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What's Included in Think Math!?
What Makes Think Math! Standards-Based?
Who is Involved with the Development of Think Math!?
Think Math! takes the best of both traditional and reform curricula to treat important mathematical ideas, skills, and methods in a way that blends conceptual understanding with computational fluency. Think Math! materials are easy for teachers to use. They have a simple structure and manageable parts. And teachers are treated professionally. To help them develop their own repertoire of ideas and mathematical questions, teacher notes explain where the mathematical ideas lead and why they are introduced in the way that they are.
• High-quality mathematics The program includes substantial algebra, geometry, and data analysis by the end of grade 5.
• Computational fluency and conceptual understanding Students get practice in basic skills while developing conceptual understanding and problem-solving abilities, which also prepares them for national and state tests.
• Differentiated instruction Lessons are designed to have easy entry, allowing all students to participate with reflective thinking and discussion, yet they also have layers of depth that challenge the most eager and advanced students, making the materials a real support for teachers of multilevel classes.
• Effective design The materials are appealing to teachers and students, and they don’t distract from the content. Teachers can use the program without extensive prior professional development.
• Learning-by-doing professional development The time teachers spend in their classrooms is treated as an opportunity learn new mathematical ideas and approaches to teaching.
• Something new The program gets teachers to take a fresh look at math they already "know." It differs just enough from other programs in its presentation of mathematical ideas and its perspective on mathematics to offer teachers something novel to think about as they teach.
• A variety of teaching styles Think Math! supports different teaching styles and classroom structures, including whole-class instruction, individual work, and group work.
What's included in Think Math!?
Teacher Guides for Grades K to 5 are written to be a vital and interesting component of the lesson, enhancing the teacher's mathematical and pedagogical knowledge as well as giving suggestions for how to enhance students' skills and understanding.
• Standards, Objectives, and Materials are organized and listed at the beginning of each lesson.
• About the Lesson conveys the lesson's purpose and mathematical focus.
• About the Mathematics extends and deepens, for the teacher, important mathematical ideas in the lesson.
• Headline Stories provide open-ended problems that promote creative problem-solving and deductive thinking.
• Skills Practice and Review provides fast-paced mental math activities that review key skills and build skill fluency.
• Developing Mathematical Language provides suggestions for introducing, developing, and reinforcing mathematical language, notation, and vocabulary.
• ELL includes suggestions for addressing the needs of students learning English as a second language. Separate suggestions are provided for each level: beginning, intermediate, and advanced.
• Differentiated Instruction offers suggestions for alternative approaches that may benefit students with different learning styles or ability levels.
• Ongoing Assessment provides opportunities, guidelines, and suggestions for assessing student understanding and progress.
• Teacher Stories explain different ways teachers have modified activities to meet the needs of their students.
• Concept Alert calls attention to common errors that students might make, or ideas they might not fully understand.
Student Materials for Grades 1 to 5 include daily
student pages, additional practice pages, extension work pages, spiral review
pages and games.
What Makes Think Math! Standards-Based?
The NCTM Principles
and Standards for School Mathematics (2000) are at the heart of Think
Math!
Mathematical Content To address the Standards, every year Think
Math! builds students' conceptual and procedural understanding in the following
five content areas:
• Number and Operation
• Algebra
• Geometry
• Measurement
• Data and Probability
Mathematical Processes Think Math! builds deep conceptual understanding by focusing on these processes:
• Problem Solving
• Reasoning and Proof
• Communication
• Connections
• Representation
Who is Involved with the Development of Think Math!?
Principal Investigator
E. Paul Goldenberg
Project management
Directors: Eric Karnowski and Glenn Natali
Amy Borowko
Nannette Feurzeig
Kim Foster
Alexander Kirchwey
Helen Lebowitz
June Mark
Kimberly Newson
David O'Neil
Cynthia Plouff
Jennifer Putnam
Curriculum design, mathematics and pedagogy oversight
E. Paul Goldenberg
Lynn Goldsmith
Nina Shteingold
Writing
Director: Eric Karnowski
Jean Benson
Abigail Branch
Sarah Cremer
E. Paul Goldenberg
Stacy Grossman
Andrea Humez
Suenita Lawrence
Deborah Rosenfeld
Paisley Rossetti
Nina Shteingold
Kate Snow
Julie Zeringue
Graphics and Design
Directors: Laura Koval and Korynn Kirchwey
Jessica Cummings
E. Charles Snow
Jenny Wong
Research
Director: Lynn Goldsmith
Nina Arshavsky
Cynthia Char
Sabita Chopra
Sophia Cohen
Andrea Humez
Suenita Lawrence
Katherine Schwinden
Eugenia Steingold
Editorial
Director: Frances Fanning
Nicholas Bozard
Eric Karnowski
Website
Suenita Lawrence
Laura Koval
Glenn Natali
Steve Benson
Kevin Waterman