The One Phrase That Changes Everything in Math Class

As I enter year eight in the classrooms, I've landed on the single most powerful phrase a teacher or parent can say when a child is stuck on a math problem:

"Let's talk about what you know"

Not "Let me show you." Not "Look, it's easy." Not "You learned this last week."

Tell me what you know.

Here's why it works: When a child is stuck, their brain is flooded with what they think they don't know or understand. That feeling of not-knowing not only shuts down higher thinking, but it has the ability to shut down their thinking altogether. This phrase redirects them. It asks them to inventory their strengths first, and almost always, they know more than they think. From that foothold, we build. Together.

It costs nothing. It takes five seconds, and I have watched it unlock students who had been "stuck" for months. Try it in class during whole group, group time, or independent practice. Parents, I am not leaving you out. Try it when you are assisting with homework time, and let me know what happens. When they come to that place of victory, don't forget to acknowledge their achievement. Fist bumps, high fives, and Jolly Ranchers go a long way!