Great Minds

The experiences with math that students had and continue to have can shape their confidence, participation, and success in mathematics for years to come.

The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction has approved Arts & Letters and Really Great Reading for grades K–3. Together, these programs offer an early literacy solution that combines knowledge-building instruction with explicit foundational skills support. If your school or district is reviewing literacy materials, explore the full Arts & Letters curriculum and see what it looks like in classrooms nationwide, including your state here: https://ow.ly/fkxe50YOAtZ

ELA classrooms across the country have students with a wide range of strengths, needs, and experiences. For school leaders, this reframes the conversation. Differentiation isn’t just an intervention strategy. It’s about ensuring instruction is designed to reach every learner from the start. Access our recent webinar recording to explore how strong Tier 1 ELA instruction built around grade-level texts, rich discussion, and purposeful routines can support every student in your school or district. https://gmgre.at/4clbf1g

Models aren’t just visuals—they’re long-term routines. Students revisit these representations repeatedly as math grows more complex. Swipe to see how Number Bonds, a Great Minds routine, stay consistent across grades K–5 in Eureka Math², empowering students to grow and build on their math knowledge.

What happens when schools truly invest in the people at the heart of student success? According to Meridian School District’s Tyler Dockins, principal of Irene Reither Elementary School, “When teachers feel supported, they stay, and they grow.” The district’s leadership prioritizes meaningful professional development, providing up to 20 one-on-one coaching sessions per teacher each year, as well as regular professional learning meetings and professional learning communities that foster deep collaboration. Learn more about Meridian’s approach and the positive results they’re seeing in classrooms across the district. https://ow.ly/ivK550XWeeY

We know what the concrete-to-representational-to-abstract model is in mathematics...but what is it not? In a recent webinar, “From Concrete to Abstract: Implementing the CRA Model from Kindergarten to Algebra,” Dr. Steven Shadel and Dr. David Allsop took a deeper look at some common misconceptions. Two things that really stood out to me is that CRA is NOT: • Informally exposing students to concrete materials and/or drawings/pictures without a clear connection to the targeted mathematics • Having students explore concrete materials and/or drawings/pictures in a way that leaves them to independently “figure out” the math without guidance Getting CRA right matters, especially for Florida educators working to meet the rigor of the B.E.S.T. Standards, which emphasize deep conceptual understanding, purposeful representation, and student thinking as the foundation for lasting math proficiency. Worth sharing with your team as you plan for next year!

Lasting impact isn’t about quick wins. It’s about building systems that support great teaching at scale. At the ASU+GSV Summit, our CEO, John White joined fellow education leaders Ashley Andersen Zantop, Lance Evans, and Lizzette Reynolds, moderated by Karen Vaites, for a powerful conversation unpacking what has driven historic gains in reading across the South. As states look to replicate this success, the question isn’t which individual policies to put in place, but how to build the conditions that make change stick.

“As math educators, it’s our job to make sure students are truly thinking about the concepts and skills we want them to learn. And that, in turn, will help them become confident and successful math thinkers and doers.” Too often, we hear students respond in chorus, but are they truly thinking about the “why” behind the math? Great Minds’ Michael Norton, a former math teacher, instructional coach, and school administrator, challenges us to rethink what meaningful engagement in math really looks like. It’s not about more practice; it’s about asking the right questions and assigning tasks that build real conceptual understanding. If we want confident and successful math thinkers and doers, we have to foster deeper thinking. Read the full article here: https://ow.ly/3Vtq50YJ4au

Missed the conversation on the leadership moves that can transform math classrooms? In this recent webinar, Steven Shadel, Great Minds Senior National Content Specialist, shared five research-backed leadership strategies that school and district leaders can use to strengthen math instruction and support student success. Swipe through the carousel to explore the five leadership moves, then watch the full webinar recording for deeper insights on each: https://gmgre.at/4b42OG6