Leaders in Literacy
Solving the Math Crisis: Building Comprehension, Reasoning, and Fluency Through Imagery
National math performance data continue to highlight a growing concern: many students struggle not only with computation, but with understanding mathematical concepts and solving problems. Ongoing debates—conceptual understanding vs. procedural fluency, spiral review vs. mastery, and the role of manipulatives—have yet to fully address the root issue: how students process mathematical information.
This webinar examines the underlying sensory-cognitive processes critical for math success—concept imagery (CI) and numeral imagery (NI). When these processes are underdeveloped, students may rely on memorization, guess at operations in word problems, or fail to grasp the meaning behind mathematical language. When developed, students can visualize relationships, comprehend mathematical concepts, and build both understanding and automaticity.
Watch the recording to explore a three-step instructional model:
- Experiencing math with manipulatives
- Developing imagery and language to internalize concepts
- Applying understanding through computation and problem solving
With an emphasis on visualization and verbalization, this approach integrates conceptual understanding and procedural fluency, supports flexible thinking, and strengthens students’ ability to interpret and solve word problems.
Watch the recording to learn how developing imagery can address persistent gaps in math achievement, strengthen number sense, and support more confident, capable learners across classrooms and districts.
