Marsico Institute

We're going to the NCTM - National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Meeting in Denver from October 28-31! Register now to see us there: https://www.nctm.org/denver2026/

Happy ! Use our activity to encourage children to identify and describe circles using familiar objects (such as bicycles) during everyday routines. Learn more: https://www.learningtrajectories.org/math-activities/circle-time-shape-recognizertypical

Using , help your student become a Shape Recognizer—Typical! In this level, invite children to name shapes that are common in their worlds, circles and squares, then triangles. Learn more: https://www.learningtrajectories.org/math/2d-shapes/shape-recognizertypical/

Build a bridge! Have children look at images of bridges and then build a complex bridge using blocks. This activity helps children understand how to compose 3D shapes. Learn more: https://www.learningtrajectories.org/math-activities/build-a-bridge

Using , help your student become a Substitution Composer and Shape Composite Repeater (3D)! Have children do creative construction with blocks and other construction manipulatives, with the teacher noticing, describing, and encouraging types of 3D composition that are at the next level for children. Learn more: https://www.learningtrajectories.org/math/composing-3d-shapes/substitution-composer-and-shape-composite-repeater-3d/

April showers bring May flowers! To help children understand counting backwards from 10, have children count from 1 to 10 and gradually “bloom.” Then, they count down to zero and slowly “wilt.” Learn more: https://www.learningtrajectories.org/math-activities/blooming-flowers

Using , help your student become a Counter Backward from 10! In this level, ask children to count backwards verbally or to do meaningful object counting where one object is removed at a time from a set. Learn more: https://www.learningtrajectories.org/math/counting/counter-backward-from-10/

Happy ! Use paper brownies (or real brownies) to understand fraction facts. Learn more: https://www.learningtrajectories.org/math-activities/freshly-baked-fractions

Using , help children become fraction arithmetic +/- learners! Children will develop enough of an understanding of the meaning of fractions as numbers that they can estimate adding fractions without using the procedures of finding a common denominator. Learn more: https://www.learningtrajectories.org/math/fractions/fraction-arithmetic-/

Get outside and appreciate trees with our activity Comparing Quantities. Talk about where there are "more" or "less!" For example: “That tree has more leaves than the tree next to it.” Learn more: https://www.learningtrajectories.org/math-activities/comparing-quantities