Marian Small (born 1948[1]) is a Canadian educational researcher, academic, author, and public speaker.
[2] Small advocates a "constructivism" approach to mathematics instruction, which encourages students to construct explanations to math problems.
[6] Small's style of math instruction has been described as a "random abstract approach" by those favouring more traditional skills-based pedagogy.
1 for those who think kids are fast losing their number sense because of the "fuzzy-math, basic-skills-lite" teaching Dr. Small and many of her contemporaries promote".
[8] Regarding her role in the math wars, Small has acknowledged the "concern about less emphasis on memorizing the facts and allowing calculator use" as well as the "very loud and impassioned debate on these matters".