Favorite Math PD Books
Hi everyone!
I'm pretty sure that everyone is now on summer break unless you have a year-round school schedule. I hope you are getting time to relax and rejuvenate! I just spent these past few days presenting, learning a ton, and hanging out with so many treasured friends at the Building Thinking Classrooms Annual Conference held in New Haven, CT this year. Next year, it will be held back in the location of the very first BTC conference, Franklin, Indiana! The Keep Indiana Learning group are masters at planning amazing conferences so I recommend you save the dates of June 28 & 29, 2027! I'm excited that now that I live in WI, I can drive there! In this newsletter, I want to share some of my favorite Math PD books in case you choose to spend some summertime reading, a podcast episode with me, and the Get Your Workshop On Conference at Gilette Statium in August so I can meet you I person!
Favorite Math PD Books
Rethinking Disabilities and Mathematics, by Dr. Rachel Lambert , is my #1 recommendation for all educators who explore math with students. It is a Universal Design for Learning approach to planning for our students on the margins so that all students are given access to the math content. She provides practical advice on supporting each and every student including those with learning disabilities, multi-language learners, and neurodiverse learners. It is so important that every single educator read this book since we are all a team supporting all our students!
Figuring Out Fluency by Dr. Jennifer Bay-Williams and John SanGiovanni is my favorite book on fluency (even though I've had the privilege of writing two with Dr. Nicki Newton and Dr. Alison Mello) because it is a K-8 book. All the relationships we can begin exploring with basic facts apply to all sets of numbers the students will encounter in their math journeys. Pure gold! You can find all my fluency resources on my fluency padlet (http://tinyurl.com/RecordFluency).
Building a Positive Math Identity: a Brain-Science Approach, by Liesl McConchie, is chock full of ideas on how we can help all students build a positive math identity. The overarching quote that I love is that, "A students' emotional relationship with math is foundational to their cognitive relationshp with math." When students are fearful or anxious, their brains are not ready to learn. We have to give intentional support to building their math dispositions.
Children's Mathematics: Cognitively Guided Instruction, by Thomas Carpenter et. al., is a life-changing book delving into the research of the thinking of our students both with numbers and operations but also into word problem story types. Did you know there are 15 different ways to write a single-step addition or subtraction story? Check out my resourses on my problem solving padlet (http://tinyurl.com/RecordPS).
Developing Mathematical Reasoning, by Pam Harris, (there are specific grade band books as well) explores all the flexible strategies for all operations as she seeks to share, "If not algorithms, then what?" Too often our students get caught in previous phases of reasoning like counting when working on multi-digit add/sub or skip counting when working on multiplication/division problems. As Christina Tondevold says, we have to build our own math minds so that we can then build the math minds of our students.
Building Thinking Classrooms, by Dr. Peter Liljedahl and the BTC Elementary tasks (green book), by Dr. Peter Liljedahl and Meagan Giroux, (there is grade 6-12 book as well) have transfored the classroom experience for students, teachers, and me! There are 14 practices that were found in his research with the goal of getting more students thinking for more of the time. I have an entire padlet dedicated to Building Thinking Classrooms that you can find linked on my problem solving padlet (http://tinyurl.com/RecordPS).
Last but not least, Readers Read, Writers Write, and Mathers Math, by Dr. Deborah Peart-Crayton is full to the brim of practical ways we can help all our students understand that math is accessible for all. Rather than using the fancy word "mathematician" we can just use the no-stress word of mather. We are all mathers. I would have already bought my granddaughter the "born a mather" onesie, but the smallest size right now is 6 months. Ha!
Blue Glasses Math Podcast Interview
I have been honored to be a guest on many of my favorite podcasts and last month I had one of those opportunities chatting with Pam Brett - host of the wonderful Blue Glasses Math Podcast. I have always said that I'm on a learning journey and the more I learn the more I realize I need to learn. In this hour discussion we discuss all that I know to be true about the teaching and learning of mathematics as of right now in May 2026. It was an absolute joy chatting with her!
Get Your Workshop On 2026
Another in-person event I'm honored to be presenting at is the 2026 Get Your Workshop On Math Conference in Foxborough, MA at Gilette Stadium on Tuesday, August 4, 2026. Dr. Alison Mello and her incredible team are tirelessly working to offer this conference unlike any other not only having awesome sessions by powerful thought leaders such as Dr. Nicki Newton, Vanessa Vakharia, and Pam Harris but the complete red carpet treatment for attendees. The energy at the conference is infectious and just so much fun!! Let me know if you'll be going!
2026-27 Consulting Offerings
I am actively booking summer and the 2026-27 school year consulting partnerships. My offerings are always catered to your specific needs and include:
- In-person and virtual professional learning opportunities exploring fluency, problem solving, Math Workshop, Interventions, and general elementary math education grade-level content from one-hour sessions to all-day
- individual or bulk packages of my on-demand workshops (Building Flexibility with Addition and Subtraction w/in 100, Cuisenaire Rods K-2 and 3-5, Place Value K-2, Problem Solving K-2, and Fraction Essentials)
- On-going hourly coaching for teachers, interventionists, and math coaches.
As always, I am wishing you moments of joy and peace with those you love.
Take care,
Ann Elise
