ABSTRACT
Assessment is a crucial element in designing a guided a math lesson. Teachers have to know where their students are along the trajectory of learning so that they can plan to teach them purposefully. Guided math groups should have between three and five students. Sometimes they are heterogeneous groups and sometimes they are homogeneous groups. These groups should never be “fixed” or track students throughout the year. They are temporary, flexible, focused groups that teach students what they need, when they need it and then students move on to different work. After teachers get the data, they need to use it to differentiate. A big part of the differentiation aspect of guided math lessons is the concrete, pictorial, and abstract cycle. Every guided math lesson should be centered on priority standards. Guided math lessons are about building depth of knowledge with students. Scaffolds are a fundamental part of guided math lessons.
