Five Practices for Orchestrating Productive Mathematics Discussions

This book's 5 manageable practices have the power to connect students' approaches with the underlying mathematics and put teachers in control of productive classroom discussions.

 

"5 Practices for Orchestrating Productive Mathematics Discussions provides teachers with
concrete guidance for engaging students in discussions that make the mathematics in classroom
lessons transparent to all. These instructional practices are extremely timely in light of the focus
on Standards for Mathematical Practice in the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics,
and they will support teachers and students in engaging in these standards. This book will serve
as a valuable foundation in our upcoming professional development." (Catherine Martin, Mathematics and Science Director 2011-04-15)

"Ensuring that students have the opportunity to reason mathematically is one of the most difficult
challenges that teachers face. A key component is creating a classroom in which discourse is
encouraged and leads to better understanding. Productive discourse is not an accident, nor can
it be accomplished by a teacher working on the fly, hoping for a serendipitous student exchange
that contains meaningful mathematical ideas. While acknowledging that this type of teaching
is demanding, Smith and Stein present five practices that any teacher can use to implement
coherent mathematical conversations. By using the five practices, teachers will learn to teach
effectively in this way." (Frederick Dillon, Mathematics Teacher 2011-04-15)

"As a veteran teacher, I found that the book diagnosed several problems that I had unknowingly created for my students' classroom discussions. I now have a prescription for curing these problems." (Lori Lovato 2012-05-03)

"This book is a must-have for educators who are working toward having 'acountable talk.' I found it to be a welcome and thought-provoking addition to my professional library." (Maria Lamattina Teaching Children Mathematics Magazine, August 2012 2012-09-17)