BEST INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES FOR MATHEMATICS

Pekin Public Schools District #108

May 5, 2001

To assemble the following list of instructional best practices, the District 108 Mathematics Task Force reviewed meta-analyses of research published by the organizations listed below.

• American Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD).
• Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL).
• North Central Regional Research Laboratory (NCREL)
• Various State Education Agencies (e.g., Illinois State Board of Education).

For a more complete explanation of the process, please refer to "Best Practices FAQ’s," on Pekin Public Schools District #108 Website.

The following instructional strategies are those whose effectiveness is most commonly supported by rigorous research in schools and classrooms:

CURRICULUM

• Children should develop spatial sense, geometric concepts, and mathematical reasoning sequentially over time.
• Instruction of mathematical concepts and skills should be aligned across grade levels.
• Instructional time should be dedicated to activities that develop skills in problem solving, communication, reasoning, making real-world connections, and reflective thinking.
• Computational techniques should be developed in a flexible atmosphere with the focus on conceptual understanding.
• The use of communication activities (reading writing, speaking and otherwise showing their thinking) in mathematics instruction leads to higher levels of student understanding.

TEACHING/LEARNING EXPERIENCES

• Technology, including calculators, computers, and videos, should be used to enhance and support learning and to allow more instructional time for developing mathematical concepts and problem solving.
• Students should learn mathematics through a variety of strategies incorporating cooperative learning, whole group instruction, and individual practice.
• Classroom instruction should accommodate students’ individual learning styles and needs through the use of a variety of instructional materials and practices.
• Multidimensional activities promote learning of complex mathematical concepts.
• Appropriate software and manipulatives used together enhance construction of mathematical concepts that lead to abstract thinking skills and increase mathematics achievement.
• Students best develop mathematical understanding by actively constructing their own meaning.
• Teachers need to understand and clarify the tasks they ask students to do, and make sure students understand the purpose of each assignment.
• For each concept, connections should be consciously made to prior knowledge, other disciplines, other mathematical concepts, and real-world situations.

PROBLEM SOLVING AND CRITICAL THINKING

• The goal of mathematics instruction should be both mastery and understanding of mathematical thinking and computational accuracy.
• Open-ended problem solving promotes complex, higher-order thinking.
• Students learn mathematical reasoning by analyzing and correcting their errors.

ACCOMMODATING DIVERSITY

• All students (at-risk, gifted, etc.) respond to challenging curriculums offered in a supportive environment.
• All students have differences that need to be accommodated through adapted materials, activities, and instructional support.

ATTITUDES

• Students achieve when they believe their persistence leads to mathematical understanding.
• Effective teaching requires the belief that students can—and are expected to—understand mathematics.
• Student-centered learning creates a more positive attitude toward mathematics and increases achievement.
• The nature of parent and teacher attitudes and involvement affect student achievement in mathematics.
• The classroom environment influences students' ideas about the causes of success in learning mathematics and consequently influences their levels of task persistence.
• The more students are involved in a participatory way, the more they will enjoy learning mathematics—affective improvement promotes cognitive development.

PARENT INVOLVEMENT

• Parental attitudes affect student achievement in mathematics.
• Continual parental involvement in learning and assessment activities improves student achievement.

ASSESSMENT

• Assessment should be aligned with curriculum and guide instruction.
• Assessment should be a continuous process that informs teachers’ and students’ planning for learning.
• Assessment should include a variety of tools (portfolios, observations, student products, standardized tests, etc.).