Maria Blanton

Maria Blanton is a Senior Scientist at TERC in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where her research focuses on the teaching and learning of early algebraic thinking in the elementary grades. Prior to joining TERC, she was a Professor of Mathematics Education in the STEM Education Department at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. She holds a Ph.D. and has received recognition such as the 2020 Award for Interdisciplinary Excellence in Mathematics Education for her contributions to the field.

Blanton is coauthor and editor of several influential works on algebra education, including Algebra and the Elementary Classroom and the edited volume Teaching and Learning Proof Across the Grades: A K–16 Perspective. Her research publications include studies on the impact of comprehensive early algebra interventions in grades 3–5 and the development of children’s algebraic thinking, which have appeared in venues such as the Journal for Research in Mathematics Education and other scholarly outlets.