Better Teaching: Only Stuff That Works Best from the Archive: Tackling Math Education Challenges with Dr. Anna Stokke
Jul 2, 2025
Dr. Anna Stokke, a math professor and education advocate, discusses her journey to create a nonprofit after-school program addressing basic math skills for grades 4–6. She dives into the significance of memorizing math facts and retrieval fluency for tackling complex problems. The conversation highlights the need for quality teaching materials and the ideal math knowledge for elementary teachers. Anna also emphasizes the importance of aligning curricula across grade levels and advocates for effective teaching to enhance student engagement and motivation in math.
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From Home Club To Community Nonprofit
- Anna Stokke started an after-school math program after helping her own children and noticing many peers were left behind.
- She and colleagues expanded it into a nonprofit offering low-cost classes and bursaries taught by university students.
Math Facts Enable Higher-Level Work
- Anna was surprised by debates over memorizing math facts and emphasizes long-term memory for fluency.
- She argues basic facts must be automatic so students can focus on complex problems.
Train Teachers Through Practice
- Hire and train university students to teach deliberately designed lessons to give them real classroom experience.
- Use the program as teacher-prep by having education students learn practical, effective math instruction.
