In this video you will see a demonstration of the instructional routine “Wrong Answers Only” and hear from the teacher and two students about their experience with this instructional routine. 

This video highlights the deep and rich mathematical discussions that can arise from simple prompts when we shift our focus to thinking about all the answers that are wrong, and why they are wrong, instead of looking only for a single answer that’s right. 

To learn more about Wrong Answers Only, read the blog post Wrong Answers Only, written by the creator of the routine (and the teacher featured in the video), Zuzka Blasi. 

One great thing about Wrong Answers Only is that you can do it with almost any simple math prompt that is related to your class’s current work. Use the Wrong Answers Only Starter Kit, which contains sample prompts and sample wrong answers from multiple mathematical domains to help you get started. 

The SABES Math and Adult Numeracy Team appreciates the students’ and the teacher’s willingness to allow us to film their class and to share their classroom learning experience with other practitioners in hopes of sharing the value and versatility of Wrong Answers Only as an instructional routine.

You can find Wrong Answers Only and many other instructional routines at the Adult Numeracy Network Instructional Routines page.