Fostering Fluency

Functions are a confusing concept for students... until now! Demystify functions as number machines. Just as a pasta machine takes ingredients and spits out pasta and a sewing machine takes fabric and thread and spits out a dress, functions are machines that take a number and spit out another number based on the rules of the machine. This group activity with an easy-to-make manipulative helps show how linear functions work, and the accompanying game helps students see how these functions are r

This interactive notetaking aid can accompany your unit on exponents and their properties. Students create their own reference, including examples they generate, which they can consult when working with exponents in the future. Flipbook sections walk through examples and proofs of all the properties, invite students to find connections among the properties and list their own examples. This flipbook is incredibly easy to make, but feels like a mini-book that students can hold on to and refer to

Young mathematicians can astonish their friends with simple (secret) addition. This easy magic trick encourages students to develop fluency as the trick works best when they can quickly add a few numbers in their head. Instructions are included. Printing on cardstock or laminating is recommended.