Episode 214 - The REAL Purpose of Teaching Math (And Why It Matters More Than Ever)

Do your students complete their math practice but forget everything by next week? There's a reason this happens—and a simple fix. Australian educator Michaela Epstein reveals why most practice only goes one direction (question → answer) and shares sorting & matching tasks that build real understanding. Learn how to add one metacognitive step that transforms mindless practice into flexible thinking. Plus, get details on the upcoming 10th Virtual Math Summit (Feb 28-March 1, 2026) with 34 sessions designed specifically for PreK-5 teachers and math coaches. Get any resources/links mentioned in this episode at BuildMathMinds.com/216 

Are you exhausting yourself trying to make everything "equal" in your math instruction or math coaching? In this video, I'm sharing why balance in teaching isn't about equality - it's about creating a beautiful structure that meets the needs of those you are working with. Let's rethink what balance really means for elementary math teachers and coaches. Get any resources/links mentioned in this episode at BuildMathMinds.com/215

When your students ask "When will I ever use this?"—especially with AI doing calculations faster than any of us—how do you answer? In this episode, I share a conversation that just validated how I think about the purpose of teaching math.    Spoiler: It's not about long division. It's about building thinkers, not calculators.    You'll hear the difference between students who DO math versus students who THINK about math, why building flexible thinkers actually speeds up your teaching (not slows it down), and how to shift your instruction to focus on what really matters. If you've ever questioned why we teach certain math skills, this episode will give you a whole new perspective.   Get any resources/links mentioned in this episode at BuildMathMinds.com/214 

Are your students still counting on their fingers for 6×4? Transform how you teach multiplication facts with this game-changing approach to subitizing! In this episode, you'll discover how to move beyond the exhausting "times tables treadmill" that forces students to memorize 100 disconnected facts. Instead, learn how subitizing—the ability to instantly recognize quantities without counting—can help your students see multiplication as beautiful, connected relationships. You'll learn: Why traditional fact memorization fails (and what works better) The 4 Types of Multiplication Facts that create a foundation for all others  How to use ten frames and visual arrays to make multiplication facts "subitizable" Three classroom-ready strategies you can implement tomorrow How to help students see that facts, like 7×6, aren't random facts to memorize, but are connected to facts they already know (like 5×6 or 7×5) This episode walks you through the visual progression from scattered groups to organized arrays, showing you exactly how to use color-coding and strategic groupings to make even challenging facts like 8×7 accessible through relationships. You'll also see how all eight foundational number sense concepts work together to build true multiplicative thinking. Stop asking your students to memorize 100 isolated facts. Start helping them see the patterns, understand the relationships, and actually enjoy learning multiplication. Your students (and their fluency) will thank you! Includes link to Christina's color-coded multiplication chart to support visual learning in your classroom. Get any resources/links mentioned in this episode at BuildMathMinds.com/213   

Discover how subitizing—the ability to instantly recognize quantities without counting—can transform your fraction instruction! While you may already use subitizing with your younger students, this episode reveals why it's equally powerful for upper elementary learners working with fractions. You'll learn what subitizing with fractions actually looks like and why keeping quantities small makes all the difference. We'll explore how subitizing helps students focus on relationships between quantities rather than getting bogged down in counting individual pieces, allowing them to use grouping strategies and truly understanding what's happening when operating with fractions, not just following rules. This episode will give you practical strategies to build stronger fraction sense in your classroom. Plus, grab the free Fraction Subitizing Cards to get started right away! Get the Fraction Subitizing Cards here: https://buildmathminds.com/fraction-subitizing-10day  Enroll in The Flexibility Formula 3rd-5th: https://buildmathminds.com/enroll/  WATCH: 4 Early Numeracy Concepts WATCH: How to Build Fraction Sense Get any resources/links mentioned in this episode at BuildMathMinds.com/212 

