Illustrative Math: First Month Routines That Set Students Up for Success

As you step into another school year, you’re probably thinking about how to create a classroom where every student feels valued, engaged, and ready to tackle challenging mathematics. Those first few weeks matter. They set the tone for your entire year. If you’re using Illustrative Mathematics® (IM) – or thinking about making the switch – you already have powerful tools to build a culture where students see themselves as capable mathematicians.

The first month is a precious time. It’s when you introduce the routines, norms, and culture that will carry your students forward. IM’s problem-based curriculum provides more than strong content; its carefully crafted routines invite every student to enter mathematics with curiosity and confidence.

Let’s explore how these routines can help you create a classroom where mathematical thinking thrives, discourse flows naturally, and students feel safe taking intellectual risks.

The IM Foundation: What Makes These Math Routines Special

Illustrative Mathematics empowers students to learn math through active problem-solving, connecting prior knowledge, lived experience, and the world around them. This isn’t just educational jargon - it’s a shift from teaching math as answers and rules to math as reasoning, creativity, and sense-making.

At the heart of IM are instructional routines that give students predictable structures while leaving space for unexpected mathematical ideas. These routines do more than fill warm-up time. They build community, establish norms, and create safe spaces for authentic thinking.

Every IM lesson follows a four-part structure: warm-up, activities, synthesis, and cool-down. The warm-up routines, especially in the first month, play a unique role. They signal to students that their ideas belong in the math classroom.

Essential First-Month Warm-Up Routines

Math Routine 1: Notice and Wonder - Building Curiosity from Day One

“What do you notice? What do you wonder?” These questions can transform classroom culture. In this routine, students explore an image, graph, or representation without being told what to solve. Instead, they share observations and generate questions.

This works beautifully at the start of the year because every student can contribute something valid. There are no wrong observations and no incorrect wonderings. Students learn right away that math is about curiosity and exploration.

Start with images or representations appropriate for your grade level. Give students a moment to think quietly, then share with a partner, and finally open the floor for whole-class discussion. Record both notices and wonders, validating every contribution. Younger students may notice counting opportunities, while older students may wonder about graphs or algebraic expressions.

Math Routine 2: Which One Doesn’t Belong - Celebrating Multiple Perspectives

Which One Doesn’t Belong (WODB) offers four options and asks students which one doesn’t belong—with multiple correct answers. This routine shows students that different ways of thinking can all be valid.

When every student can be right, every voice matters. WODB encourages students to listen to one another and to justify their thinking. Early in the year, it sets the expectation that discussions aren’t about one “correct” answer, but about reasoning.

Choose or create WODB sets that connect to your content focus but remain accessible. Always ask students to explain why. Follow up by inviting alternative perspectives: “Does anyone see another way this one doesn’t belong?” Be careful not to make the sets too complex too soon, or students may hesitate to contribute.

Math Routine 3: Number Talks - Strengthening Mathematical Flexibility

Number Talks are short, daily conversations about computation strategies. Students solve problems mentally and share how they thought about them. These conversations build number sense, highlight multiple strategies, and show students that flexibility matters in mathematics.

These routines establish important discourse norms. Students learn to explain their thinking clearly, listen carefully to others, and recognize that many paths can lead to the same solution. Keep these discussions brief, five to ten minutes, so they energize rather than overwhelm your lesson.

You can begin with simple addition or subtraction in the primary grades, shift to multiplication and fractions in intermediate years, and build toward algebraic reasoning and functions in high school. Starting small helps students gain confidence before you introduce more complex problems.

Math Routine 4: True or False - Building Mathematical Reasoning

In this routine, students decide if a mathematical statement is true or false, and more importantly, explain why. Whether they prove a statement true or provide a counterexample when it’s false, the reasoning process strengthens their mathematical thinking.

Some of the richest discussions come when students disagree. Imagine a student declaring that 12 × 8 = 96 is false because they misremembered multiplication facts. That moment sparks an opportunity for reasoning together and revisiting strategies. Encourage respectful disagreement, model curiosity, and celebrate when students revise their thinking based on new insights.

