Subtraction often gets stuck in a single storyline: “take away and count back.” But what if students had the chance to think differently, to reason about subtraction in ways that are more efficient, more intuitive, and more meaningful?

In this final episode of our fluency series, we revisit what makes subtraction challenging and explore how students shift from early strategies to more flexible thinking. You’ll hear how simple comparisons and visual tools like number lines and story problems can open doors to new strategies and deeper understanding.

You might also be surprised by one instructional move that could transform your approach to subtraction fluency, and it's definitely already in your curriculum. Let’s rethink how we help students see subtraction not as something to memorize, but as something to truly understand.

Links mentioned in this episode:

✅NCTM’s The Five Fundamentals

More from us:

👉 Follow us on Instagram @meaningfulmathco

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If you loved this episode, please take a minute to leave a review on Apple Podcasts. With your support, we can reach even more teachers looking to make math meaningful for their students. Thank you!

Have you ever stopped to think about just how many math facts there are? If you consider all four operations, there are hundreds of math facts for students to learn. Students need to learn strategies to solve math facts and develop a conceptual understanding of the operation as opposed to relying on memorization!

In this episode, we continue our fluency series by exploring what makes subtraction uniquely challenging, and how students gradually move from early counting strategies to more efficient, reasoning-based approaches.

You’ll hear how subtraction fluency develops over time, why memorization falls short, and how to help students build flexible, lasting understanding while still honoring where they’re starting. This episode sets the stage for a deeper, more meaningful approach to subtraction within 10 and 20.

Want to learn more? Let’s go!

Links mentioned in this episode:

✅NCTM’s The Five Fundamentals

More from us:

👉 Follow us on Instagram @meaningfulmathco

⭐️ SUBSCRIBE AND REVIEW

If you loved this episode, please take a minute to leave a review on Apple Podcasts. With your support, we can reach even more teachers looking to make math meaningful for their students. Thank you!

There’s a big difference between solving a math problem and understanding the math behind it. In this episode, we continue our discussion on addition fluency by exploring how students begin to move beyond early strategies and discover more efficient, flexible ways to add within 10 and 20.

You’ll hear how intentional routines like Number Talks, and visual tools like dot images and ten frames can help students uncover strategies on their own and build the kind of number sense that sticks. It’s not about rushing them to mastery; it’s about giving them the space to reason, make mistakes, and find what makes sense.

This episode is part two of our addition fluency series, and it’s full of practical insights for creating a math classroom where strategies aren’t memorized, they’re discovered.

Links mentioned in this episode:

✅NCTM’s The Five Fundamentals

More from us:

👉 Follow us on Instagram @meaningfulmathco

⭐️ SUBSCRIBE AND REVIEW

If you loved this episode, please take a minute to leave a review on Apple Podcasts. With your support, we can reach even more teachers looking to make math meaningful for their students. Thank you!

When we talk about fluency, speed, and accuracy usually steal the spotlight, but there’s a lot more going on beneath the surface. In this episode, we unpack what true fluency really means and why it’s about more than just getting correct answers quickly.

You’ll learn about the four components of fluency, explore the phases students move through on their journey toward mastery, and reflect on what first and second-graders are actually expected to know by the end of the year. 

We’ll also explore the early strategies students bring with them, and why it’s important to honor those approaches while gently guiding them toward more efficient ones.

This is the first episode in a two-part series designed to help you support meaningful, strategy-rich addition fluency in your classroom. Let’s slow down, go deeper, and give students the foundation they really need.

Links mentioned in this episode:

✅NCTM’s The Five Fundamentals

More from us:

👉 Follow us on Instagram @meaningfulmathco

⭐️ SUBSCRIBE AND REVIEW

If you loved this episode, please take a minute to leave a review on Apple Podcasts. With your support, we can reach even more teachers looking to make math meaningful for their students. Thank you!

We are diving into our 8th and final math practice: Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning, and how it helps students move beyond shortcuts to develop real number sense. This practice is all about noticing patterns, finding structure, and making math more efficient and meaningful on their own terms.

You’ll hear how routines like Number Talks can create space for those “aha” moments, where students spot a strategy and own it because they discovered it themselves. It’s a powerful shift from being told what to do, to figuring out what makes sense.

Links mentioned in this episode:

✅Standards For Mathematical Practice

✅Math Practice 8

More from us:

👉 Follow us on Instagram @meaningfulmathco

⭐️ SUBSCRIBE AND REVIEW

If you loved this episode, please take a minute to leave a review on Apple Podcasts. With your support, we can reach even more teachers looking to make math meaningful for their students. Thank you!

There are structures that serve as the foundation for math concepts, such as our base 10 number system, measurement systems, and the hierarchy of shapes.

