What do you think?
Rate this book
Rough Draft Math: Revising to Learn
Many students, especially as they get older, only share their thinking in math class when they’re sure they have the right answer. This means that some students hardly talk at all. Yet, talking and writing about in-process and unfinished ideas are vital to learning mathematics. How can we meet this challenge? Amanda (Mandy) Jansen and her collaborating teachers have developed a breakthrough approach: expand the idea of 'rough drafts' to the mathematics classroom.
In Rough Draft Math, Mandy shares the power of infusing math class with the spirit of revision so that students feel comfortable thinking aloud as they talk to learn through problem-solving rather than talking only to perform right answers. In the process, a class of students becomes a community of mathematical thinkers, and teachers gain access into their students’ ideas and understandings.
Inside you’ll find the following:
an exploration of what the idea of revision could mean for math teaching and learning
classroom vignettes to see rough draft math in action
specific teaching techniques to encourage and practice rough draft thinking
voices of teachers and students in rough draft classrooms
Mandy’s reflections about her own teaching as a work in progress
In Rough Draft Math, Mandy shows how to create a classroom culture in which your students will feel more comfortable expressing their partial understandings and in-process thinking, and then continually revising that thinking as they build deep, conceptual understanding of mathematics.
In Rough Draft Math, Mandy shares the power of infusing math class with the spirit of revision so that students feel comfortable thinking aloud as they talk to learn through problem-solving rather than talking only to perform right answers. In the process, a class of students becomes a community of mathematical thinkers, and teachers gain access into their students’ ideas and understandings.
Inside you’ll find the following:
an exploration of what the idea of revision could mean for math teaching and learning
classroom vignettes to see rough draft math in action
specific teaching techniques to encourage and practice rough draft thinking
voices of teachers and students in rough draft classrooms
Mandy’s reflections about her own teaching as a work in progress
In Rough Draft Math, Mandy shows how to create a classroom culture in which your students will feel more comfortable expressing their partial understandings and in-process thinking, and then continually revising that thinking as they build deep, conceptual understanding of mathematics.
224 pages, Paperback
Published March 17, 2020
5 people are currently reading
66 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 10, 2025
The book does present good ideas that I would like to try to implement in my classroom. However, many of the classroom examples and conversations that were presented sounded too forced or idealized, probably to make sure they aligned with the theoretical framework of the book. There was also a particular section that I would even consider as borderline white-savior. As a math teacher of 100% English language learners in New York City, I ended up feeling like there was some sort of disconnection and disparity between the teaching scenarios presented in the book and my own teaching reality.
February 28, 2022
Lots of great ideas to think about in here to grow students mathematical skills and communication. I’ll be referencing back often!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews