Grow Your Mind
Guest Blog: Foundations of Numeracy Part 2
EXCERPT
Research has given us a clear picture of what students need to develop lasting mathematical proficiency — but knowing the destination isn't enough. In Part 2 of this series, Jillian Mendoza of PowerMyLearning shows principals, instructional coaches, and district leaders how to put the Foundations of Numeracy framework to work where it's needed most: designing intervention that targets root causes rather than surface-level procedures, and building teacher professional learning that actually changes instruction. If your school or district is making intervention and PD decisions without a shared diagnostic lens, this is the read that reframes how you think about both.
What Really Makes a Mathematician? A Closer Look at the Five Strands
It’s more than memorizing facts or following steps. This post breaks down the Five Strands of Mathematical Proficiency—productive disposition, conceptual understanding, procedural fluency, strategic competence, and adaptive reasoning—and shows how they work together to build confident, capable math thinkers. Whether you're designing instruction, planning PD, or coaching educators, this framework offers a powerful lens for supporting meaningful math learning.
Fluency Is Not One Thing: Let’s Get Clear About Arithmetic, Computational, and Procedural Fluency
Everyone says fluency is the goal. But what kind of fluency? Arithmetic fact fluency, computational fluency, and procedural fluency are not interchangeable terms. Without clarity and alignment, growth stalls. Let’s get precise about what we mean and why it matters for instruction and MTSS.