The Five Practices in Practice [Elementary]

Successfully Orchestrating Mathematics Discussions in Your Elementary Classroom

“This book is so incredibly practical and grounded in the hands-on implementation of the five practices! It takes the ideas of the earlier book, which focused more on the “what” of each practice, and looks closer at the when, why, and how that is so important for teachers in their planning. In each chapter, I found myself nodding in agreement as the authors described challenges in using the five practices and thoroughly enjoyed the opportunities to reflect on the practices in relation to my own planning and teaching.”

“This is a powerful and readable guide to shifting our elementary school mathematics instruction toward maximizing our students’ learning. But it’s the clarity and familiarity of the challenges we all face when trying to implement these five practices—and the practicality and detail of the guidance provided in each chapter to address these challenges—that set this book apart and make it so useful for professional growth.”

“This book is packed with practical guidance, support, and actual footage of what it looks like to enact ambitious teaching through these practices. If there’s a teacher or leader out there wondering how to ensure their classroom embraces ambitious teaching that is empowering and equitable, this is your guide. Read it. Practice it. Make it yours. There just isn’t anything else out there pushing us to think and act as strategically in our math classrooms like this does.”

“Peg Smith has done it again. Building on her previous work with Mary Kay Stein (2018), Smith and coauthors Miriam Sherin and Victoria Bill have taken the next step in supporting teachers to engage students in rich mathematics discussions. Filled with examples and insights, both in print and on video, this book allows teachers to ‘see it in action,’ make sense, and reflect on the challenges, and it provides support and guidance to implement the five practices in their own instruction. Perfect for teachers, teacher leaders, coaches, or others who support teachers in their instructional practices, this book literally connects theory to practice and provides honest and thoughtful reflections and guidance to work towards our ultimate goals—students’ mathematics learning and agency.”

“Every elementary school math teacher needs to understand the practices in this book and know how to use them effectively in the classroom. Use of these practices will empower elementary school students to understand mathematics and feel like they can do math!”

“This book is a comprehensive, ready-to-use, professional development plan inside a book’s covers! Its components include student work, classroom video, features addressing challenges teachers face, as well as providing reflective opportunities to pause and consider. This amazing, must-have resource will truly engage elementary school mathematics teachers in ‘doing’ The 5 Practices.”

“This book takes 5 Practices for Orchestrating Productive Mathematics Discussions to the next level as readers experience what these practices look like in real mathematics classrooms in Grades K–5. Readers will engage in analysis of videos and student work as they deepen their understanding of the five practices. The authors specifically address the challenges one might face in implementing the five practices in classrooms by providing recommendations and concrete examples to avoid these challenges.”

"As an elementary math teacher, nothing has helped me become more intentional and purposeful than the 5 Practices. In a continued effort to move student thinking forward, I really appreciated how the authors walked us through specific K−5 examples because this will definitely help me improve my craft.”

“At Illustrative Mathematics we were looking for a framework that would enable us to embed in our curriculum ambitious but achievable goals for teacher practice. The five practices was the perfect fit: a memorable, learnable set of principles that could be used by novice and veteran teachers alike to get their students thinking and sharing their reasoning.”

“Mathematical discourse is the heart of effective instruction, but is challenging to implement well. Finally, this book provides a step-by-step guide for bringing the five practices for orchestrating discourse—anticipating, monitoring, selecting, sequencing, and connecting—fully into classroom practice at the elementary level. Through video examples, tasks, and student work, the authors provide practical advice for engaging young students in powerful class discussions centered on their strategies and mathematical thinking. This book is an invaluable professional resource.”