Math Education Rooted in Pattern and Structure

Unlock every student’s own math THINKING

See the Structure is a philosophical approach to elementary math instruction that empowers educators to break down complex mathematical concepts into clear, digestible patterns—so every learner can proudly say, “I’m good at math!”

Deepens Conceptual Understanding

Grounded in Brain Science

15 Years Classroom Experience

Equitable Approach

students are encourageD to think critically, not just perform

See the Structure helps every elementary math learner find that “aha” moment—creating a joyful learning environment for students and teachers!

Traditional ways of teaching math often rely on rote memorization and rigid steps that don’t allow students to engage in creating meaning for themselves. Generating meaning is different from performing operations.

We recognize that every learner is unique and our goal is to develop mathematical thinking and reasoning at the individual level. See the Structure gives teachers an equitable approach to math by encouraging elementary learners to explore familiar patterns and identify solutions that make sense to them.

Key Components of the STS Approach

  • Understanding how students build knowledge allows us to design learning environments and experiences that foster learning. Affective engagement and connections are key.

  • Tap into number relationships students already know. For example, connections made with whole numbers can be applied to decimals when those place value proportions are explicitly highlighted.

  • Children naturally absorb information through their senses. By handling physical objects and quality materials daily, students can feel and see proportional differences, like the contrast between holding 2 cubes and 6 cubes, something that’s missed when numbers are only represented symbolically.

  • I advocate for choosing a selection of models and math materials that are structured and yet flexible enough to fit content through the years. Whether you’re 5 or in grade 5, we use cubes to model operations and show number relationships! The structure remains, the specific numbers change.

  • Using models and manipulatives allow students to center the concept being investigated without relying solely on language. Models and tools hold meaning. Students can use them to explore an idea and communicate about that idea. While writing and discussion are a large part of the STS approach, conceptual understanding does not depend on it, ensuring language doesn't become a barrier.

A FRESH TAKE ON MATH EDUCATION

See the Structure fosters confident teachers who move from training students how to do math to empowering them to see structure—creating an inclusive, engaged environment where voice, choice, agency, and autonomy are naturally encouraged.

Choice

Students and teachers are empowered to choose how they approach math, so learning is more meaningful. We are developing mathematical thinking at the individual level.

AGENCY

All students, regardless of background, academic abilities, or ethnicity, deserve to grasp math structure and engage in meaningful discussions. Likewise, every teacher can rethink math with fresh insights and new approaches, no matter their background or teaching style.

voice

Teachers guide students to deeper learning by revealing structures and connections, while students take the lead—sharing ideas, exploring concepts, and collaborating with peers. Students are active participants in their own learning.

AUTONOMY

Students aren’t copies of their teachers, and teachers aren’t just their curriculum or past training. Both should have the freedom to think independently—fostering creativity, critical thinking, and true engagement in the learning process.

BENEFITS OF THE STS APPROACH

Identity
If students don't have an identity as a learner, they may perform the actions, but they aren’t engaged and teaching is something that is done to them, not with them. The STS approach helps students build a strong math identity, develop confidence, and a genuine sense of security in their abilities.

More Flex Time
Spend less time feeling like you and your students are working hard without making meaningful progress. There's always so much to cover each day—imagine if you taught multiplication and division simultaneously, for example, by focusing on equal parts and relationships. How much time would you gain, and how much more clearly would students see the connection between concepts? By highlighting structure, teachers reduce the volume of content they have to teach and students can learn more efficiently.

Visuals Allow for Communication of Concepts
Visuals help communicate conceptual ideas clearly. The materials enable students to express their understanding to teachers and peers without language being a barrier.

Learn How to Learn
Students develop effective learning habits, discover meaningful connections, and learn to ask insightful questions. By teaching through structure, we model a clear learning framework that supports all learning.

Hi! I’m Christine.

For the past 15 years, I worked as a math coach and coordinator observing how math was taught and learned from dozens of classrooms. During this time, one thing became very clear: students who were naturally “good at math” noticed patterns. Everyone else was on autopilot, following operations to get the answer—but the “why” was never obvious to them.

Through this experience, I realized that math education was missing a critical element: helping students recognize underlying structures that make math intuitive.

Determined to make a change, I pulled from years of knowledge and experience to develop See the Structure—a nuanced approach to math that brings creativity, flexibility, and joy to the classroom. With this framework, every teacher and student can finally see the intricate beauty of pattern and structure that makes math so enjoyable—and yes, easy to understand!

what people are saying

“Math is a language. It is important to immerse yourself fully in it and to converse about it in order to be fluent.”

Jill Luskin, Grade 3

“When we support students in finding the structure and the patterns of our number system we open the world of math and replace answer seeking with the beauty of problem solving, noticing, questioning and finding joy and agency in figuring out what they don't yet know.”

Erin McTernan Aaron, Math Coach