The key , he argues, is providing positive experiences with meaningful mathematics centered around rich activities. When students are given the opportunity to wrestle with appropriately difficult activities based on real life situations and intriguing contexts, they become excited about the math and willingly tackle problems with more zeal and accuracy than ever before. The result is deeper understanding of the content and greater skill at doing mathematics.
Art draws on extensive research on how children learn and the relationship between reading and mathematical comprehension. His braided model of problem solving in which cognition, language, and mathematics are woven together intentionally forms the basis of math activities that he and numerous elementary teachers around the country have used. Look into the classrooms of some of these math teachers in this book, as they share their success stories illustrating the rewards of using these activities to foster deep mathematical understanding.
