Productive struggle isn’t about frustration. It’s about giving students the right kind of challenge, paired with structure and support, so they can reason, make sense of problems, and build confidence.

The Parts Equal Total structure isn’t a shortcut for solving; it’s a way to understand what’s happening in the story. This blog explores how PET supports comprehension from the earliest grades through more complex problems.

A reflection on how Pam Seda’s work validates my mission to bring equity, comprehension, and deep thinking into math classrooms.

Many students struggle with math not because of computation, but because they don’t know where to start. Learn how Structures of Equality (SoE) helps students decode word problems and build confidence in problem-solving.

Sometimes it feels like your students are playing a guessing game when it
comes to number stories. Learn how SoE helps them understand and the research that
backs it.

Are your students struggling with the PET structure? Use manipulatives and visual representations to gradually build their confidence and understanding.