Welcome
Welcome to Math 131: Mathematics for Elementary Education I at Tacoma Community College! This text is designed to support you—future elementary school teachers—as you build both confidence and understanding in the mathematics you will one day teach to your own students.
What to Expect
Many students come into this course with mixed experiences in mathematics. You may feel comfortable with some topics but uncertain about others, or you may have learned how to carry out certain procedures (like adding fractions or calculating percentages) without feeling fully confident about why those procedures work. This course is designed to help you make that important shift from knowing how to understanding why. Developing this deeper understanding is essential for becoming an effective mathematics teacher, since your future students will look to you not only for correct answers, but also for clear explanations and meaningful learning experiences.
This book provides resources to strengthen your foundation in the “how,” so that you can more fully engage with the “why” during class discussions, activities, and assignments. It contains:
-
Notes that explain mathematical ideas in clear and accessible language.
-
Practice problems with immediate feedback to check your understanding.
-
Short videos that demonstrate strategies for solving problems.
Text Topics (at a glance)
The topics in this book align with our course and with the mathematical content you will eventually be teaching in elementary classrooms. They include:
-
Numbers
-
Addition and Subtraction
-
Multiplication
-
Division
-
Proportional Reasoning
Throughout Math 131, you will not only practice these skills, but also reflect on how and why they work. This combination of procedural fluency and conceptual understanding will prepare you to guide your future students with confidence and clarity.
Adaptions
This text was adapted from materials created by Iain Pardoe’s text Mathematics for Elementary Teachers and from Mathematics for Elementary and Middle School Teachers with Activities (Beckmann, 2022). I am deeply grateful for these resources, and for the opportunity to shape them into a version that supports your learning here at Tacoma Community College.
Go Forth!
I invite you to use these materials actively—work through the problems, watch the videos, ask questions, and support one another. By doing so, you are not just preparing to pass this course—you are preparing to teach the next generation of learners to see mathematics as logical, meaningful, and even fun! Please contact Natalie Hobson (nhobson@tacomacc.edu) if you see any errors in the text.
