

Books
Teaching Mathematics in the Visible Learning Classroom, Grades K-2
By: John Taylor Almarode, Douglas Fisher, Kateri Thunder, John Allan Hattie, Nancy Frey
Leverage the most effective teaching practices at the most effective time to meet the surface, deep, and transfer learning needs of every K–2 mathematics student.
- Grade Level: PreK-12
- ISBN: 9781544333298
- Published By: Corwin
- Series: Corwin Mathematics Series
- Year: 2019
- Page Count: 288
- Publication date: January 28, 2019
Price: $38.95
Description
Select the right task, at the right time, for the right phase of learning
Young students come to elementary classrooms with different background knowledge, levels of readiness, and learning needs. What works best to help K–2 students develop the tools to become visible learners in mathematics? What works best for K-=–2 mathematics learning at the surface, deep, and transfer levels?
In this sequel to the megawatt bestseller Visible Learning for Mathematics, John Almarode, Douglas Fisher, Kateri Thunder, John Hattie, and Nancy Frey help you answer those questions by showing how Visible Learning strategies look in action in K–2 mathematics classrooms. Walk in the shoes of teachers as they mix and match the strategies, tasks, and assessments seminal to making conceptual understanding, procedural knowledge, and the application of mathematical concepts and thinking skills visible to young students as well as to you.
Using grade-leveled examples and a decision-making matrix, you’ll learn to
- Articulate clear learning intentions and success criteria at surface, deep, and transfer levels
- Employ evidence to guide students along the path of becoming metacognitive and self-directed mathematics achievers
- Use formative assessments to track what students understand, what they don’t, and why
- Select the right task for the conceptual, procedural, or application emphasis you want, ensuring the task is for the right phase of learning
- Adjust the difficulty and complexity of any task to meet the needs of all learners
It’s not only what works, but when. Exemplary lessons, video clips, and online resources help you leverage the most effective teaching practices at the most effective time to meet the surface, deep, and transfer learning needs of every K–2 student.
Key features
Like being a fly on the wall of real K-2 classrooms!
Includes:
- Grade- and content-specific vignettes of three teachers across nine complete lessons showing surface, deep, transfer learning across a unit
- 90 minutes of real K-2 classroom video
- Grade-specific descriptions, teaching takeaways, vocabulary, and tools for high-effect instructional strategies
- Lesson plans include standards, learning intentions and success criteria, tasks, tools, checklists, and facilitation notes—all downloadable from companion website
- Interactive reflection and activity sections
Author(s)

John Taylor Almarode
Continuing his collaborative work with colleagues on what works best in teaching and learning, How Tutoring Works, Visible Learning in Early Childhood, and How Learning Works, all with Corwin Press, were released in 2021.

Douglas Fisher
Douglas Fisher, Ph.D., is professor and chair of educational leadership at San Diego State University and a leader at Health Sciences High and Middle College. Previously, Doug was an early intervention teacher and elementary school educator. He is the recipient of an International Reading Association William S. Grey citation of merit and an Exemplary Leader award from the Conference on English Leadership of NCTE. He has published numerous articles on teaching and learning as well as books such as The Teacher Clarity Playbook, PLC+, Visible Learning for Literacy, Comprehension: The Skill, Will, and Thrill of Reading, How Tutoring Works, and How Learning Works. Doug loves being an educator and hopes to share that passion with others.

Kateri Thunder

John Allan Hattie

Nancy Frey
Table of Contents
List of Videos
Acknowledgments
About the Authors
Introduction
What Works Best
What Works Best When
The Path to Assessment-Capable Visible Learners in Mathematics
How This Book Works
Chapter 1. Teaching With Clarity in Mathematics
Components of Effective Mathematics Learning
Surface, Deep, and Transfer Learning
Moving Learners Through the Phases of Learning
Differentiating Tasks for Complexity and Difficulty
Approaches to Mathematics Instruction
Checks for Understanding
Profiles of Three Teachers
Reflection
Chapter 2. Teaching for the Application of Concepts and Thinking Skills
Mr. Southall and Number Combinations
Ms. McLellan and Unknown Measurement Values
Ms. Busching and the Ever-Expanding Number System
Reflection
Chapter 3. Teaching for Conceptual Understanding
Mr. Southall and Patterns
Ms. McLellan and the Meaning of the Equal Sign
Ms. Busching and the Meaning of Addition
Reflection
Chapter 4. Teaching for Procedural Knowledge and Fluency
Mr. Southall and Multiple Representations
Ms. McLellan and Equality Conjectures
Ms. Busching and Modeling Subtraction
Reflection
Chapter 5. Knowing Your Impact: Evaluating for Mastery
What Is Mastery Learning?
Ensuring Tasks Evaluate Mastery
Ensuring Tests Evaluate Mastery
Feedback for Mastery
Conclusion
Final Reflection
Appendices
A. Effect Sizes
B. Teaching for Clarity Planning Guide
C. Learning Intentions and Success Criteria Template
D. A Selection of International Mathematical Practice or Process Standards
References
Index
Other Titles in: Mathematics | Elementary Teaching Methods | Visible Learning
For Instructors
Related Resources
- Access to companion resources is available with the purchase of this book.