What is the importance of using varied methods and strategies in teaching specifically in mathematics?

Instructional strategies include all approaches that a teacher may take to engage students in the learning process actively. These strategies drive a teacher's instruction as they work to meet specific learning objectives and ensure that their students are equipped with the tools they need to be successful. Effective instructional strategies meet all learning styles and the developmental needs of all learners. Teachers must be equipped with a well-rounded arsenal of effective instructional strategies to maximize their effectiveness and to increase student learning opportunities.

Teachers are best served when they utilize a variety of instructional strategies as opposed to one or two. Variety ensures that students are never bored. It also ensures that students will likely be exposed to strategies that align with their preferred individualized learning style. Students will enjoy being taught with a variety of instructional strategies and are likely to stay engaged longer. Ultimately, a teacher should align the instructional strategies they are using with the students they are serving and the content they are teaching. Not every instructional strategy will be the perfect fit for every situation, so teachers must become adept at evaluating which strategy will be the best fit.

Effective Instructional Strategies

Popular instructional strategies include cloze reading, cooperative learning, hands-on learning activities, scaffolding, group instruction, self-assessment, thematic instruction, and word walls.

New instructional strategies are being developed and implemented in classrooms on an almost daily basis. Instructional strategies can also be completely customized, meaning that they can be tweaked and configured to fit any situation. Two teachers can be using the same instructional strategy completely differently based on their own individual preferences and needs. Teachers should put their own creative spin on these instructional strategies to make them their own.

5 Ways to Boost Student Learning

1. Instructional strategies provide a delivery mechanism for presenting great content. Instructional strategies are the how, and content is the what. In many cases, how you present the content is more important than what you present. Students latch onto content that is packaged in an interesting and engaging way. A lack of a great delivery system will fail to make connections with even the most interesting content.
2. Instructional strategies provide teachers with the flexibility necessary to meet individual learning needs. The sheer number of instructional strategies at a teacher's disposal provides the flexibility to differentiate instruction. What works well for one group of students may not necessarily work well with another. Teachers must adapt to each group and utilize multiple instructional strategies to maximize their effectiveness.
3. Instructional strategies can make teaching and learning fun. The majority of students learn best through active, engaging learning opportunities. Many instructional strategies embrace this and feature components that ensure learning is fun and engaging. Teachers must make every effort to feature instructional strategies that keep students engaged, on their toes, and wanting more.
4. Instructional strategies, when used correctly, keep students from becoming bored with how they learn. When a teacher uses the same strategy over and over again, it becomes boring to students. This is a great way to cause students to lose focus and lose interest in learning. When a teacher varies activities, changes them up, and uses a wide range of instructional strategies students stay engaged. This ultimately helps them learn more.
5. Instructional strategies enhance instruction and boost learning. When teachers are continuously exploring and tweaking their delivery system, a beautiful thing happens. Over time, they become more effective at not only finding great instructional strategies but also with implementing them into their class. Likewise, when students are exposed to a variety of instructional strategies it broadens the scope of how they learn — essentially giving them multiple ways to process and learn new information.

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Meador, Derrick. "Using Effective Instructional Strategies." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/building-an-arsenal-of-effective-instructional-strategies-3194257 (accessed January 2, 2023).

We all want our kids to succeed in math. In most districts, standardized tests measure students’ understanding, yet nobody wants to teach to the test. Over-reliance on test prep materials and “drill and kill” worksheets steals instructional time while also harming learning and motivation. But sound instruction and good test scores aren’t mutually exclusive. Being intentional and using creative approaches to your instruction can get students excited about math. These 14 essential strategies in teaching mathematics can make this your class’s best math year ever.

1. Raise the bar for all

Holding high expectations for all students encourages growth. As early as second grade, girls have internalized the idea that math is not for them. It can be a challenge to overcome the socially acceptable thought, I’m not good at math, says Sarah Bax, a math teacher at Hardy Middle School in Washington, D.C.

Rather than being born with or without math talent, kids need to hear from teachers that anyone who works hard can succeed. “It’s about helping kids have a growth mindset,” says Bax. “Practice and persistence make you good at math.” Build math equity and tell students about the power and importance of math with enthusiasm and high expectations.

(Psst…you can snag our growth mindset posters for your math classroom here.)

2. Don’t wait—act now!

Look ahead to the specific concepts students need to master for annual end-of-year tests and pace instruction accordingly. Think about foundational skills they will need for future learning.

“You don’t want to be caught off guard come March thinking that students need to know X for the tests the next month,” says Skip Fennell, project director of Elementary Mathematics Specialists and Teacher Leaders Project and professor emeritus at McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland. Know the specific standards and back-map your teaching from the fall so students are ready.

3. Create a testing pathway

You may not even see the results of standardized tests until next school year, but you have to teach to it now. Use formative assessments to ensure that students understand the concepts. What you learn can guide your instruction and determine the next steps, says Fennell.

