If math is your game...

Teaching Pre K-8, Aug/Sep 2001 by Broderick, Patricia, Raymond, Allen

If Math is your game... you really have to look at the new math program from New Zealand. It's being marketed in this country by the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD). Called "Beginning School Mathematics," there are 12 "cycles" for grades K-2.

Before we go any farther, we must tell you that the whole program is not a teacher buy. However, there' is an introductory pack of 15 lessons (there are more than 1,100 in the whole program), which will provide K-2 teachers with solid opportunities to explore early math in ways that relate directly to how kids learn.

First of all, the material is activitybased, and materials-based, geared to developmental levels of students. There is a language component, and authentic content is used, so the learning carries from math to other subjects.

The aim of the introductory kit is not only to provide great activities for kids, but to introduce teachers and administrators to the BSM approach to teaching and learning. This theme of sustained professional development for teachers runs throughout the program.

Naturally, this is all aligned with the NCTM standards in Grades K-2 as well as with the NAEYC guidelines.

The actual introductory kit has 10 neat, sturdy plastic envelopes covering 15 fun-while-learning lessons. All of the necessary materials for the activity are in the envelope and the objective of the activity is clearly stated.

With the introductory kit we received a huge overview chart that tells all you could ever want to know about program content, (geometry and measurement, relationships and numbers, etc.), appropriate levels, activities and how they relate to each other. The extraordinary introductory kit is $99 plus s/h.

There are assessment tools for the program, summer workshops and lots of other features. Call ASCD for more information than we can provide here. Some Lucky Subscriber will get the introductory kit we've described.

ASCD

1703 N. Beauregard St.

Alexandria, VA 22311