Celebrating Mathematical Mistakes

How to Use Students’ Thinking to Unlock Understanding

By: Nicole M. Wessman-Enzinger, Natasha E. Gerstenschlager

Edited by: Cathy Seeley, Jennifer Bay-Williams

Divided into two parts, Celebrating Mathematical Mistakes aims to explore why mistakes matter in mathematics and share types of mistakes made in mathematics classrooms, along with mistakes made by mathematicians. It then supports shifting to asset-based views of mistakes by supplying practical tools that encourage productive mathematical mistakes from students.

Availability: This product will ship in October

Publication date: October 15, 2024

Format: Paperback

Overview

Celebrate mathematics mistakes

In this practical guide, authors Wessman-Enzinger and Gerstenschlager provide a foundation for celebrating mathematical mistakes and offer several strategies and task structures that encourage creative and flexible mathematical reasoning. Part of the Growing the Mathematician in Every Student collection, this book moves beyond the correct–incorrect paradigm by acknowledging the beauty, power, and ubiquity of mistakes, supporting more meaningful student learning.

This book will help educators:

Learn three types of mistakes and their roles in mathematical reasoning
Understand how mathematical errors encourage creativity
Support students’ invented notation and language as demonstrations of their learning
Apply strategies and task structures with real-life vignettes
Reflect on chapter content with prompts