Cultivating Math Confidence: Teaching Strategies to Boost Proficiency in Grades 6-12

Author:   Kristen Smith
Publisher:   Taylor & Francis Ltd
ISBN:  

9781032943978


Pages:   236
Publication Date:   01 July 2026
Format:   Paperback
Availability:   Not yet available   Availability explained
This item is yet to be released. You can pre-order this item and we will dispatch it to you upon its release.

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Cultivating Math Confidence: Teaching Strategies to Boost Proficiency in Grades 6-12


Overview

This guidebook helps you tackle roadblocks your students may be facing in their math understanding and confidence. Author, teacher, and instructional coach Kristen Smith brings together dozens of classroom-tested planning and instructional strategies that have shown measurable improvements in student proficiency. Written in an easily replicable format, these practices demonstrate the direct connections between math instruction, student behavior, and student learning, and how making these connections with your students boosts proficiency. The book is divided into sections on planning, instruction, and coaching, addressing how teachers can use math content to both build student skills and drive student engagement and motivation, ultimately unlocking confident math learners. Chapters include examples and visuals like classroom photographs, sample materials, lesson plans, pacing guides, and coaching agendas. The author balances personal classroom anecdotes with student proficiency data collected across various educational settings, grade levels, and on all types of assessment. These markers include internal outcome-based assessments, state standardized tests, and performance tasks. Designed with both classroom-level and school or district usage in mind, this resource offers strategies that can be immediately implemented or used in evaluation and professional development. Teachers, administrators, instructional coaches, and pre-service teachers in secondary mathematics courses can all benefit from this practical primer on building math proficiency among their current and future students alike.

Full Product Details

Author:   Kristen Smith
Publisher:   Taylor & Francis Ltd
Imprint:   Routledge
ISBN:  

9781032943978


ISBN 10:   1032943971
Pages:   236
Publication Date:   01 July 2026
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Tertiary & Higher Education ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Forthcoming
Availability:   Not yet available   Availability explained
This item is yet to be released. You can pre-order this item and we will dispatch it to you upon its release.

Table of Contents

Part 1: Instructional Moves that Build Confidence 1. Maximizing Inquiry to Build Confidence 2. A Culture of Belief 3. Norms That Support Confident Math Learners 4. Intentional Response Protocals 5. Constructing Question Arcs 6. Feedback to Fuel Growth 7. Assessment with Insight and Intention 8. The Proficiency Pivot Part 2: Planning for Proficiency 9. A Lesson Structure that Builds Student Confidence 10. Developing Mastery Through Strategic Practice 11. Remediation and Intervention for Unfinished Learning 12. Using Assessment Data to Drive Progress Part 3: Coaching for Confidence and Clarity 13. An Introductin to Coaching 14. Coaching for Clarity 15 Coaching for Confidence

Reviews

""In this fascinating book, veteran educator Smith takes a somewhat intangible idea—inspiring students to have confidence in their math ability—and makes it concrete, visible and actionable. Wonderfully blending learning science with the hard-won experience of someone who works with teenagers, this book is a must-read for math teachers everywhere."" Holly Korbey, Education Journalist and Editor, The Bell Ringer, USA ""Kristen Smith is a true master at the art of teaching and coaching mathematics. Cultivating Math Confidence bottles that genius into digestible practices that are accessible for all levels of teachers and coaches. It's a must read for anyone wanting to improve mathematics instruction in their schools."" Margaret Marrer, Deputy CAO, KIPP Team and Family, USA


Author Information

Kristen Smith is a Math Teacher, Instructional Coach, and Mentor Teacher and has taught secondary mathematics for the past 16 years at both the middle and high school levels. She is recipient of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching and a former Math for America Master Teaching Fellow and Desmos Fellow.

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