Mathematics materials matter. But materials do not teach. Teachers do.
Even the best mathematics materials can’t determine what happens in a classroom. That depends on teaching: on how teachers interpret tasks, listen and respond to students, and move the mathematics forward in the moment.
At TeachingWorks, the Designing for Enactment project works out what mathematics materials can do well, what they can’t, and what comes down to teachers.
High-quality materials are now central to mathematics teaching. They organize content, sequence lessons, and guide teachers. But no set of materials can determine what teaching looks like. It depends on how a teacher takes them up and how students respond, and that varies from classroom to classroom and moment to moment.
So this work isn’t about adding more to materials. It’s about getting clear on what materials are genuinely good at supporting, what they can’t determine, and what still rests on teachers’ knowledge and judgment. It’s for the people who design, choose, and use math materials: curriculum developers first, alongside the leaders, coaches, and teachers who put materials to work every day.
What you’ll find here
The Designing for Enactment project looks at how mathematics materials are taken up and used in real classrooms, and what that means for their design. Our aim is to help the people who create and use them make clearer, more deliberate choices.
Why Designing for Enactment?
The problem space: why enactment matters and what that means for mathematics materials.
Learning and Insights
Examples, artifacts, and short pieces from classrooms, materials, and research.
About the Project
Who we are and how we work.
The Framework
A draft framework for how mathematics materials can better support enactment. Coming soon.