290. Building Math Confidence Through Strategy and Sensemaking with Mike Kenny

What if we taught math facts through understanding instead of memorization? In this episode, we welcome Mike Kenny—Vermont fifth-grade math teacher and creator of MathFactLab—who shares how strategy-based practice grounded in number sense transforms fluency and confidence. Inspired by the Vermont Mathematics Initiative, Mike reframed "flashcards" into visual, model-rich experiences that help students construct new facts from previously mastered ones.

We dive into how MathFactLab shifts classroom culture—helping students rediscover joy, confidence, and agency in math through reasoning rather than rote recall. Mike also shares how teachers can use progress tracking and conceptual tools to build genuine understanding and long-term success. This is a conversation about turning math from memorization into meaning.

To learn more, visit: pastfoundation.org

We unbox:

• Strategy-based fluency vs. rote memorization

• Using visual models to reduce cognitive load

• Constructing new fact knowledge from mastered facts

• Progress monitoring and impartial data collection

• Building student agency, confidence, and joy in math

Resources:

• MathFactLab

• "Fluency Without Fear" by Jo Boaler (YouCubed)

• Transcript

Produced by NOVA

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