Dr. Angela Broaddus is a professor of mathematics at Benedictine College, where she teaches both mathematics and mathematics education courses. Her journey into teaching began long before that, in public and private school classrooms where she worked with middle and high school students.
Those early years shaped everything she believes about how children learn. She saw firsthand what happens when students are asked to memorize without understanding…
Mathematics does not have to feel like a puzzle with missing pieces. For decades, students have been taught to memorize procedures without ever understanding why they work. This book changes that.
Dr. Angela Broaddus provides a clear, research‑backed roadmap for teaching math the way children actually learn. Through concrete objects, visual models, number lines, and thoughtful explanations, she shows how every concept from counting to fractions to integers can be built on a foundation of genuine understanding…
I have tried three different math curricula with my kids, and nothing stuck until I read this book. Dr. Broaddus explains why regrouping works instead of just telling you to carry the one. The drawings and block models made sense to my eight-year-old right away. I finally feel like I know what I am doing when I teach math.
The thing I loved most was how the book shows multiple ways to explain the same concept. When one student didn't get fractions with circles, I tried the strip model from chapter four, and something clicked. It is not a bunch of theory. You can actually use these ideas the next day. My students are complaining less about math.
I have tried three different math curricula with my kids, and nothing stuck until I read this book. Dr. Broaddus explains why regrouping works instead of just telling you to carry the one. The drawings and block models made sense to my eight-year-old right away. I finally feel like I know what I am doing when I teach math.
The thing I loved most was how the book shows multiple ways to explain the same concept. When one student didn't get fractions with circles, I tried the strip model from chapter four, and something clicked. It is not a bunch of theory. You can actually use these ideas the next day. My students are complaining less about math.
