What Is a Focus Lesson? — and Why It’s a Critical Part of the Math Workshop
The focus lesson (sometimes also called the mini-lesson or launch) is a foundational component in the daily structure of math workshop. The focus lesson is a brief whole-class mini-lesson, typically taking place at the beginning of the math workshop block following the reasoning routine, intended to launch that day’s learning or to revisit a key concept, strategy, or prior student thinking. It is not a long, take-up-the-whole-block kind of lesson. Instead, it models or surfaces a mathematical idea, strategy, or thinking move that will serve students as they work independently or in small groups.
Why the Focus Lesson Is So Important
There are several reasons why a focus lesson is vital in a workshop math class:
- Sets a clear purpose or lens for student work
The focus lesson gives students something to think about as they go into independent or group work, such as a particular strategy, way of representing, or question to consider. - Models thinking and strategy
In the focus lesson, the teacher can make thinking visible: “I notice … I wonder … that’s one way to think about it …” This scaffolding supports students in lifting up their own thinking. - Connects to student thinking and prior work
A good focus lesson often begins by referencing prior student work, discussion, or misconceptions. This anchoring helps students see continuity, and it helps the teacher tap into what students already know or struggle with. - Limits cognitive load while scaffolding entry
Because it is brief and targeted, the focus lesson doesn’t overwhelm everyone with everything at once. We also get students while their attention is at their best. The 15-20 minute sweet-spot of engagement. - Helps with differentiation and scaffolding planning
After delivering the focus lesson, teachers can more easily anticipate which students might need more support or challenge, and plan for small-group instruction more easily.
A Suggestion: Use Problem Strings (Pam Harris, Math is FigureOutAble) in Your Focus Lesson Slot
If you are looking for high-leverage, well-structured content to use during your focus lessons, Problem Strings from Pam Harris / Math is FigureOutAble are a strong resource to consider.
A Problem String is a carefully sequenced set of related math problems that gradually increase in complexity or shift in perspective, designed to elicit student reasoning, strategy development, comparisons, and synthesis (mathisfigureoutable.com). Through the sequences that Pam provides, students build connections, deepen their thinking, and become more strategic. The teacher’s role is not to lecture but to facilitate discussion, surface student thinking, compare strategies, and guide toward more general reasoning. Since Pam Harris offers Problem Strings across grade bands (K–2, 3–5, 6–8, 9–12), you can find strings appropriate for any grade you may teach!
Practical Tips for Using Problem Strings In Math Workshop
Select a string appropriate to your learning goal for that day and unit. Then, take some time to preview and anticipate student strategies, especially if this is a new process for you. Over time, you will become more and more comfortable with anticipating student responses and misconceptions. Until then, lean on the resources that Pam Harris has already provided to support you.
You can use one part of the string for the whole-group lesson, and you can save some of the problems for use during small-group instruction so you can more intentionally watch students as they solve problems and listen to their thinking.
Final Thoughts
A robust math workshop depends not just on stations or groups, but also on thoughtful launching of student thinking— the focus lesson. This whole group lesson is your opportunity to set a mathematical lens, make thinking visible, and connect to student reasoning before releasing them into independent or small-group work.
Pairing that with Problem Strings from Pam Harris gives you a structured, research-aligned, discourse-rich routine that aligns beautifully with the goals of a focus lesson. It gives you a scaffolded sequence of problems, support for facilitation, and opportunities for students to reason, compare, and generalize.