Math Learning Theory
By combining popular ways to teach math, I’ve designed my own math learning theory through the use of investigation, illustration, and theory (also known as I Discover, I Draw, I Justify).
Investigate, Illustrate, Theorize
According to research, the most common problems with a student’s ability to grasp mathematics stem from one or a combination of the following things:
A poor math foundation in early learning
Math anxiety (or simply anxiety in general)
A learning disability (such as dyscalculia)
A cognitive disability
The inability to relate to the subject
It’s cumulative nature
Lack of understanding
Inadequate pacing
Among this exhaustive list, there is also the preconceived notion by many students that math is ‘difficult’ or ‘boring.’ In some cases, it requires a lot of practice that sometimes can be repetitive in nature, and in many cases, math doesn’t seem to allow for a ‘creative’ mindset.
The question is: why is mathematics such a difficult subject to teach? The simple answer is that we treat it like a ‘subject’ to ‘learn.’ The truth is that children are already mathematicians. From the moment of conception to the rest of our lives, we will always have math engrained in us.
I believe that mathematics, like any other subject, should have a focused purpose that helps students see mathematics in everything that they do. I define mathematics as ‘active learning’: the art of using analytical, logical, and spatial thinking to solve problems.
To teach math with purpose, I focus on using Investigation, Illustration, and Theory to help create the solid foundation a student needs to excel in math.
I Investigate…
During investigation, students identify the given information and patterns within a situation or examine models or manipulatives. At this stage, students will explain what they see and notice and form truth statements about each model.
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Example: They may be given a pizza that is sliced into four portions. They will then explain what they notice while the teacher assists them with vocabulary words and guided questions to describe what they’re seeing.
Sample Discovery Slide
Each of my interactive lessons is curated to help teachers navigate through the content they select for their students. Lessons are designed to be student-friendly and utilize the Lexend font, which was designed for ease of readability (with dyslexic children in mind!). I’ve also created the ‘Let’s Bloom Together’ interactive activity to help students answer questions based on Bloom’s Taxonomy.
Click through to see how the slide works.