Deborah Peart Crayton is the founder and Queen Mather of My Mathematical Mind. She started the #MatherMovement to disrupt the idea that math is optional. Deborah is a sought-after keynote speaker and dynamic elementary education consultant. With over 30 years in the field of education, Deborah speaks on a variety of topics related to math identity, elementary math content and instructional practices, and literacy connections to mathematics. She has shared her message at the local, regional, and national levels at state, district, and community events, and educational conferences.Deborah is an expert at creating invitational and nurturing environments to cultivate positive mathematical identities, and has served in that capacity as a mentor and coach for elementary educators for over 20 years. She has had success with adapting instruction while maintaining grade-level expectations and possesses a deep knowledge of instructional practices and frameworks to engage all learners, including Cognitively Guided Instruction (CGI), Math Recovery, the Orton-Gillingham Approach, and Mathematical Language Routines (MLR). Deborah holds a bachelor’s degree in speech communications and early childhood education, a master’s degree in educational studies with a concentration in literacy, graduate endorsements in elementary mathematics and teacher development, and has completed a doctorate degree in education program development and innovation. Her research interests are focused on the connections between math anxiety and math teaching efficacy and effective practices for developing high-quality professional learning. Deborah has dedicated her career and doctoral studies to supporting educators with innovative teaching strategies that allow students to see themselves as assets to the learning community and curious problem-solvers. Deborah believes that all children deserve high-quality instruction and the opportunity to become competent readers, writers, and mathers.

For far too long math has been thought of, and taught as, a noun—the facts to be memorized and the procedures to follow. But math is also a verb—it is reasoning, experiencing, wondering. Whereas it is difficult to inspire curiosity and creativity in math as a noun, it is easy in math as a verb. In this book, Deborah Peart Crayton shows us how to make math a verb, how to engage in the ‘ings’ of math, and how to turn math into something we do. In other words, she shows us all how to become mathers.

• ForewordPreface: Mathers 4 LifeFeatured MathersIntroduction: Is Math Optional?Part 1: Readers Read. Writers Write. Mathers Math!Chapter 1: We are all Readers, Writers, and Mathers!Chapter 2: Redefining the Core Academic SkillsChapter 3: Let’s Share Stories NOT Problems!Part 2: Mathers Gonna Math!: Taking Math Outside of the Math BlockChapter 4: Mathematizing Across Content AreasChapter 5: Don’t Skip the Fun Stuff!Part 3: Building a Community of Readers, Writers, and MathersChapter 6: Becoming the Mather Your Students Need You to BeChapter 7: Creating the Conditions for Positive Math (Learning) ExperiencesChapter 8: Summing it up!References