How To / Help

How to get started:

Select Sign In/Create Account.
Fill-in all fields.
Click Register.
Once complete you will be able to set-up classes and add students.

For Teachers

For resources for teachers, click here!

To Set Up a Class:

1. Choose "Classes" from the "Masters" drop down menu.

2. Fill-in class information.

Start Date: Notifications will begin on this date.
End Date: Notifications will end on this date.

3. Once a class is added begin adding individual students.

Select "Students" from the "Masters" drop down menu.

4. Fill-in information for student.

A student's username must start with a letter and contain 6-32 alpha-numerical characters.
Username is not case-sensitive.

5. Choose three icons (one from each row) for student's password. This is the password the student will use to sign-in to the website to play games.

6. A photo may be added, if desired.

Finding Content:

The Learning and Teaching with Learning Trajectories website includes an interactive tool to explore the learning trajectories. The tool can help you navigate by type of math (strand), age/grade, assessments such as Teaching Strategies GOLD, and standards from Common Core, Head Start, and various states. Start by clicking on Explore LTs!

To explore by type of math (Number, Operations, Geometry, or Measurement):

Click on "All Strands" to see the options for Math Strands.
Choose the strand you want to explore.
The associated trajectories will expand for viewing. Go to "Learn About" to see a general description of the whole trajectory or choose from the levels below "Learn About" to explore a specific level of mathematical ability within that trajectory.

To explore LTs by Age/Grade, choose your preferred Age/Grade:

Expand the Learning Trajectory you are interested in by clicking on the title (e.g. Counting).
You will see trajectories commonly associated with your chosen age/grade highlighted in yellow.

To explore associations with Assessments:

Click on the assessment of interest.
Expand a Learning Trajectory if one is not already expanded.
Next to associated levels, the icon (e.g. TSG for Teaching Strategies GOLD) will appear.
Hover over the assessment icon on trajectory levels of interest to read the associated assessment objective.
When you click on a trajectory level, the associated assessment objective will also appear below the description of the level.

To explore associations with Standards:

Click on the standard of interest.
Expand a Learning Trajectory if one is not already expanded.
Next to the associated levels, the icon for the standard will appear (e.g. CCSS for Common Core State Standards).
Hover over the standard icon on the trajectory levels of interest to read the associated standard description
When you click on a trajectory level, the associated standard description will also appear below the description of the level.

User Manual:

The User Manual (linked below) has information about navigating the Learning and Teaching with Learning Trajectories website. It also contains information about setting up a class, using our alignments to standards and assessments, and previews of upcoming additions to the site.

User Manual

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Children follow natural developmental progressions in learning. Curriculum research has revealed sequences of activities that are effective in guiding children through these levels of thinking. These developmental paths are the basis for the learning trajectories.

Research shows that when teachers understand how children develop mathematics understanding, they are more effective in questioning, analyzing, and providing activities that further children’s development than teachers who are unaware of the development process. Consequently, children have a much richer and more successful math experience in the primary grades.

Learning trajectories allow teachers to build the mathematics of children – the thinking of children as it develops naturally. So, we know that all the goals and activities are within the developmental capacities of children. We know that each level provides a natural developmental building block to the next level. Finally, we know that the activities provide the mathematical building blocks for school success.

Children are at a certain level when most of their behaviors reflect the thinking – ideas and skills – of that level. Often, they show a few behaviors from the next (and previous) levels as they learn. Most levels are levels of thinking. However, some are merely “levels of attainment” and indicate a child has gained knowledge. For example, children must learn to name or write more numerals, but knowing more numerals does not require deeper or more complex thinking.

Yes, although most children work mainly at one level or in transition between two levels (naturally, if they are tired or distracted, they may operate at a much lower level). Levels are not “absolute stages.” They are “benchmarks” of complex growth that represent distinct ways of thinking.

Yes, especially if there are separate “sub-topics.” For example, we have combined many counting competencies into one “Counting” sequence with sub-topics, such as verbal counting skills. Some children learn to count to 100 at age 6 after learning to count objects to 10 or more, some may learn that verbal skill earlier. The sub-topic of verbal counting skills would still be followed.

The levels help teachers, as well as curriculum developers, assess, teach, and sequence activities. Through planned teaching and also encouraging informal, incidental mathematics, teachers help children learn at an appropriate and deep level.

We should support children's learning and development based on their needs. While we list common ages associated with levels, there are many cases in which children will need support at lower or higher levels.

A subtrajectory is a group of levels that are loosely coupled with a larger trajectory. While present within the development of the larger trajectory, the dependence of building iteratively from one level to the next may not be essential. Thus, subtrajectory levels may appear 'out of order' in terms of the child's age and development.

Learning trajectories are living things. That is, we are always learning more and adding new ideas. When we add new tips, suggestions for children with disabilities, and new activities, the benefits seem clear. Other changes, however beneficial, might appear confusing. One such change is the renaming of levels. For example, the first level of counting used to be PreCounter. Now it is Number Word Sayer: Foundations. Why? We would love to avoid confusion, but we realize something about names such as PreCounter. Our learning trajectories take an asset-based approach. It's not a deficit model but one that respects and build on the abilities all children have. We realized that in calling a child a PreCounter emphasized only what they could not yet do. But even very young children have number sense and, from the time they can talk, they can learn number words--even if they don't always keep those number words in counting order. So, some names were changed to make it clear that we were building on children's strengths. Other changes are more subtle, often building in new information from research and wisdom of expert practice.