Mathematize It! [Grades 6-8]. Kimberly Morrow-Leong
![Mathematize It! [Grades 6-8] - Kimberly Morrow-Leong](limg_read863768.jpg "Mathematize It! [Grades 6-8] - Kimberly Morrow-Leong")
What Your Colleagues Are Saying …
“Mathematize It! is a must have for every middle school teacher! The authors provide clear guidance and suggestions to help our students become effective problem solvers. The opportunities provided to ponder and practice, as well as the student sample work and videos, make this a resource you will grow professionally from and positively impact student learning. I wish I had this resource when I started teaching 25 years ago!”
Kevin Dykema
8th Grade Math Teacher, Mattawan (MI) Middle School
Author, Productive Math Struggle
NCTM Board of Directors, 2016–2019
“This dynamic author trio brings years of classroom experiences to one of the central problems of teaching and learning mathematics: making sense of word problems. Focusing on the construct of ‘mathematizing’—drawing, constructing, describing, representing, and making sense of situations—this clear and practical guide needs to be required reading and discussion fodder for every middle school teacher of mathematics. It’s just that clear, classroom grounded, and insightful!”
Steve Leinwand
Principal Researcher
American Institutes for Research, Washington, DC
“When I read Mathematize It!, I experienced a journey of extending the way I think about mathematical ideas. Readers can develop their mathematical knowledge for teaching by reading this book. Also, with their sandbox approach, the authors describe a problem-solving process that is playful and exploratory. The sandbox process also orients problem solvers toward seeing mathematical structures and relationships. I recommend reading this book to experience deep mathematics and, in turn, learn more about how to support students with engaging in mathematizing.”
Amanda Jensen
Professor of Mathematics Education
University of Delaware
“The list of generational math books to come along and truly synthesize what we know so far and what we need to know is a very short and exclusive list. Well, you can confidently add Mathematize It! to this collection. Written by three of the most respected math educators today, the book zeros in on that often poorly traveled journey between the question and answer in problem solving. Mathematize It! will be your go-to resource to install the mathematical play revolution in elementary classes everywhere!”
Sunil Singh
Author of Pi of Life: The Hidden Happiness of Mathematics
and Math Recess: Playful Learning in an Age of Disruption
“Mathematize It! is a must-read for anyone who has struggled to teach word problems and is ready to figure out what really works. The authors present a plethora of strategies that help students focus on the thinking part of the problem-solving process while gently helping the reader understand that so many of our ‘tried-and-true’ methods, such as key words, really don’t work. They help us realize that the real work of solving word problems is in the sense-making phase—once students have made sense of a problem, calculating the solution is the simpler part of the process.”
Kimberly Rimbey
National Board Certified Teacher
Co-Founder & CEO, KP Mathematics
“Mathematize It! addresses the complexity of problem solving more completely than any other individual resource. It is easy to say that we must teach students to ‘mathematize situations’ but this book helps us to actually help students learn to do it. The challenge and reflection pieces at the end of each chapter are a game changer for unveiling teaching opportunities, prompting discussion in your PLC, and moving this from a book on the professional shelf to a powerful tool to impact instruction.”
Gina Kilday
Math Interventionist and MTSS Coordinator
Metcalf Elementary School, Exeter, RI
Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching Awardee
Former Member of the NCTM Board of Directors
“Mathematize It! is a book that should be on the shelf of every classroom teacher and division leader who supports mathematics teaching and leading. This valuable resource helps educators to think about the what, why, and the how to make sense of word problems. It gives a framework and visuals on how to support teachers’ understanding around problem types and solving problems and excels in assisting teachers in how to make a commitment to teaching for greater understanding.”
Spencer Jamieson
Past President, Virginia Council for Mathematics Supervision (VCMS)
Mathematics Specialist for Virginia Council of Teachers of Mathematics (VCTM)
“This is a game changer … even after 20 years of supporting students and their sensemaking of word problems, I am thrilled to learn even more from this trio of authors. They offer practical suggestions, opportunities for practice, and relevant research in order to increase awareness of best practices surrounding word problems. The only key word in this case is MATHEMATIZE! To have this resource in your hands is to have an invitation to the ‘mathematizing sandbox’.”
Beth Terry
Mathematics Coach
2004 Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching Awardee
Riffa Views International School, Bahrain
“As our students begin to mathematize the world around them, it becomes extremely important that we listen to their thinking so that we can continue to move their understanding forward. What makes Mathematize It! such a useful tool for teachers is that it thoughtfully unpacks student strategies, which helps inform and guide our next move as a classroom teacher.”
Graham Fletcher
Math Specialist
Atlanta, GA
“Mathematize It! engages readers deeply in the mathematics content through an easy-to-use visual analogy: playing in a sandbox. The authors have found a way to make problem-solving seem like a fun task—one that is akin to something we’ve all been doing forever: playing. Their clever and applicable problem-solving model of thinking provides a structure teachers can use to support students in tackling word problems and actually enjoying the process. It’s time for you to play in the sandbox and more importantly, Mathematize It!”
Hilary Kreisberg
Director, Center for Mathematics Achievement
Lesley University, Cambridge, MA
Author of Adding Parents to the Equation
“The authors provide a detailed and practical guide on how to take a word problem, uncover the mathematics embedded in it, carefully consider representations, and use it all to solve the problem. The reader begins to realize that all models are not created equal. The authors’ careful attention to the nuances within mathematical relationships illustrates how mathematizing differs from answer getting, yet shows us that ideas like operation sense and computation are related. The authors’ plain-language explanations empower us to leverage those relationships in order to help students become better mathematicians.”
Paul Gray
Chief Curriculum Officer, Cosenza & Associates, LLC
Past President, Texas Council of Teachers of Mathematics
NCTM Representative for NCSM: Leadership in Mathematics Education