Putting the Practices Into Action: Implementing the Common Core Standards for Mathematical Practice, K-8

Read Chapter 2: Exploring Standard 1: Make Sense of Problems and Persevere in Solving Them

“This book will be your roadmap to implementing the CCSS Standards for Mathematical Practice. The explanations, examples, activities, and suggestions are intended to guide you to a deepened understanding of the Practice Standards so your classroom is filled with students who reason, apply, and truly understand mathematics.”Susan O’Connell and John SanGiovanni

The Standards for Mathematical Practice promise to elevate students’ learning of math from knowledge to application and bring rigor to our math classrooms. But how can we incorporate the Practices into our teaching and ensure that our students develop these critical skills? Sue O’Connell and John SanGiovanni unpack each of the eight Practices and provide a wealth of practical ideas and activities to help you quickly integrate them into your existing math program. Putting the Practices Into Action breaks each standard down to address:

• why the standard is important
• how to interpret and understand the standard
• how to bring the standard into your current teaching.

The authors show the true power of the standards by describing how they intermingle, blending together to empower students to use math and think mathematically. With classroom vignettes, sample activities, and helpful teaching tips, Putting the Practices Into Action brings the standards to life by illustrating what they look like in real classrooms. Discover how to integrate the Practices into your teaching, and let the journey of implementation begin.

Susan O'Connell has decades of experience supporting teachers in making sense of mathematics and effectively shifting how they teach. As a former elementary teacher, reading specialist, and math coach, Sue knows what it's like in the classroom and her background is evident throughout her work as she unpacks best practices in a clear, practical, and upbeat way. Sue is the lead author of the new Math by the Book series, a K-5 resource connecting math and children's literature. She is also the lead author of Math in Practice, a grade-by-grade K-5 professional learning resource. She is also coauthor of the bestselling Putting the Practices Into Action, Mastering the Basic Math Facts in Addition and Subtraction, and Mastering the Basic Math Facts in Multiplication and Division. She served as editor of Heinemann's popular Math Process Standards series and also wrote the bestselling Now I Get It. Sue is a nationally known speaker and education consultant who directs Quality Teacher Development, an organization committed to providing outstanding math professional development for schools and districts across the country. Watch an introductory Math in Practice webinar, hosted by Sue. Click here to watch Sue talk about the links between reading and math. Connect with Sue on Twitter: @SueOConnellMath

John SanGiovanni is an elementary mathematics supervisor in Howard County, Maryland, where he oversees mathematics curriculum, digital learning, assessment, and professional development. He is the coauthor of the bestselling Putting the Practices Into Action and the Mastering the Basic Math Facts series. John is an adjunct instructor and coordinator of the Elementary Mathematics Instructional Leader graduate program at McDaniel College, as well as a national consultant for curriculum and professional development. A frequent speaker at national conferences, John also currently serves on the Board of Directors for NCTM. Follow him on Twitter: @JohnSanGiovanni