Why Does It Matter How We Talk About Math?

I’m writing on the heels of a recent HMH math convening that brought together national thought leaders, researchers, and practitioners to engage in a candid conversation about the future of math education. It was also a powerful opportunity to explore a persistent disconnect: math is deeply relevant to everyday life, so why doesn’t it always feel that way in a classroom?

As someone who has worked in math curriculum development for years, I know educators want students to find joy, interest, and success in math. The trickier part is helping students understand that math is useful, relevant, and empowering – something that helps them make sense of the world around them.

Too often, math instruction flattens that potential. It becomes about getting the right answers and following rigid rules, rather than exploring ideas or sense-making. This isn’t just a student issue. Many adults who felt excluded from math as children carry that same fixed mindset. “I was never good at math” becomes a pipeline from teacher to student – and simply going “back to basics” won’t break that cycle.

Why does this persist? One reason is the lack of a clear, universal understanding of what success in math actually looks like.

Take the term fluency, for example. Where math is concerned fluency can often bring to mind fast recall and worksheets of math facts. But from a mathematical  perspective, fluency means recognizing patterns, estimating, and reasoning. It’s about thinking, not just answering.

So how do we change this communications roadblock? How do we change our understanding of what success in math looks like so we can better foster positive math mindsets? During our convening we came up with a few starting points:

Build teachers’ knowledge – and confidence. As the Gallup report indicates, many educators report confusion around the very standards they’re expected to teach. That lack of clarity matters. A teacher who only knows the “what” of math can’t model the “why.”  We need to better equip teachers with content knowledge and the tools to teach in ways that reinforce agency and understanding, not just correctness.

To change that, we need to invest in sustained, supportive professional learning that goes beyond one-off workshops. My colleague Miah Daughtery, Ed.D has written about this in a past newsletter, but as a reminder: teachers need consistent opportunities to deepen their content knowledge and gain confidence in their ability to support diverse learners. Ensuring that professional learning is embedded and ongoing can help teachers grow in both skill and mindset – and that growth directly impacts students’ classroom experiences.

Approach student thinking with curiosity, not judgement. So much of the problem lies in how math has been framed for students. “School math” tells kids there’s only one right answer, and if you don’t get it, you’re simply wrong. This misses the big picture point. To shift this narrative, teachers should meet student thinking with curiosity before correction. A “wrong” answer is an invitation to ask why and help use the student’s perspective as a path to understanding.

Talk more about the joy of doing math. Kids are naturally curious and pattern seeking. They want to solve puzzles. Our job as educators and curriculum designers is to design lesson plans that let them see that math is fun, rewarding, and worth engaging with – not just because it’s useful, but because it is intrinsically satisfying.

School systems and curriculum providers must work together. Another big challenge in math education is the tension between teaching on-grade-level content and addressing the reality that many students are behind. This isn’t a problem that any school or curriculum can solve alone. School systems and curriculum providers must work together to align teaching with the rhythm of the school day and year. When and where is remediation happening? How do we make sure it’s integrated consistently, not siloed to a 60-minute math block? Solving this demands true partnership between districts and providers so that curriculum tools and school structure works in harmony.

It’s easy to say “every child can be a math kid.” But we have to mean it. It’s not just about what kids learn, it’s about how they come to see themselves as mathematical thinkers. That’s the transformation we’re after, and I’m excited to continue the conversation in the months to come.

***

For more articles on trends in education from experts, subscribe to HMH's LinkedIn newsletter, Policy in Motion.