Testing is not something separate from your instruction. It should be integrated into your planning. Instead of a quick exit question or card, give a five-minute quiz to confirm students have mastered the math skill covered in the day’s lesson. A capable digital resource, designed to monitor your students in real-time, can also be an invaluable tool, providing actionable data to inform your instruction along the way.

4. Observe, modify, and reevaluate

Sometimes we get stuck in a mindset of “a lesson a day” in order to get through the content. However, we should keep our pacing flexible, or kids can fall behind. Walk through your classroom as students work on problems and observe the dynamics. Talk with students individually and include “hinge questions” in your lesson plans to gauge understanding before continuing, suggests Fennell. In response, make decisions to go faster or slower or put students in groups.

5. Connect math to other learning areas

The more we show students how math is connected to the world around us, the more invested they become. Read books with math connections. Talk about the ways math integrates with visual arts and music. These conversations will help reinforce how mathematical thinking can help kids in all subject areas.

6. Personalize and offer choice

When students are given the opportunity to choose how they learn and demonstrate their understanding of a concept, their buy-in and motivation increase. It gives them the chance to understand how they learn best, provides agency over their own learning, and allows for the space to practice different approaches to solving math problems. Give students a variety of options, such as timed exercises, projects, or different materials, to show that they’ve mastered foundational skills. As students show what they’ve learned, teachers can track understanding, figure out where students need additional scaffolding or other assistance, and tailor lessons accordingly.

7. Encourage math talk

Communicating about math helps students process new learning and build on their thinking. Engage students during conversations and have them describe why they solved a problem in a certain way. “My goal is to get information about what students are thinking and use that to guide my instruction, as opposed to just telling them information and asking them to parrot things back,” says Delise Andrews, who taught math (K–8) and is now a 3–5 grade math coordinator in the Lincoln Public Schools in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Instead of seeking a specific answer, Andrews wants to have deeper discussions to figure out what a student knows and understands. “True learning happens a lot around talking and doing math—not just drilling,” she says.

8. Play math games

Student engagement and participation can be a challenge, especially if you’re relying heavily on worksheets. Games are an excellent way to make the learning more fun while simultaneously promoting strategic mathematical thinking, computational fluency, and understanding of operations. Games also foster a home-school connection when they’re sent home for extra practice.

9. Emphasize hands-on learning

In math, there’s so much that’s abstract. Hands-on learning helps make the conceptual concrete. Consider incorporating math manipulatives whenever possible. For example, you can use LEGO bricks to teach a variety of math skills , including finding area and perimeter and understanding multiplication.

10. Seek to develop understanding

Meaningful math education goes beyond memorizing formulas and procedures. Memorization does not foster understanding. Set high goals, create space for exploration, and work with the students to develop a strong foundation. “Treat the kids like mathematicians,” says Andrews. Present a broad topic, review various strategies for solving a problem, and then elicit a formula or idea from the kids rather than starting with the formula. This creates a stronger conceptual understanding and mental connections with the material for the student.

11. Choose meaningful tasks.

Kids get excited about math when they have to solve real-life problems. For instance, when teaching sixth graders how to determine area, present tasks related to a house redesign, suggests Fennell. Provide them with the dimensions of the walls and the size of the windows and have them determine how much space is left for the wallpaper. Or ask them to consider how many tiles they would need to fill a deck. You can absolutely introduce problem-based learning, even in a virtual world.

12. Allow for productive struggle

When giving students an authentic problem, ask a big question and let them struggle to figure out several ways to solve it, suggests Andrews. “Your job, as a teacher, is to make it engaging by asking the right questions at the right time. So you don’t take away their thinking, but you help them move forward to a solution,” she says.

Provide as little information as possible but enough so students can be productive. Effective math teaching supports students as they grapple with mathematical ideas and relationships. Allow them to discover what works and experience setbacks along the way as they adopt a growth mindset about mathematics.

13. Build excitement and reward progress

Students—especially those who haven’t experienced success—can have negative attitudes about math. Consider having students earn points and receive certificates, stickers, badges, or trophies as they progress. Weekly announcements and assemblies that celebrate the top players and teams can be really inspiring for students. “Having that recognition and moment is powerful,” says Bax. “Through repeated practice, they get better, and they are motivated.”

14. Encourage teacher teamwork and reflection

You can’t teach in a vacuum. Collaborate with other teachers to improve your math instruction skills. Start by discussing the goal for the math lesson, what it will look like, and plan as a team to be most effective. “Together, think through the tasks and possible student responses you might encounter,” says Andrews. Reflect on what did and didn’t work to improve your practice.

What is the importance of various teaching strategies especially in teaching math?

Why is it necessary to use varied methods in the teaching?

What are the methods and strategies in teaching mathematics?