5 Open Education Resources for K-5 Common Core Math

There is an abundance of math open educational resources on the Web. So many, in fact, that Education Week asked, "Why is There More Open Content for Math than English?"

Common Core is driving a lot of the growth in open education production and curation, with new databases and sources popping up left and right. It can be overwhelming to wade through everything, and find a source that works for your classroom. With that in mind, here are some math open education resources for elementary educators.

A Few More to Check Out

• Khan Academy Common Core Map: It’s a challenge to find specific lessons that align with Common Core proficiencies. Khan Academy’s Common Core Map takes the guess work out that, providing an overview of processes and proficiencies with links to their aligned, web-based lessons. Khan’s Common Core resource page is another great source.
• Share My Lesson Common Core Database: Share My Lesson hosts an extremely comprehensive collection of aligned lesson plans from a variety of sources. Not only are lessons broken down by process and proficiency, they’re all free and there’s a huge number of them from favorite sources like Sesame Street. (Note: Using Share My Lesson does require signing up for a free membership.)
• Free Lessons from K-5 Math Teaching Resources: This is another site that has taken the guess work out of finding Common Core process-aligned resources. Here, you’ll find a comprehensive pool of K-5 math resources organized by grade level, and all are available as PDF download.
• Teaching Channel Common Core Video Series: The Teaching Channel’s videos provide an amazing in-classroom look at the Common Core in practice. For grades K-5, Teaching Channel has produced more than 70 videos, covering both math and English lessons. You’ll also find some great overview videos that will help answer general questions about implementing the new standards.
• Free Lessons from LearnZillion: I’ve written about LearnZillion before, but I’ve included their open ed resource database in this list, because it features some valuable Common Core-aligned math lessons for grades 2-6. Not to mention, this is a growing website, so expect more 2-6 lessons in the future, as well as kindergarten and first-grade resources.
  • " 5 Tips for Explaining Common Core to Parents," by Kristen Swanson, THE Journal
  • "Common Core Webinar: Assessment Shifts," from Sue Brookhart, ASCD
  • "Resources for Understanding the Common Core Standards," from Edutopia Staff
  • 6 Math Apps that Support Common Core State Standards, by Dave Wiggler, Edudemic