Instructional Routines
There are many reasons why we love instructional routines.
Routines that are used again and again allow teachers to attend to student thinking instead of facilitation moves and to communicate what is important in their classroom.
Routines that focus on student thinking, like Which One Doesn’t Belong? show students that their thinking is valuable. Others, like Stronger and Clearer Each Time, highlight the importance of feedback in developing mathematical language.
Instructional routines are embedded throughout the curriculum
These routines are:
Number Talk
Notice and Wonder
Which One Doesn’t Belong?
Decide and Defend
Tell a Story
Think-Pair-Share
Stronger and Clearer Each Time (MLR1)
Collect and Display (MLR2)
Critique, Correct, Clarify (MLR3)
Co-craft Questions (MLR5) - Amplify Desmos Math only
Three Reads (MLR6)
Compare and Connect (MLR7)
Some of the instructional routines, known as Mathematical Language Routines (MLR), were developed by the Stanford University UL/SCALE team. The routines were specifically designed to support students in developing skills in content, mathematical practices, and language simultaneously. These routines emphasize the use of language that is meaningful and purposeful, not inauthentic or answer-based.
Instructional routines can be found in the Teacher Moves tab of the Teacher Tips and in paper Lesson Guides and Teacher Guides.
Note: Routines are sometimes marked as optional. We believe that teachers should develop and sustain routines that support the needs of their classes, and we encourage teachers to find other places where they can infuse routines that they feel makes sense for them and their students.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I find a list of all of the routines used in the curriculum?
Here is a description of each of the routines that appear in Desmos Math 6–A1. There are also many other routines that exist in classrooms, such as Turn and Talk, that are not explicitly called out. We encourage teachers to add routines not explicitly mentioned that support their students in make meaning and having productive conversations.
There are other routines that I like to do in my classroom but are not on your list. Is it okay for me to use them? Absolutely yes! Please use whatever routines work to promote sense making, productive discussions, mathematical community, or language development in your classroom. You know your students.
