The New Art and Science of Teaching Mathematics (Establish Effective Teaching Strategies in Mathematics Instruction)

Dr. Lang-Raad and Dr. Marzano have written a mathematical instruction book for any educator regardless of grade level or content expertise. With the framework and elements presented in the book anyone can be successful in delivering meaningful content that will ensure student success. I also like the fact that it is based on great instructional strategies, but also continues to give examples of meeting the needs of 21st Century learners.

As a classroom teacher, I often sat through campus or district workshops that provided examples of successful techniques and strategies in global terms. Or worse, that would use unrelated content areas to show me how to teach mathematics. I realize that good teaching is good teaching, yet as a mathematics teacher, I needed examples showing what those strategies would look like in the heat of the learning moment in a mathematics class. Without those, I was much less likely to implement what was presented in the workshop because I couldn’t figure out how to weave the ideas into what I was currently doing.Nathan Lang-Raad and Robert Marzano solve that problem in The New Art and Science of Teaching Mathematics. Lang-Raad and Marzano instantiate the ideas from The New Art and Science of Teaching, a framework which outlines ten design areas within three domains: instructional strategies for feedback, instructional strategies to deliver content, and strategies for creating a successful learning context, into a mathematics classroom.For each of the 43 elements of instruction, they provide specific ideas to make those elements work in a mathematics class. For example, for Using Formal Assessments of Individual Students, Lang-Raad and Marzano present performance tasks as one way to formally assess students, providing three examples – one elementary, one middle school, and one high school – of what a performance task might look like. Such an approach helps to personalize the learning for teachers who read this book, making the instructional strategies seem much more doable.In particular, I really value how Lang-Raad and Marzano incorporate technology into the elements of instruction when possible. For example, in the Recording and Representing Content element, Lang-Raad and Marzano go beyond more traditional ideas of using paper and pencil, chart paper and markers, or PowerPoint® presentations. They talk about websites and apps that students can use to incorporate interactive media, video presentations, and feedback tools into their work. What a great way to digitally record student learning and make the work public for reflection by students, teachers, and parents!After reading this book, the teacher educator in me wondered about how it might help move a professional learning community (PLC) forward. There are ample opportunities for teachers to individually reflect on how they currently use particular strategies and to collaboratively brainstorm possibilities for using the strategies to strengthen their practice. Educators in such a PLC could use the examples presented in a particular element as a launching pad for further study. If a PLC discovers an interest in, for example, using formative assessment techniques as a way to informally assess the whole class or individual students, they can then turn to emerging research and best practices on the topic. Professional organizations such as the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) or NCSM: Leadership in Mathematics Education are great places to turn to for additional study.Overall, I see a useful resource that gives teachers an at-a-glance view of what elements of instruction might look like in a mathematics classroom. There’s enough information in each element to start a collegial conversation about a how to use a particular instructional strategy to improve students’ learning experiences. Balancing conceptual development and skills proficiency is critical to fostering students’ mathematical understandings. Lang-Raad and Marzano present a variety of instructional strategies that teachers could use to build skills proficiency as well as a multitude of strategies that could be applied to any type of lesson. They do so in such a way that the implications for instruction in a mathematics classroom are very clear. The New Art and Science of Teaching Mathematics is the bridge from general principles of good teaching to their implementation in a mathematics classroom.

Authors Lang-Raad and Marzano provide readers with a series of practical teaching tool s and resources that serve to support new and veteran teachers and leaders alike. The three categories (Feedback, Content, and Context) are grounded in a philosophy of building student identify and self-efficacy as learners of mathematics. For example, in the feedback sections, teachers are provided with research, rationale, tools, and resources that can be used not only to clearly articulate high expectations for learning to students, but also to engage students more actively in their learning process. This is accomplished through the use of rubrics, scoring tools, and student self-trackers. The book builds on this primary tenet (building students as active learners) by providing the readers with a broad range of resources that serve to strengthen teacher practice with Assessment, Content Progressions/Chunking, Using Student Work and Error Analysis, Improving Student Engagement and Behavior, Building Stronger relationships, and Enhancing Student Self-Awareness of their Identify...just to name a few. This book is a must read for mathematics teachers and those charged with leading improvement in mathematics classrooms.

Whether you're a new teacher who's trying to put structures in place for success or a veteran who's looking for new research-informed practices you can incorporate, this book will have something for you.In this well-referenced book, Nathan Lang-Raad applies Robert Marzano's "The New Art and Science of Teaching" framework to mathematics. It balances broad appeal at basically every grade level with specific examples of each concept at a variety of grade bands.Lang-Raad shares dozens of strategies with everything you'll need to revitalize your classroom. As an example of what you'll find, you can read about how to get your kids up and moving in math class, how to build curiosity from controversy, academic games, and how to use unusual information to get kids talking.This book is definitely worth checking out.

All I can say is this book is a powerhouse when it comes to strategies and resources to improve the teaching and learning of math. Nathan Lang-Raad and Robert Marzano weave in supporting research to support the plethora of practical strategies found in every chapter. I particularly liked the guiding questions for curriculum design located at the end of each chapter that really pushes educators to think deeply about how they will incorporate all of the information in this book. If you are serious about improving outcomes and getting kids to like math get your hands on this book. - Eric Sheninger

As Nathan's husband, I may be slightly biased, but I think he has once again expertly applied his decades of experience to succinctly unravel the Gordian Knot of how to approach fundamental teaching instruction in a new and genius way. I couldn't be prouder of him, and you should definitely buy this book.(Be sure to tell him that you read this most wonderfully written—and completely objective—review...)