Get More Math Podcast

Interleaving in Math with Anne Agostinelli

Josh Britton and Derek Maxson Season 2 Episode 1

In this episode, we're having a conversation with math teacher and coach, Anne Agostinelli, focusing on the concept of Interleaving in Math. Anne and Josh go back and forth defining interleaving, how she's implemented interleaving in her lessons, and how her students respond to this method.

In this episode we discuss: 

  • How interleaving focuses more on the big picture so that when you're practicing, you're practicing a lot of different things at once, not just one skill that you did that day in class
  • What interleaving homework assignments look like
  • How her students responded to interleaving
  • The idea of "desirable difficulty"
  • Blocked practice vs interleaved
  • Transitioning from blocked to interleaved


Resources Mentioned: 


We hope you enjoy this discussion and are encouraged to continue using Get More Math in your classroom or interested to learn more about how you can start using Get More Math.

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About our Guest
Anne Agostinelli has taught middle school mathematics in the Chicago Public Schools since 2005, with a few years as a Senior Mathematics Coach at the University of Illinois at Chicago mixed in. She is a founding member of the Chicago Math Teachers' Circle and lives in the city with her husband, Billy, and their dog, Groot. She enjoys the energy problem solving evokes in both students and adults and is interested in how people learn. Make sure to check out her blog, 53 Degree Shift, and follow her on Twitter