Building on Howe’s Three Pillars in Kindergarten to Grade 6 Classrooms

Abstract

Howe (2014, Three pillars of first grade mathematics, and beyond. In: Li Y. & Lappan G. (eds), Mathematics curriculum in school education, Springer, Dordrecht, pp 183–207) identified three pillars of first grade mathematics and beyond that described central mathematical and sense-making aspects of major Common Core State Standards Math (National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, Council of Chief State School Officers. 2010) domains. This chapter builds on each pillar by sharing visual models that have been powerful in helping students learn the aspects identified by Howe. Visual models are central core ideas and practices in the CCSS–M and deserve attention and discussion. The research-based examples discussed here are simple math drawings that students can make and use in their own ways in problem solving and explaining of thinking. Such drawings support the math talk discussions that are at the heart of the CCSS–M and of the mathematical practices. They enable (Howe’s, 2014, Three pillars of first grade mathematics, and beyond. In: Li Y. & Lappan G. (eds), Mathematics curriculum in school education, Springer, Dordrecht, pp 183–207) three pillars to come to life in the classroom. Teachers and students can come to appreciate all of these pillars: Pillar I, the power of robust understanding of the operations of addition and subtraction including situations that give meaning to the operations and levels of single-digit addition and subtraction; Pillar II, an approach to arithmetic computation that intertwines place value with the addition/subtraction facts; and Pillar III, making connections between counting number and measurement number.