In this episode, we unpack Math Practice 7: Look for and make use of structure, and explore how helping students notice and use the building blocks of math can completely transform how they approach new problems. From number patterns to properties of operations, we’ll talk about why these discoveries matter, and why memorization alone isn’t enough.

You’ll walk away with strategies and prompts to support student discovery, plus a renewed appreciation for the deep thinking kids are capable of when given the space to look, notice, and make sense of math on their own terms.

Links mentioned in this episode:

✅Standards For Mathematical Practice

✅Math Practice 7

More from us:

👉 Follow us on Instagram @meaningfulmathco

⭐️ SUBSCRIBE AND REVIEW

If you loved this episode, please take a minute to leave a review on Apple Podcasts. With your support, we can reach even more teachers looking to make math meaningful for their students. Thank you!

Have you ever had a student who when asked to explain their thinking simply says, “I just knew it” or “I just did the math”? We want our students to be able to go deeper and say more than this. We want them to share HOW they knew it and WHAT math they did.

In this episode, we take a closer look at Math Practice 6: Attend to precision, and explore how it goes far beyond correctness. You’ll hear how precision in language, symbols, and structure supports deeper understanding, and why developing this skill is just as important for life as it is for math class.

We’ll also unpack how to help students refine their thinking out loud, use vocabulary in context (not just memorize it), and make thoughtful decisions about when precision really matters. Whether you're introducing new math language or helping students rethink the equal sign, this episode will challenge what you thought you knew about “being precise.”

Links mentioned in this episode:

✅ Standards For Mathematical Practice

✅ Math Practice 3

✅ Math Practice 6

More from us:

👉 Follow us on Instagram @meaningfulmathco

⭐️ SUBSCRIBE AND REVIEW

If you loved this episode, please take a minute to leave a review on Apple Podcasts. With your support, we can reach even more teachers looking to make math meaningful for their students. Thank you!

When we think about math tools, the first thing that comes to mind for most of us are calculators and rulers. Yes, these are math tools, but many other items are considered math tools, and some of them might even surprise you!

In this episode, we dig into Math Practice 5: Use appropriate tools strategically, and explore what it looks like when students aren’t just using math tools but choosing them, reasoning with them, and making sense of problems through them.

We’ll talk about what counts as a math tool, why the word “appropriate” matters, and how to create a classroom culture where tools support deep thinking, not just right answers.

Links mentioned in this episode:

✅ Standards For Mathematical Practice

✅ Math Practice 5

More from us:

👉 Follow us on Instagram @meaningfulmathco

⭐️ SUBSCRIBE AND REVIEW

If you loved this episode, please take a minute to leave a review on Apple Podcasts. With your support, we can reach even more teachers looking to make math meaningful for their students. Thank you!

“Model with mathematics” sounds straightforward… until you try to define what it looks like in a real K–3 classroom. Is it about teacher modeling? Using manipulatives? Solving word problems? This episode takes a closer look, and might just shift your perspective.

In this episode, we take a surprising turn into what Math Practice 4 really asks of us and our students. We’ll explore how to help kids see math in the world around them, use it to make sense of real-life situations, and develop the kind of number sense that sticks far beyond the classroom.

It’s time for math to feel more purposeful, more connected to kids’ lives, and more joyful to teach. This episode will leave you with a fresh perspective, and a few practical routines to get started.

Links mentioned in this episode:

✅ Standards For Mathematical Practice

✅ Math Practice 4

More from us:

👉 Follow us on Instagram @meaningfulmathco

⭐️ SUBSCRIBE AND REVIEW

If you loved this episode, please take a minute to leave a review on Apple Podcasts. With your support, we can reach even more teachers looking to make math meaningful for their students. Thank you!

Does it ever feel like you're doing most of the talking during math lessons? Or are you wondering how to get your students to share their thinking and actually listen to one another? 

In today’s conversation, we’re exploring Math Practice 3: Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others. We’ll look at what it really means to create a math classroom where student voices take center stage and mistakes become opportunities for growth.

You’ll hear ideas for fostering meaningful discussion, encouraging students to explain their thinking, and creating a culture where feedback flows freely and respectfully. Whether you're just starting to build math discourse or looking to deepen your students' reasoning, this episode will leave you inspired and equipped.

Links mentioned in this episode:

✅ Standards For Mathematical Practice

✅ Math Practice 3

More from us:

👉 Follow us on Instagram @meaningfulmathco

⭐️ SUBSCRIBE AND REVIEW

If you loved this episode, please take a minute to leave a review on Apple Podcasts. With your support, we can reach even more teachers looking to make math meaningful for their students. Thank you!