What Is Lava?
Lava acts as a first layer of feedback during assignments.
When a student submits an incorrect response, Lava can provide:
hints
guiding questions
feedback on possible mistakes
suggestions for revisiting strategies
The goal is to support productive struggle and encourage students to keep thinking mathematically.
When Students See Lava
Lava is available during assignments and provides support as students work through problems.
When Lava is enabled, students may receive feedback after an incorrect response or be prompted to show more of their mathematical thinking before moving on.
Types of Feedback Lava Provides
Lava feedback may:
guide students toward rethinking their approach
suggest checking a specific step or calculation
encourage students to revisit units, signs, or operations
prompt students to try another strategy
Rather than providing answers directly, Lava helps students self-correct and continue working independently.
Checking for Real Work
Lava can also help ensure students are showing meaningful work, not just submitting a correct answer.
If a student answers correctly but the drawing board only contains scribbles, dots, or other work that does not demonstrate their thinking, the Submit button changes to Verify.
To continue, the student adds more work to the drawing board. Once something new is added, the Verify button becomes available.
When the student selects Verify, Lava reviews the updated work:
If the work is accepted, the student receives credit and can continue.
If more work is needed, Lava provides a problem-specific hint to help the student add to or revise their work.
This verification feature applies to handwritten responses on Show work problems for students in Grade 3 and above when Lava is turned on for the assignment.
Why Lava Matters
Lava is designed to support:
independent problem solving
mathematical reflection
confidence building
deeper conceptual understanding
meaningful mathematical work
By encouraging students to pause, rethink, explain their thinking, and revise their work, Lava helps turn mistakes into meaningful learning opportunities.
Important Notes
Lava is intended to support instruction, not replace teacher feedback.
Teachers should continue:
reviewing student work
facilitating discussion
providing instructional guidance
monitoring misconceptions and learning needs
Tips for Teachers
Many teachers use Lava to:
encourage productive struggle
support independent work time
spark classroom discussion about strategies and misconceptions
reinforce that mistakes are part of learning
encourage students to show their mathematical thinking
Teachers may also encourage students to:
carefully read Lava’s hints
reflect before retrying
show the steps they used to solve a problem
explain why they changed their approach