Are you ready to help your students master their math facts? Ready to use visual models to build number sense and make sense of word problems? Ready to teach fractions in a way that develops proportional reasoning and lays the groundwork for higher math? Ready to teach new material to your new students this fall when social distancing is back?

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Now for the really important question. Are you crazy enough to think we can accomplish all this if we work, plan, and stick together? Call us crazy because we think we can! We can make a difference in our community and help Kansas City kids of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities develop the thinking and reasoning skills that will give them a brighter future.

Year 2 of our Saturday Morning Math Meetups starts October 10th. We will again provide coffee and tea at 8:30, math PD from 9:00-11:00, and lunch from 11:00-11:30. The cost? It’s free. Our goal is to provide the math PD teachers need – in a respectful, encouraging, and appreciative way. We value the work you do and are here to help.

We host our workshops in the Sulgrave Regency Ballroom – just south of The Plaza. For information and announcements, follow us on Twitter (@gregtangmath) or join our Saturday MATH MEETup email list here. See you in October!

Greg Tang works with some of the highest performing and most improving schools and districts in the country. He is the NY Times best-selling author of The Grapes of Math, gold medal eBook Math Appeal, and 6 other books from Scholastic. To date, his website GregTangMath.com has over 114 million page views and is a cornerstone of math curriculums around the world.

Tammy Tang is the author of 10 best-selling technology books. She is a keynote and featured speaker at some of the largest technology conferences in the U.S. including ISTE, TCEA and FETC. Tammy helps K-12 teachers find more effective ways to integrate and apply technology and is the creator of many of our Tangy Tuesday and Wordy Wednesday math puzzles.

Click here to sign up for a workshop. Please note that spots are limited. We will notify confirmed attendees 2 weeks before each workshop.

September 14, 2019: Number and Operations (3-6)
What are the non-negotiable, must-do models and strategies we need to be teaching at each grade level? Can less ever be more? Can streamlining instruction be the secret to helping kids understand and enjoy math? We will use proven models and manipulatives to simplify our teaching and help our students transition from additive to multiplicative thinking. Go-to models will include number bonds and area models for operations, tape diagrams for fractions and word problems, and double-sided number lines and tables for ratios and rates.

October 5, 2019: Word Problems (3-6)
Through grade 6, there are over 50 types of word problems plus multi-step problems starting in grade 2. What can we do to better understand, teach, and connect all the various types? We will cover a progression of visual models that includes part-whole and tape diagrams, double-sided number lines, tables, and tree diagrams. These models smooth the transition to algebraic systems of equations and are the secret to learning key concepts and enjoying math in the intermediate grades.

October 19, 2019: Visual Models (K-2)
What are some of the must-do, non-negotiable strategies, models, and methods kids need to learn in the primary grades? Our focus will be on the most effective concrete and pictorial models for building an understanding of place value, addition and subtraction, fractions, and measurement. We will explore more effective ways to use number bonds, ten frames, Unifix cubes, and Cuisenaire Rods, both for learning key skills and for doing the extensive practice that leads to mastery. We will cover not only best practices but best ways to practice.

November 2, 2019: Fractions &Ratios (3-6)
Fractions is the hardest topic that is easiest to fix. We will use Cuisenaire Rods to systematically and strategically build a strong foundation in fraction fundamentals, including equivalence, comparison, and computation. We will then extend and apply key concepts to model and solve a progression of word problems that includes ratios, percents, unit rates, and slope. Helping students transition from additive to multiplicative thinking is critical in the intermediate grades.

December 7, 2019: Holiday Party (All)
Tammy and I will be hosting an open house on December 7th from 2-5 pm. Join us for math &merriment, food &festivities, games &giveaways. For all the details, click here or visit: gregtangmath.com/holiday

February 8, 2020: MAP Testing (3-6)
As long as teachers are being evaluated based on their students’ test scores, I will do everything I can to help raise them. In our February session, we will dissect and analyze MAP problems released by the state and explore ways to help kids model and make sense of them. Understanding assessment questions is important for helping students score better this year and planning instruction next year.

February 22, 2020: Modeling Word Problems (K-2)
There are 15 types of word problems for addition &subtraction for K-2 students. K students need to learn the easiest 4 types, 1st graders at least 7 more intermediate types, and 2nd graders need to know all 15 types including the 4 hardest types and 2-step versions as well.

Teachers need to be sure they thoroughly understand all 15 types and can identify and make any word problem easier or harder by varying the type and not the numbers. Are math stations the way to make sure all kids are learning no matter what their ability? No! Being able to effectively differentiate instruction is the answer.

In this session, we will model, solve, and write single and 2-step word problems. We will also do the same for problems with words!

The Future
My goal is to develop a dedicated and passionate group of teachers who wants to help me improve math instruction in the Kansas City area. I hope to increase the number of math workshops we offer each year and eventually integrate technology in helpful ways. I welcome your thoughts, participation, and goodwill!