CGI Math

Posted on: June 6th, 2022 by jnovakowski

Cognitively Guided Instruction (CGI) is a research-based approach to the teaching and learning of number operations that highlights and elevates the importance children’s thinking and strategy use.

Published resources include:

CGI Number Facts Strategy Assessment

I have personally been using CGI in my teaching since the early 1990s and have been able to share my thinking and learning about this approach to teaching and learning at CGI conferences in 2017, 2019 and 2022.

Here are links to my presentations from those conferences:

CGI 2017 Novakowski Problem Posing

CGI 2019 Novakowski Problem Posing

The 2022 CGI conference was in Florida in June 2022 and I co-presented with Jen Carter, Numeracy Coordinator from SD22.

Much of the current classroom-based research I have been doing in this area has been focused on connected mathematics to place and identity through story. CGI equation cards are often used as a starting point for developing a story. Some examples of what this looks like:

I have had some requests to share these. As I create them for different contexts I will share them here.


Numberless Word Problems

A pedagogical practice that has emerged from CGI in Numberless Word Problems. You can find more information from Brian Bushart HERE.

I have included some slide sets from Numberless Word Problems I have done with classes in our district here:

A SD38 High-Yield Routine Video about Numberless Word Problems can be viewed HERE.


Choral Counting and Counting Collections

Another pedagogical practice emerging from the CGI research is Counting Collections. I have some blog posts about this practice HERE and HERE and HERE.

SD38 High-Yield Routines Videos can be viewed HERE (Counting Collections) and HERE (Choral Counting).

~Janice