Improving Measurement and Geometry in Elementary Schools

Teaching Strategies

IMAGES Menu

Strategies Main

Include strong academic content

A teacher should create any lesson or unit out of the best academic content available. In many instances this may mean that what the teacher includes in a lesson must go beyond specific skills to a broader mathematical context, with "real-world" and even interdisciplinary uses and applications. Studies have revealed that teachers who have a stronger background and broader experiences more effectively convey concepts to their students and are better able to make connections between those concepts for their students.

Model Curricula

The U.S. Department of Education created an expert panel that used benchmarks and student performance data to evaluate mathematics curricula. They have identified exemplary and promising mathematics programs that include strong academic content and high expectations for students. Information about many of these programs is available online at http://www.edc.org/mcc.