You know that building number sense is crucial—but finding time for one more thing feels impossible. In this episode, discover how investing time in foundational number sense concepts actually saves you time in the long run. Learn two practical strategies for fitting this essential work into your already-packed day without adding anything extra: the 1% Better Approach and the Replace, Don't Add Strategy. You'll walk away with clear examples of which activities to stop doing and what to start doing instead, so your students develop flexible thinking about numbers and you spend less time reteaching.  If you're ready to make math instruction more intentional without overwhelming yourself, this episode is for you. Students with strong number sense learn faster, make connections more easily, and actually enjoy math. That means less frustration for you, less reteaching, and more time for what really matters. Your small tweaks today compound into big results all year long. Get any resources/links mentioned in this episode at BuildMathMinds.com/211 

Are you doing all the "right" math activities—Number Talks, Number Strings, Quick Images—but still not seeing the progress you expected? In this episode, you'll discover why having great activities isn't enough, and what actually builds real number sense with your students. You'll learn the critical difference between facilitating activities to collect answers versus facilitating them to develop deep mathematical understanding. Through concrete examples, you'll see how the same activity can produce completely different results depending on how you guide the discussion, what questions you ask, and which student thinking you choose to highlight. This episode reveals four common facilitation mistakes teachers make and gives you the tools to avoid them. Most importantly, you'll understand why this missing piece—knowing what to listen for and how to make number sense concepts visible—is the key to finally seeing your students think more flexibly and develop lasting mathematical reasoning. Get any links mentioned in this episode at BuildMathMinds.com/210 

Are you overwhelmed thinking about trying to add in number sense activities into your already jam-packed day? In this game-changing episode, learn how to transform your math instruction by integrating number sense concepts into ONE quick activity.  The 'unspoken rule' of teaching math has been to keep each math skill in separate boxes that we teach in isolation.  Teaching in this way is one of the causes of feeling overwhelmed when teaching math. In this episode, you'll see how to integrate math concepts into one activity using an example of Number Strings. A single 10-minute activity can simultaneously develop multiple foundational number sense concepts - from subitizing to part-part-whole thinking. Whether you teach early or upper elementary, this episode provides practical strategies to help your students develop more flexible, sophisticated mathematical thinking. Walk away with a clear approach to making your math lessons more intentional, engaging, and effective. Get any links mentioned in the episode at BuildMathMinds.com/209

In this second episode of the math fluency series, we explore the four essential number relationships that help students move beyond counting and develop true mathematical thinking. Learn about spatial relationships, one/two more or less, benchmarks of 5 and 10, and part-part-whole thinking—and discover how these relationships evolve from PreK through fifth grade. We'll look at why students get stuck using inefficient strategies and how building these foundational relationships transforms them into flexible problem-solvers who can see multiple pathways to solutions. Plus, get practical questions you can start asking tomorrow to assess and develop these critical relationships in your students. Free number sense assessment resources available at BuildMathMinds.com/208.

In this episode, I'm kicking off a series on building math fluency by diving into what I wish I had known when I first started teaching—the critical foundations students need BEFORE we ever ask them to add, subtract, multiply, or divide. Many students can DO the math, but they don't truly UNDERSTAND it. And the problem isn't that they need more practice—they're missing something much more fundamental. I'm sharing the four early numeracy concepts from the research of Douglas Clements and Julie Sarama: subitizing (instantly recognizing quantities without counting), verbal counting (understanding number patterns and structure), object counting (purposefully counting items), and cardinality (understanding that the final count represents the total quantity). You might be thinking these sound like kindergarten concepts, but stay with me! These foundations develop in sophistication all the way through 5th grade and beyond, including fraction subitizing and understanding complex number relationships. I've got free Savvy Subitizing Cards (PreK-2nd) and Fraction Subitizing Cards (3rd-5th) linked up at https://buildmathminds.com/207 to help you with one of the 4 early numeracy concepts. Next episode, we'll dig into the four number relationships that move students from counting to mathematical thinking!