Episode 189 - Making Math Irresistible: 4 Expert Strategies for Student Engagement in Elementary Math
Release Date: 02/16/2025
Episode 201 - Our Summer Book Study - Exploring Tasks for the Thinking Classroom
The Build Math Minds Podcast
In Episode 201, I share two exciting summer learning opportunities for fellow Recovering Traditionalists as we prepare to pause the podcast until August. First, enroll in The Flexibility Formula online courses (K-2 or 3-5) to transform how you build math fluency with your students. Second, join our free summer book study on "Mathematics Tasks for the Thinking Classroom Grades K-5" by Peter Liljedahl and Maegan Giroux, starting July 14th. Register now at to receive a publisher discount (20% off with free US shipping) and access to exclusive weekly videos featuring insights from myself,...
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Episode 200 - The Three Essential Math Experiences: Number Routines, Word Problems, and Games
The Build Math Minds Podcast
In this milestone 200th episode of The Build Math Minds Podcast, I share the three essential math experiences every classroom needs: Number Routines, Word Problems, and Games. Drawing from research-backed practices in the IES/WWC guides, I explain why these activities are crucial for developing conceptual understanding, procedural fluency, and application in mathematics. Learn how Number Routines make implicit math concepts explicit, how Word Problems should help students understand mathematical structures beyond keywords, and how Games provide engaging practice that builds fluency. To...
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Episode 199 - The Many Ways to Show Numbers with Fingers
The Build Math Minds Podcast
In this episode, I explore the fascinating world of finger use in math and specifically how we represent numbers differently. After noticing that Dan Finkel and I show the number 3 with completely different finger configurations, I dive into why these variations matter for children's mathematical understanding. Through personal stories about my own children's attempts to show the number 5, I highlight how fixed representations can limit children's number sense. Join me to discover why showing quantities in multiple ways—whether using fingers, ten frames, or rekenreks—helps develop deeper...
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Episode 198 - Tips for Using Games to Build Math Minds with Dan Finkel
The Build Math Minds Podcast
In this episode, Christina Tondevold welcomes special guest Dan Finkel, founder of Math for Love and creator of popular games like Prime Climb and Tiny Polka Dot. Dan shares his three essential principles for effectively implementing mathematical games in the classroom: games should involve meaningful choices, math should be the engine driving the gameplay, and games should be simple to learn and quick to play. Through personal stories and classroom examples, Dan and Christina explore how games transform math from a dreaded chore into an engaging learning experience. The episode concludes with...
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Episode 197 - Upleveling Missing Part Games
The Build Math Minds Podcast
In this final episode of our three-part series on upleveling missing part activities, I share ways to transform two popular math games: Salute and Number Sandwiches. Learn how to modify these traditional games to help your students build a deeper understanding of number relationships through missing part problems. These upleveled versions create opportunities for students to work with equivalent expressions while maintaining the fun and engagement of game-based learning. Perfect for elementary math teachers looking to enhance their daily math lessons with games that challenge students to think...
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Episode 196 - Repackaging Style Word Problems: Transforming Missing Part Word Problems
The Build Math Minds Podcast
In this second installment of our three-part series on Missing Part Activities, we explore 'repackaging tasks' - a powerful approach to traditional missing part word problems. While educators are familiar with finding unknown parts in word problems like “Christina has $12, she spends some now she has $7. How much did she spend?”, repackaging tasks push mathematical thinking further by having students redistribute quantities across equivalent expressions. Through practical examples in both multiplication and addition contexts, I demonstrate how these problems help students develop a...
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Episode 195 - Upleveling Missing Part Activities to Build Deeper Mathematical Thinking
The Build Math Minds Podcast
In this episode, we explore how to elevate your 'Missing Part' math activities beyond the basic type like 5 + __ = 12' into more problems that help students develop a deeper understanding of mathematical equality and build foundational number properties. Get a quick way to implement these enhanced activities in your classroom. Perfect for elementary educators looking to strengthen their students' mathematical thinking without explicitly teaching formal properties. This is the first in a three-part series on upleveling Missing Part activities for more meaningful math instruction.
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Episode 194 - The Truth About Mental Math - It's Not Just In Your Head
The Build Math Minds Podcast
In this episode, we explore the common misconception about mental math in mathematics education. Featuring insights from Pam Harris' newly published book 'Developing Mathematical Reasoning: Avoiding the Trap of Algorithms,' we discuss why mental math isn't about doing calculations without paper—it's about developing quality thinking strategies.
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Episode 193 - Beyond the Template - Making the Lesh Translation Model Meaningful
The Build Math Minds Podcast
In this episode, I follow up on last week's introduction to the Lesh Translation Model with an important caution. While I previously shared a template for The Translation Task, today I explore concerns raised by John Mason in the 1987 book "Problems of Representation in the Teaching and Learning of Mathematics." Mason warns that frameworks like the Lesh Model can become "mechanical schemes for generating yet more useless student activity" when implemented without proper attention. I offer two specific ways to prevent this template from becoming routine and mindless. This episode...
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Episode 192 - A Math Task All Teachers Should be Doing
The Build Math Minds Podcast
In Episode 192, "A Math Task All Teachers Should be Doing," I discuss the Lesh Translation Model, a powerful framework that was frequently featured at the 2025 Virtual Math Summit. This model, which dates back to 1979 but was highlighted in NCTM's 2014 book "Principles to Actions," identifies five different ways to represent mathematical concepts: Manipulatives (objects), Realistic (real-life contexts), Pictorial (drawings), Language (verbal descriptions), and Symbolic (numbers/equations). I explain how these representations are interconnected and how developing multiple representations helps...
info_outlineGet four powerful strategies for making mathematics engaging and accessible for elementary students from expert presenters at the 2025 Virtual Math Summit. Dr. Raj Shah reveals the psychology of engagement through video game design principles, while Kristin Acosta demonstrates how to use everyday images to spark mathematical discussions. Jeff Gobin shows how digital manipulatives can make abstract concepts concrete, and Tyler Tarver shares research on leveraging educational videos effectively in mathematics instruction. Whether you're looking to increase student participation, reduce math anxiety, or create more engaging lessons, this episode provides practical, research-based strategies you can implement immediately in your classroom. Learn how to meet students where they are while guiding them toward deeper mathematical understanding through visual, digital, and traditional approaches to learning.
Featured Speakers: Dr. Raj Shah, Kristen Acosta, Jeff Gobin, and Tyler Tarver
Discover how to transform your math instruction and make mathematics accessible and engaging for all students. Register for free at VirtualMathSummit.com to watch the full versions of these sessions February 22nd & 23rd.
Register for the Virtual Math Summit: https://virtualmathsummit.com/
Upgrade to have extended access to Virtual Math Summit sessions at VirtualMathSummit.com/upgrade
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