Building Mathematical Community Through Routines

Mathematical Language Routines: Making Math Accessible

Mathematical Language Routines (MLRs) support students in refining their explanations and making sense of complex ideas. In your first month, MLR 1: Stronger and Clearer Each Time is especially powerful.

Students share their thinking with a partner, receive feedback, and then try again with another partner. By the time they share with the class, their explanations are more precise and confident. This routine builds accessible entry points for English Language Learners and gives all students low-stakes practice using academic language.

The 5 Practices: Orchestrating Meaningful Discussions

As you facilitate these routines, you’ll naturally begin using the 5 Practices for Orchestrating Mathematical Discussions: anticipating, monitoring, selecting, sequencing, and connecting student responses.

In the first month, focus on anticipating and monitoring. Before launching a routine, consider how students might respond. During the routine, circulate and listen carefully. This awareness helps you decide which ideas to highlight and how to guide the conversation toward deeper connections.

Your First Month Implementation Calendar

Week 1: Establishing Norms and Safety

Begin with Notice and Wonder using non-mathematical images, like a playground or a grocery store display. This lets students practice the routine without the pressure of right answers. Transition later in the week to mathematical images that invite accessible observations. Emphasize classroom norms: listening, asking clarifying questions, and building on one another’s ideas.

Week 2: Expanding the Routine Repertoire

Introduce a second routine. In elementary grades, Number Talks work beautifully. In secondary grades, try Which One Doesn’t Belong. Continue alternating between your two routines so students get comfortable with the structure while exploring different ways to think mathematically.

Week 3: Deepening Mathematical Discussions

Add a third routine to keep energy high while maintaining predictability. Midweek, introduce Mathematical Language Routines so students practice sharing and refining ideas with partners before speaking to the class. Participation will grow, and explanations will become more precise.

Week 4: Student Ownership and Reflection

Invite students to take the lead. They can present Notice and Wonder images, design WODB sets, or facilitate Number Talks. End the month with class reflection: What norms serve us well? How has our thinking grown? This reflection builds ownership and sets collective goals for the year ahead.

Math Assessment and Adaptation for the 2025-2026 School Year

Warm-up routines offer powerful windows into student thinking. Listen to how students make sense of problems, what prior knowledge they draw upon, and how they communicate ideas. Use these insights to adjust your instruction, not to assign grades.

These routines naturally differentiate. In Notice and Wonder, one student might notice a simple count while another notices a complex pattern. In WODB, different students will latch onto different relationships. Your role is to value all contributions and help students learn from one another.

Support struggling learners with sentence stems and think time. Pair them strategically and let them sketch or write before speaking. For students ready for a challenge, ask questions that push deeper: “What would change if this number doubled?” or “Can you create a new version of this problem?”

Looking Ahead: The Long-Term Benefits

The investment you make in these early routines will echo all year. Students will expect to think, question, and reason in your classroom. They’ll treat errors as opportunities, rely on one another as resources, and see themselves as mathematicians.

These are more than classroom routines. They build mathematical practices that extend into life - making sense of problems, reasoning abstractly, and critiquing arguments thoughtfully.

Resources for Your IM Journey

Getting started with IM can feel overwhelming, but you don’t have to do it alone. Kiddom IM v.360® combines high-quality curriculum with digital tools designed to support you and your students.

Through Kiddom, you’ll find interactive digital materials, embedded professional learning, communities of educators, real-time data to inform instruction, and customization options to meet the needs of your learners. The partnership between IM and Kiddom ensures you have the resources and support to bring this curriculum to life.

Whether you’re a veteran teacher new to IM or beginning your teaching career, remember that building a strong math community takes time. Be patient with yourself and your students. Celebrate small victories—the first time a quiet student shares a wondering, the moment students naturally build on each other’s ideas, or when someone says, “I used to think… but now I think…”

These are the moments that remind us why we teach. These first-month routines aren’t just about mathematics. They’re about creating a community of learners who support one another, think critically, and see the beauty in mathematical reasoning.