Let’s build problem solvers, not calculators. Word Problem Workshop book coming October 2025
Mona Math
Transform Math Class into a Community of Problem Solvers
The start strong Word Problems Toolkit Is Your First Step Toward a Student-Centered Math Block Everything
without overhauling everything
What if the problem isn’t your curriculum... it’s how much thinking your students get to do?
- Students are constantly confused and giving up when they get to a word problem in math class.
- Word problems come up, and your students freeze or rush to guess without really understanding.
- You're not sure how to tell whether your students are really thinking or just repeating what they’ve memorized.
Why should you use the
start strong with Word problem toolkit?
🌱Small shifts, big impact
You don’t need to ditch your curriculum or start from scratch. This toolkit helps you make one small shift that gets students thinking more deeply… starting with the word problems you already have.
⏰ Fits in your schedule
This isn’t a giant binder or a bunch of prep work. You’ll get simple tools and ready-to-use reflections, prompts, and problems that fit into the block you already teach… even if you’ve only got 15 minutes.
🧨 Spark student thinking… without losing control
Shift the focusw so students do the thinking and you get clarity on what they really understand mathematically, while maintaining a calm & organized classroom.
🪜 A starting point… not a heavy lift
Whether you’re new to student-centered instruction or looking for a way back in, this toolkit helps you take the first step… without needing to do it all at once.
👩🏼🏫 Built for real classrooms
Everything in here comes from real math classrooms, real pacing pressure, and real teacher experience. No fluff… just what works.
What’s Inside the
Start Strong with Word Problems Toolkit
I break it into 4 parts:
Unit 1: Who’s Doing the Thinking?
Reflect on your current instruction and uncover what’s really happening in your math block. You’ll explore your beliefs about teaching math and who’s carrying the cognitive load.
Unit 2: More Than a Word Problem
Reimagine word problems as a tool for reasoning, not just application practice. You’ll learn how to spot and select problems that spark curiosity and support deeper thinking.
Unit 3: Making Space for Thinking in Any Lesson
Use problems already in your curriculum to shift instruction without starting from scratch. You’ll get examples, planning tips, and practical ways to fit thinking into the time you already have.
Unit 4: Let Student Thinking Lead
Learn how to spot evidence of reasoning and respond in ways that deepen student understanding. You’ll get simple, effective tools to notice, name, and nurture student thinking.
What's inside each unit?
Unit 1: Who’s Doing the Thinking?
🎥 Video: “What Makes Math Powerful?”
📝 Math Beliefs inventory
📝 “Thinking Load” reflection tool
📒 Quote Protocol: Analyze research-based quotes
Unit 2: More Than a Word Problem
🎥 Video: “The 3 Shifts That Turn Word Problems Into Real Thinking Time”
📝 Reflection : “How do you use word problems?”
📒 Printable: Problem vs. Exercise
Unit 3: Making Space for Thinking
🎥 Video: Five Steps of Word Problem Workshop Lesson Plan
📝 Examples of word problems
📒 A quick-start guide to fit the problem into your existing math block
Unit 4: Let Student Thinking Lead
🎥 Video: Simple facilitation moves to increase student thinking and decrease teacher direction
💬 4 Talk Moves Cheat Sheet
📝 3 Look-Fors in a Student-Centered Math Classroom
📒 Student Work Analysis Tool
Toolkit in action:
“I didn’t realize how much I was doing the thinking for my students until I worked through this. The reflection tools were eye-opening, and the shifts were totally doable.”
— Third Grade Teacher
ready to do this?
The Start Strong with Word Problems Toolkit is your first step toward building a student-centered math block… without tossing your curriculum or starting from scratch.
You’ll get:
🎥 4 targeted learning units with video + printable resources
🛠️ Tools to help you reflect on your current instruction and shift toward student thinking
📒 A complete mini-framework for using word problems as a launchpad for reasoning
And everything you need to stop doing all the thinking… and start letting your students take the lead
But right now?
You’re getting early access at just $27 to pre-buy the toolkit before it officially launches.