Mathematics Quick-Looks Grade 3

Mathematics Quick-Looks focus on key concepts when teaching math. They help simplify students' conceptual understanding by directing students' attention to key concepts and procedures. By highlighting the key concepts in each lesson, teachers can promote students' achievement and prepare them for more difficult concepts.

Math key concepts are primary skills that can be continually used to teach a variety of math concepts and processes. They provide recognizable starting points for students when learning new math concepts and processes. Math key concepts are explicitly described and modeled by the teacher. Vocabulary that is vital to the students' conceptual understanding is mastered concurrently with the related concepts and processes.

The fundamental foundation of the Quick-Looks includes math concepts and processes that can be used within and across domains. Quick-Looks allow students to focus their attention on these key math concepts and processes. The skills and vocabulary are methodically taught, using unambiguous coaching methods. Conceptual understanding, procedural mastery, and vocabulary acquisition are applied seamlessly to new content.

The math concepts that represent foundational understandings that can be applied across domains have been selected and planned into quick lessons. The lessons take about ten to fifteen minutes to explicitly deliver while allowing students the opportunity to critique their mathematical thinking and the thinking of others. Teachers will have eight opportunities to explicitly teach the target math skill within the context of the math concepts, affording students ample practice opportunities for mastering the concepts and processes. Teachers will communicate the skills using the selected vocabulary and require that students use the key vocabulary when expressing their thoughts.

This instructional strategy positively impacts students of all performance levels by focusing teaching and learning on clearly defined concepts. The strategy facilitates recall by reducing the amount of essential information and providing a universal language for communicating mathematical concepts. The use of this instructional strategy helps students to see the patterns of math in the predetermined skills as well as in more complex concepts and processes thus advocating deeper conceptual mathematical understanding.