About the Book
Take math instruction to the next level by truly meeting the needs of ALL learners
Today′s classrooms are more diverse than ever, and teachers face the challenge of meeting not only the academic needs of their students but also their social and emotional growth. Math Workshop Plus, Grades K-8 by Alison J. Mello and Dr. Nicki Newton is here to help educators elevate their math instruction for all learners by more intentionally integrating Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) into the popular Math Workshop model.
By reimagining Math Workshop through an equity lens, this book offers practical guidance to designing instruction that meets every child where they are. It addresses unfinished learning, fostering positive math identities, and building the competencies students need to succeed academically and socially.
Offering an actionable approach to promote learning environments where every student can thrive, Math Workshop Plus, Grades K-8 includes
Practical strategies to seamlessly incorporate UDL and SEL into your Math Workshop for more accessible and inclusive instruction.
Classroom-ready resources such as example activities, vignettes, and tools at all grade levels to help you implement changes immediately.
Guidance for fostering equity by meeting the diverse needs of all learners, including strategies for differentiation, scaffolding, and supporting students′ social-emotional growth.
Real-world success stories from educators who have transformed their classrooms with the Math Workshop Plus approach.
With Math Workshop Plus, you′ll gain the tools and confidence to create a classroom environment that promotes access and excellence for all students. Learn how to personalize instruction, remove barriers to learning, and inspire a love for math in every child.
Table of Contents:
Preface
Acknowledgments
About the Authors
Chapter 1. The Big Ideas of Math Workshop, Universal Design for Learning, and Social and Emotional Learning
Chapter 2. Design Options for Welcoming Interests and Identities
Chapter 3. Design Options for Sustaining Effort and Persistence
Chapter 4. Design Options for Emotional Capacity
Chapter 5. Design Options for Perception
Chapter 6. Design Options for Language and Symbols
Chapter 7. Design Options for Building Knowledge
Chapter 8. Design Options for Interaction
Chapter 9. Design Options for Expression and Communication
Chapter 10. Design Options for Strategy Development
Chapter 11: You’ve Got This!
References
Index
About the Author :
Alison J. Mello has been in education for 30 years as a classroom teacher, math specialist, director of curriculum, and Assistant Superintendent. She is a co-author of Fluency Doesn’t Just Happen with Addition and Subtraction, Fluency Doesn’t Just Happen with Multiplication and Division, Working with the Beaded Number Line, A Teacher’s Guide to Math Workshop, and the forthcoming Working with One-Inch Tiles, and Building Better Math Instruction: A Toolkit for Leaders. She has spent the last decade as a national speaker, math consultant, and graduate instructor of in-service and pre-service teachers. Alison enjoys developing practical strategies to address issues that districts and teachers face in their schools and classrooms every day. She uses her understanding of leadership, curriculum and best practices to inspire and assist leaders and teachers in elevating and transforming math instruction.
Dr. Nicki Newton is an education consultant who works with schools and districts around the country and Canada on k-8 math curriculum. She has taught elementary school, middle school, and graduate school. Dr Nicki has a Master’s of Education and a Doctorate of Education from the Department of Curriculum and Teaching at Teachers College, Columbia University specializing in Teacher Education and Curriculum Development. She is greatly interested in teaching and learning practices around the world and has researched education in Denmark, Guatemala and India. She has written over 45 math books and is excited to be part of the team of writers for the McGraw-Hill new series, Reveal Math. Her latest books include Accelerating K-8 Math Instruction (Teachers College Press, 2023), A Teacher’s Guide to Math Workshop (Newton, Mello & Nuzzie; Heinemann 2023) High Dosage Tutoring in Math & ELA (Newton & Ruyter w/Jemison; Routledge, in press) and Math Workshop Plus (Newton & Mello; Corwin, 2025). She is an avid pinner, Tik Toker, blogger, and tweeter.
Review :
Our district has been successfully utilizing Dr. Nicki Newton’s Guided Math approach for the past two years in our K–5 classrooms. By focusing on UDL and SEL, Math Workshop Plus provides easily applicable resources to enhance what teachers are doing in their classrooms to ensure equity, access, and excellence for all students.
This book is the perfect combination of the best math practices and fresh new content. It’s clear that the authors have authentic experience with the topic. They address the real struggles that teachers have implementing Math Workshop by organically including SEL, UDL, and the diversity of all the humans we work with daily.
We all understand that everything we do in the classroom can be improved to enhance student learning. New techniques, shifts in strategies, and enhanced tasks, all make us better. This book is a treasure trove of such practical techniques and strategies. I love the core thesis here that the math workshop model can mature into Math Workshop Plus—an enhanced approach for helping us link the math workshop model, Universal Design for Learning, and SEL approaches in every lesson we teach.
In Math Workshop Plus, Alison J. Mello and Dr. Nicki Newton show us exactly how to design our classrooms to make math accessible to every student, creating a culture where all kids can own their success. It’s an absolute must-read for anyone looking for actionable and impactful ways to bring equity and joy to math education, irl!
Math Workshop Plus provides relevant research and ample resources to equip mathematics educators with the knowledge and skills necessary to meet the diverse learning needs of all students within the mathematics classroom while working to ensure equitable outcomes for all students!
Math Workshop Plus by Alison J. Mello and Dr. Nicki Newton masterfully integrates Universal Design for Learning and the CASEL framework with the
math workshop model to elevate mathematics instruction. Centered on equity, this book provides practical, classroom-ready strategies that empower teachers and coaches to transform their math workshop to ensure equitable outcomes for every child.
Mello and Newton deliver once again with another amazing book to help educators get this work done! Through practical tools, resources, and tips they’ve elevated the Math Workshop model to be even more accessible for children by weaving in UDL and SEL to create the Math Workshop Plus model!
Math Workshop Plus is a comprehensive guide to planning effective math instruction for the wide range of learners in today’s classrooms. It’s a must-have resource for teachers who believe that one size does not fit all in the math classroom and that children’s mathematical thinking deserves to be seen, heard, and celebrated!
I’m very grateful to Alison J. Mello and Dr. Nicki Newton for writing this book that provides specific and actionable ideas for meeting the various needs of all our students in ways that provide access and equity for all students to rich mathematical experiences. Throughout the book they discuss how we can be intentional in our classroom structure through the math workshop model that not only develops the mathematical understandings of our students but facilitates the building of positive math identities and agencies of all our students.
