Looking for a way to influence elementary school culture about mathematics prompted this author’s use of graph-coloring problems in an activity with second graders.

Explore how this teacher incorporates the Standards for Mathematical Practice (SMP) into her instruction to help young learners use representations, look for patterns, notice underlying mathematical structure, and begin to generalize relationships.

The authors address one of the Common Core’s Standards for Mathematical Practice (SMP), identifying resources to implement it, common misunderstandings of it, and associated challenges.

Vignettes from three classrooms—with access ranging from a single teacher tablet to one-for-one student devices—show how technology can aid learning.