Concept Circles Thinking Routine

COMING SOON for Back to School!

Turn abstract math into something students can see, build, and talk about. The Concept Circle Thinking Routine™ (CCTR) is a collaborative, discourse-rich instructional routine that helps students develop deep understanding by exploring a concept through multiple representations—all in one organized visual.

Students place a central concept in the middle of the circle, then fill each section with different ways to represent it—using manipulatives, drawings, words, real-world contexts, and symbols. As they share and discuss, connections begin to spark across the circle, transforming isolated ideas into a connected web of understanding.

CCTR is more than an activity—it’s a flexible instructional routine that fits seamlessly into any math block:
• Builds conceptual understanding before moving to procedures
• Supports differentiation—all students can access and contribute at their level
• Encourages rich math discourse and student-to-student learning
• Reveals student thinking for formative assessment
• Aligns to best practices in math instruction, including multiple representations and mathematical practices

Use it for whole-group lessons, small groups, math centers, intervention, or enrichment. It works as a launch, exploration, or full lesson - adaptable across grade levels.

CCTR works across a wide range of content, including:
• Counting & Cardinality (quantity, one-to-one correspondence)
• Place Value (ones, tens, hundreds, decimals)
• Operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division)
• Fractions & Decimals (equivalence, operations, models)
• Algebraic Thinking (patterns, expressions, equations)
• Measurement & Data (units, comparisons, graphs)
• Geometry (shapes, attributes, spatial reasoning)
From early numeracy to algebra, the routine grows with your students.

CCTR invites students into math as active thinkers, not passive listeners:
• They create, not just solve
• They see connections between representations
• They use their voice to explain and justify thinking
• They learn from peers, expanding their perspective
• They experience math as something dynamic, visual, and meaningful

Instead of memorizing steps, students build understanding that sticks—because they’ve constructed it themselves.

What’s Included
• 6 extra-large, write-on/wipe-off Concept Circle Posters
o Includes both 8-part and 16-part formats
o Ideal for whole-class or small-group collaboration

• Teacher’s Guide by Dr. Cathy Marks Krpan
o Research foundation and instructional guidance
o Step-by-step routines and facilitation tips
o Classroom examples with full-color photos

Bring clarity to complexity. With the Concept Circle Thinking Routine™, understanding doesn’t just happen—it comes into view.