Beyond Answers: Exploring Mathematical Practices with Young Children

The Standards for Mathematical Practice are written in clear, concise language. Even so, to interpret them and visualize what they mean for your teaching practice isn’t always easy. In this practical, easy-to-read book, Mike Flynn provides teachers with a clear and deep sense of these standards and shares ideas on how best to implement them in K–2 classrooms.
Each chapter is dedicated to a different practice. Using examples from his own teaching and vignettes from many other K–2 teachers, Mike does the following:

• Invites you to break the cycle of teaching math procedurally
• Demonstrates what it means for children to understand—not just do—math
• Explores what it looks like when young children embrace the important behaviors espoused by the practices

The book’s extensive collection of stories from K–2 classroom provides readers with glimpses of classroom dialogue, teacher reflections, and examples of student work. Focus questions at the beginning of each vignette help you analyze the examples and encourage further reflection.
Beyond Answers is a wonderful resource that can be used by individual teachers, study groups, professional development staff, and in math methods courses.