The Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills Mathematical Process Standards play a fundamental role in mathematics education, describing the ways students are expected to engage with mathematical content. InsightMath Texas has been intentionally designed to not only incorporate these seven Process Standards but to create meaningful connections within and across grade levels, ensuring students develop as confident, capable mathematicians throughout their elementary journey.
Student Strengths: The Connected Pathway
InsightMath Texas translates the Process Standards into student-friendly language through a carefully constructed system of Student Strengths that build in complexity. Importantly, students at every grade level engage with all seven Texas Process Standards through their mathematical work. The Student Strengths represent an overlapping set of practices that students explicitly focus on developing and improving at each grade level, while still using the full range of process standards in their learning. These Student Strengths provide the crucial connection between grade levels, creating a coherent pathway for mathematical development.
Progressive Development That Connects Grade Levels
The set of Student Strengths develops as students grow in their ability to be metacognitive about their own learning.
Kindergarten students use five Student Strengths that establish the foundation with basic mathematical habits:
- I learn from my mistakes
- I take time to think
- I try my best
- I talk about my ideas
- I listen to other people's ideas
By Grade 2 students use a set of 10 Student Strengths that deepen conceptual understanding and reasoning:
- “I try my best” evolves into "I keep trying, even when a problem is hard"
- “I talk about my ideas” becomes "I explain my thinking" and focuses on mathematical reasoning
- "I listen to other people's ideas" broadens to include responding to others’ ideas, developing skills for mathematical discourse
- Problem solving becomes a focus as students make a plan and identify tools, strategies, and models that are most useful for finding solutions and communicating their thinking
This progression demonstrates how students' explicit focus on specific mathematical practices deepens and becomes more sophisticated across grade levels. While kindergarten students engage with all Process Standards in their mathematical work, they explicitly focus on developing these five foundational strengths. By second grade, students can explicitly focus on and articulate ten sophisticated practices, while continuing to use all Process Standards throughout their learning.
Connecting Process Standards to Each Other
The Student Strengths also create powerful connections between the Process Standards themselves. Rather than treating each Process Standard as isolated, the Student Strengths naturally integrate multiple standards within single practices. Even at the kindergarten level, "I talk about my ideas" connects Process Standard (D) communicating mathematical ideas with Standard (E) creating representations to communicate ideas and Standard (G) explaining mathematical thinking using appropriate language. The second-grade strength "I keep trying, even when a problem is hard" connects Process Standard (B) using a problem-solving model with Standard (A) applying mathematics to real-world situations and Standard (C) selecting appropriate tools and strategies when initial approaches don't work. This interconnected approach helps students understand that mathematical practices work together, not in isolation, creating a more cohesive and authentic mathematical experience.
Embedded Professional Learning: Supporting Teachers
InsightMath Texas provides support through embedded professional learning with regard to the Process Standards:
Lesson-Level Integration: Each lesson includes specific descriptions of how student work exemplifies each Process Standard, serving as professional learning for teachers and concrete examples of standards in action.
Unit-Level Synthesis: Every unit contains comprehensive descriptions of how each Process Standard appears throughout the unit's progression. Since students at every grade level use all Process Standards in their mathematical work, these descriptions provide teachers support in recognizing these standards across different contexts.
The Goal Pages: Creating Powerful Connections
The Goal Pages system creates the strongest connections across InsightMath Texas. Within each unit, students select from Student Strengths to focus on throughout that unit, creating multiple connection points:
- Within units: Students repeatedly engage with their chosen Student Strength across multiple lessons
- Across units: The same Student Strengths appear multiple times throughout the year
- Across grades: Student Strengths evolve in sophistication, building on previous understandings
- Student ownership: Students choose their focus, creating personal investment while ensuring systematic coverage
Real-World Connections Throughout
InsightMath Texas emphasizes Process Standard (A) by embedding authentic contexts throughout the curriculum, real data usage, and cross-curricular integration that demonstrates how the Process Standards extend beyond mathematics classrooms.
Conclusion: A Connected Mathematical Journey
InsightMath Texas treats the Texas Process Standards as the backbone of every mathematical experience. What makes InsightMath Texas unique is the intentional progression of sophistication. Students don't simply repeat the same practices; they engage with increasingly complex applications. Through the Student Strengths progression, embedded professional learning, Goal Pages system, and authentic contexts, it creates a coherent, connected pathway where students develop as mathematical thinkers and problem-solvers.
The true power lies in the connections—between grade levels, content areas, mathematical practices, and the real world. By fifth grade, students have developed sophisticated mathematical practices they'll need as lifelong learners. The Texas Process Standards, woven throughout every aspect of InsightMath Texas, ensure students see mathematics as a connected, powerful tool for understanding their world.