Mathematics Tasks for the Thinking Classroom, Grades K-5

It was love at first sight when I read Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics: 14 Teaching Practices for Enhancing Learning. Though it might sound cheesy, it changed my life. While it was a transformational game changer in my classroom, it left me wanting more, especially in regard to the early elementary world. I longed to sit down with Peter and pick his brain concerning how some of the 14 practices might look in my first-grade class. Well, this book answers those questions, and I’m confident it will do the same for all the elementary teachers who have been waiting on the edges of their seats for this book to arrive. Peter and Maegan have hit it out of the ballpark.

This follow-up to Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics will be a must-have book for every elementary math educator! Not only does it offer a comprehensive guide to a wealth of classroom-tested non-curricular and curricular tasks, and an expansion of many of the practices included in the original book, the presentation for each task takes you from an offered launch to begin the task, to hints and extensions during the task, to examples of student work to help educators consolidate the task, suggested examples of Check-Your-Understanding questions, and even advice from Peter and Maegan on what they have learned during their facilitation of these tasks within classrooms over and over again. Pure gold! This will be such a valuable addition to math educators’ professional libraries. I predict facilitation of positive math journeys for each and every student fortunate enough to be in a thinking classroom.

He’s done it again! Peter Liljedahl continues to take the math world by storm by answering our most frequently asked questions about building our own thinking classrooms, continuing to share his research findings, and providing us with examples of thinking tasks that fit the criteria of the 14 BTC practices.

This is the Building Thinking Classrooms companion book that we have been waiting for! From the beginning to the end, readers will absorb every word. This book has the latest and greatest research that is easy to read, understand, and implement right away. This book will be sitting on my desk right beside the original Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics book so that I can share the information with teachers right away!

Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics revolutionized the way I taught mathematics in my fifth-grade classroom. Mathematics Tasks for the Thinking Classroom is sure to strengthen teachers’ craft as they continue to progress in their own learning journey. The tasks are engaging and detailed. This book is a great follow-up to the first and a must have for every BTC teacher.

This book is a must-read for all K–5 math educators. Whether you are just starting to build thinking classrooms or have been implementing BTC for many years, this book provides valuable insight into the original research along with new moves and practices that have emerged from continued research. The 50 Thinking Tasks included in the book will provide all your students access to engaged learning, while providing you with an increased
understanding and framework for continued success in leading a thinking classroom.

This follow-up book to the transformative Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics is the perfect next step. This book will help teachers continue on the path toward building a thinking classroom, but more importantly, building thinking students.