This math program can be integrated into any basic math curriculum. It brings activities alive for practical classroom use. Teachers have been taught to introduce topics through practical and meaningful activities which inspire thinking and curiosity in the learner. The emphasis is to help the learner understand interrelated mathematical processes within the context of rich experiences rather than just mastery of isolated skills. The use of manipulatives and concrete items in the learning process is of great benefit.
What would AIMS science or Math Their Way look like in the classroom? In 1st grade you might see students eating Eskimo Ice Cream Bars. They would have estimated how many bites it would take to eat it, they would learn to keep track using tallies, then when finished they would compare what their estimate was individually and with the entire class. They might finish up with some type of graph which depicts their information. Or in 2nd grade you might see the students on the floor with a giant place value board moving beans from the 1’s, to the 10’s, and then to the 100’s. They will have done trading (borrowing and carrying) without ever using a pencil. When it is introduced on paper, the students will have internally experienced this difficult concept.
Special Math Classes
Several teachers have attended grade level classes on how to teach specific concepts in math such as fractions. Two teachers attended a workshop on using music to teach math.
