Mathematizing the world: A routine to advance mathematizing in the elementary classroom

Abstract

The Mathematizing-the-World routine (MWR) is an efficient culturally responsive instructional routine for mathematizing that explicitly supports problem posing using an image or object. Given the under-representation of problem-posing studies in elementary school settings, our qualitative study analyzed student responses from 56 MWR enactments in grade 3–5 classrooms in two regions of the United States. Our findings include detailed examples of the MWR in action, including how three open-ended prompts engaged younger students in mathematizing and posing problems related to authentic, real-world situations. We summarize findings across the 56 MWR classroom enactments focusing on the understandings about the context and the mathematical ideas evidenced in student responses. Our findings demonstrate the potential of the MWR as a catalyst for eliciting and communicating diverse student ideas while engaged in the problem-posing process. We discuss research and practice implications for this routine to support mathematizing, and specifically problem posing in the elementary classroom.