Teaching Student-Centered Mathematics: Grades K-3

If you're going back and forth about getting this book--- get it. You won't be disappointed. It has SO much useful information I could replace our whole math curriculum and use this instead. The beginning of the book tells you how to set up a problem-based classroom. When I first started learning how this type of constructivist approach, I always wished that someone would just spell it out for me. How do I do a good job creating a problem-based lesson? It all seemed so fuzzy! This book does that. He explains how to be successful at using 1 big problem as a catalyst to your math instruction that day or week. The book is then broken up into "big idea" topics and tons of games, activities, and background knowledge are given about developing place value, addition, subtraction, multiplication.... Being the nerd I am, I have carried this book around my school, giddy with excitement as I showed other teachers in my building page after page. Can you tell I just love this book?!

I really like this book as a source for conceptual Math activities. I recommend purchasing only 1 either K-2, 3-5, depending on which you think you would use more. They overlap alot.

I am so glad I bought this book. I have been teaching for over 10 years, but I always felt something was missing from my math lessons. This book fills in the gaps. It explains how kids learn math and the connections that need to be made from one concept to the next. It also has assessments to help determine each student's level of understanding and how they are solving problems. I can't wait to start trying these activities in the fall. A must-have book for all K-3 teachers!

Easy to read and understand. Complete math center ideas and teaching strategies. Great easy ideas for differentiation.

If I had to teach Math to young kids on a desert island and could only take one book, this would be the one! John Van de Walle had previously written a college level textbook resource for teaching Math at the Elementary and Middle School levels. It was comprehensive, but way too dense to be teacher friendly. Someone had a great idea to separate the text into grade level bands and make it more user friendly. Co-written with LouAnn Lovin, the authors introduce the Big Ideas you need to teach to, so that young kids can construct meaning and actually make sense of mathematics. They also pack plenty of activity ideas into the book to help you move your students toward becoming mathematically fluent. A thumbnail guide to the blackline masters used throughout the text is included in an appendix. The full size masters are available gratis online. Get this book!