DMT Insights
The research behind how children actually learn mathematics
Short, readable overviews of the research we build from, published fortnightly. Every one is free to read, watch and share.
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Pick the one that matches what you came for. They overlap, and an Insight can sit in more than one.
Foundations
How students think, learn, reason, represent and develop understanding.
9 insightsMathematics
The mathematics itself, from counting and place value through to algebraic reasoning.
13 insights · 8 domainsMath Learning Profiles
The six-step progression behind our diagnostic, and the research under each step.
5 insightsRecently added
Recently added Insights
A new Insight every other week.
Scaling and Comparing
This DMT Insight explains why the move from adding to scaling, from asking how many more to how many times as much, is one of...
Number Lines Should Be Built
This DMT Insight shows how letting students build number lines—not just use them—strengthens their structural understanding by...
The Struggle with Rounding and Estimation
This DMTI Insight examines the common misconceptions in rounding and estimation, offering research-based strategies to shift...
Rethinking Powers of Ten
This DMT Insight synthesizes key insights on teaching powers of 10, emphasizing its foundational role in mathematics education,...
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By the mathematics
22 insights across 9 topics.
Foundations
How students think, learn, reason, represent, and develop understanding
9 insightsNumber & Quantity
Quantity, counting, cardinality, subitizing, unitizing, composing and decomposing
2 insightsPlace Value
Units and unit relationships, base-ten structure, composing and decomposing, magnitude
4 insightsAddition & Subtraction
Quantitative relationships, properties, composing and decomposing, benchmark reasoning, comparison
1 insightMultiplication & Division
Equal groups, arrays, units and unit relationships, multiplicative reasoning, factors and multiples
1 insightFractions & Decimals
Partitioning and iterating units, the unit of 1, unit fractions, equivalence, magnitude, operations
2 insightsRatio & Proportional Reasoning
Multiplicative comparison, ratios, rates, proportions, percent, scaling
2 insightsGeometry & Measurement
Spatial reasoning, attributes and units, length, area, volume, angle, geometric structure
1 insightAlgebraic Reasoning
Equivalence, generalized relationships, expressions, patterns, variables, functions
In development