Math is Figure-Out-Able!

In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on August 6, 2025. Note: It’s more fun if you try to solve the problem, share it on social media, comment on others strategies, before you listen to Pam and Kim’s strategies.Check out #MathStratChat on your favorite social media site and join in the conversation.Twitter: @PWHarrisInstagram: Pam Harris_mathFacebook: Pam Harris, author, mathematics educationWant more? Check out the archive of all of our #MathStratChat posts!

How can teachers help students be more sophisticated additive reasoners? In this episode Pam and Kim discuss the major addition strategies, what properties they use, and how to model student thinking.Talking Points:Addition strategies and modelsAddition strategies modeled with equationsProporties that the addition strategies are based onWhen manipulatives are appropriateWhy teachers need to own the major strategies additionGet the free ebook of Major Strategies at: https://www.mathisfigureoutable.com/bigCheck out our social mediaTwitter: @PWHarrisInstagram: Pam Harris_mathFacebook: Pam Harris, author, mathematics educationLinkedin: Pam Harris Consulting LL

In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on July 30, 2025. Note: It’s more fun if you try to solve the problem, share it on social media, comment on others strategies, before you listen to Pam and Kim’s strategies.Check out #MathStratChat on your favorite social media site and join in the conversation.Twitter: @PWHarrisInstagram: Pam Harris_mathFacebook: Pam Harris, author, mathematics educationWant more? Check out the archive of all of our #MathStratChat posts!

If your only focus is answer getting, students may never experience and grapple with and understand multiplicative properties. In this episode Pam and Kim discuss how to use models to help students progress to more sophisticated strategies using multiplicative properties.Talking Points:Modelling different strategies on area models, ratio tables, and equationsUsing models to visualize propertiesStrategies that use the associative property are more multiplicative than the those that use the distributive property Get the free ebook of Major Strategies at: https://www.mathisfigureoutable.com/bigCheck out our social mediaTwitter: @PWHarrisInstagram: Pam Harris_mathFacebook: Pam Harris, author, mathematics educationLinkedin: Pam Harris Consulting

In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on July 23, 2025. Note: It’s more fun if you try to solve the problem, share it on social media, comment on others strategies, before you listen to Pam and Kim’s strategies.Check out #MathStratChat on your favorite social media site and join in the conversation.Twitter: @PWHarrisInstagram: Pam Harris_mathFacebook: Pam Harris, author, mathematics educationWant more? Check out the archive of all of our #MathStratChat posts!

How does proportional thinking prepare students for reasoning with variables? In this episode Pam and Kim explore the transition from proportional reasoning to functional reasoning.Talking Points:Connecting proportional reasoning to linear functionsScaling trianglesProportions "within" and "between"Introducing tricks stifles students' opportunity to build sophisticated reasoning Rich task with non-unit ratesCheck out our social mediaTwitter: @PWHarrisInstagram: Pam Harris_mathFacebook: Pam Harris, author, mathematics educationLinkedin: Pam Harris Consulting LLC 

In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on July 16, 2025. Note: It’s more fun if you try to solve the problem, share it on social media, comment on others strategies, before you listen to Pam and Kim’s strategies.Check out #MathStratChat on your favorite social media site and join in the conversation.Twitter: @PWHarrisInstagram: Pam Harris_mathFacebook: Pam Harris, author, mathematics educationWant more? Check out the archive of all of our #MathStratChat posts!

Should you require student's to show their work in mathematics? Whose work? When? How much work? For what purpose? In this episode Pam and Kim discuss classroom culture and the importance of communication in mathematics, diving into these questions and more.Talking Points:Whose work are you asking student to show?Motivations for showing workDon't fix the math, mentor the mathematician - Cathy FosnotCommunication is a mathematical behaviorDetermining 'just enough' is a mentoring opportunityCheck out our social mediaTwitter: @PWHarrisInstagram: Pam Harris_mathFacebook: Pam Harris, author, mathematics educationLinkedin: Pam Harris Consulting LLC 

In today’s MathStratChat, Pam and Kim discuss the MathStratChat problem shared on social media on July 9, 2025. Note: It’s more fun if you try to solve the problem, share it on social media, comment on others strategies, before you listen to Pam and Kim’s strategies.Check out #MathStratChat on your favorite social media site and join in the conversation.Twitter: @PWHarrisInstagram: Pam Harris_mathFacebook: Pam Harris, author, mathematics educationWant more? Check out the archive of all of our #MathStratChat posts!

How can Problem Strings help build big ideas? In this episode Pam and Kim walk through a Problem String that helps students dig into area and multiplicative equivalence and help you know how to expertly facilitate.Talking Points:Facilitating the stringTeacher moves during the stringModeling the stringEqual products means total area is the sameWhy we want students to have lots of experience with concepts rather than just direct teaching.Check out our social mediaTwitter: @PWHarrisInstagram: Pam Harris_mathFacebook: Pam Harris, author, mathematics educationLinkedin: Pam Harris Consulting LLC