide students through various domains of math development, from basic counting and adding to more complex proportional and functional reasoning.

Full description


Developing Mathematical Reasoning - Book Cover
Product Details
  • Grade Level: PreK-12
  • ISBN: 9781071948262
  • Published By: Corwin
  • Series: Corwin Mathematics Series
  • Year: 2025
  • Page Count: 336
  • Publication date: February 25, 2025

Price: $39.95

Price: $39.95
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This book is not available as a review copy.
Description

Description

Math is not rote-memorizable. Math is not random-guessable. Math is figure-out-able.

Author Pam Harris argues that teaching real math—math that is free of distortions–will reach more students more effectively and result in deeper understanding and longer retention. This book is about teaching undistorted math using the kinds of mental reasoning that mathematicians do.

Memorization tricks and algorithms meant to make math “easier” are full of traps that sacrifice long-term student growth for short-lived gains. Students and teachers alike have been led to believe that they’ve learned more and more math, but in reality their brains never get any stronger.

Using these tricks may make facts easier to memorize in isolation, but that very disconnect distorts the reality of math. The mountain of trivia piles up until students hit a breaking point. Humanity's most powerful system of understanding, organizing, and making an impact on the world becomes a soul-draining exercise in confusion, chaos, and lost opportunities.

Developing Mathematical Reasoning: Avoiding the Trap of Algorithms emphasizes the importance of teaching students increasingly sophisticated mathematical reasoning and understanding underlying concepts rather than relying on a set rule for solving problems. This book illuminates a hierarchy of mathematical reasoning to help teachers guide students through various domains of math development, from basic counting and adding to more complex proportional and functional reasoning.

Everyone is capable of understanding and doing real math. This book:

  • Highlights the important mathematical relationships, strategies, and models for students to develop

  • Offers personal stories, reflection sections, and extensive practical exercises for easy implementation

  • Includes real math—a lot of it—to provide teachers with examples they can put to use in their classrooms immediately

This book is a valuable resource for educators looking to reach more students by building a strong foundation of mathematical thinking in their students. By addressing common misconceptions about math and providing practical strategies for teaching real math, this book shows that everyone can use the mathematical relationships they already know to reason about new relationships. In other words, everyone can math.

Author(s)

Author(s)

Pamela Weber Harris photo

Pamela Weber Harris

Pamela Weber Harris is changing the way we view and teach mathematics. Pam is the author of several books, including the Numeracy Problems Strings K-5 series, Building Powerful Numeracy, and the series Foundations for Strategies. As a mom, a former high school math teacher, a university lecturer, and an author, she believes everyone can do more math when it is based in reasoning rather than rote-memorizing or mimicking. Pam has created online Building Powerful Mathematics workshops and presents frequently at national and international conferences. Her particular interests include teaching real math, building powerful numeracy, sequencing rich tasks to construct mathematics, using technology appropriately, and facilitating smart assessment and vertical connectivity in curricula in schools PK-12. Pam helps leaders and teachers to make the shift that supports students to learn real math because math is figureoutable!

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Preface


Chapter 1: Math Is Figure-Out-Able


Chapter 2: Developing Mathematical Reasoning


Chapter 3: The Trap of Addition and Subtraction Algorithms


Chapter 4: The Trap of Multiplication and Division Algorithms


Chapter 5: The Trap of Fraction- and Proportion-Solving Algorithms


Chapter 6: Lost in Functional Reasoning


Chapter 7: If Not Algorithms, Then What?


Conclusion


Discussion Questions


#MathStratChat – an example of Problem Talks and Problem Strings


References


Index


Price: $39.95
Volume Discounts applied in Shopping Cart

Review Copies

This book is not available as a review copy.