|
Saxon ©1997
Math 3 140 lessons |
SRA ©1999
SRA Math 154 lessons |
Harcourt ©1999
Math Advantage 28 chapters |
Scott-Addison ©1999
Math 12 chapters |
Silver ©1999
The Path to Math Success 12 chapters |
McGraw ©1999
Math in My World 12 chapters |
Everyday Learning ©1998
Everyday Math 120 lessons |
|
|
Do student activities stress automatic number-fact recall, not reinvention strategies*? |
YES Daily quizzes and basic fact practice |
YES Daily "Mental Math" exercises practice rapid recall of basic facts. Many games are designed for fact practice. |
LESS EMPHASIS Student text stresses reinvention strategies* (e.g., pp. 1-5, 14, 15, 68, 70, 107). Occasional, but not daily, fact-recall practice (e.g., TE, pp. 5, 16D, 204D, 210, 219, 242D). Most fact-recall practice is in back of book (TE, pp. H124A, B1-B2). |
SOMETIMES 3 games practice multiplication facts (pp. 249, 260). Division-fact activities do not stress automaticity (p. 305). Addition and subtraction number-fact review in early chapters only. |
VERY RARELY Much emphasis on reinvention strategies* (e.g., pp. 46, 56, 58, 230) Minimal activities for number-fact recall in student text. Only some daily "Math Minutes" cover number-fact recall. |
SOMETIMES Student text stresses reinvention strategies*(e.g., pp. 3,6, 33, 20). Several number-fact card games suggested (e.g., p. 211; TE, pp. xiD, 291B, 239D, 5). Brief "Daily Reviews" include only four "FAST FACTS" each. |
YES Many number-fact games (e.g., "Beat the Calculator") and choral drills (e.g., Teacher's Reference Manual, pp. 109-110, 111, 166, 177). |
| Are timed number-fact tests or quizzes provided with instructions for use? |
YES 45-second daily quizzes |
MOSTLY 3- or 4-minute speed tests for addition, subtraction and multiplication (pp. 38, 176, 177 and TE, p. 36) but division-fact test is not timed (p. 192). |
AVAILABLE, OPTIONAL Number-fact tests of 80 problems each are more extensive than in the SRA, but with no specific time suggested [TE, p. H121-H124 (tests); TE, p. H124A (Ideas for using tests)]. |
NO Tests are not timed and include few number facts. |
SOMETIMES Daily "Math Minutes" (many of 5 or 6 basic facts) are timed but are far fewer than in Saxon. "Checkpoints" on multiplication and division facts are not timed (pp. 224, 350). |
NO Tests are not timed and include few number facts. The four "FAST FACTS" in each "Daily Review" lack suggested time limits or instructions for use. |
NO See Teacher's Manual & Lesson Guide, p. 145, par. 3 – p. 146, top of page. |
| Does the Teacher's Edition (TE) stress importance of automatic recall of number facts? |
YES See TE, p. v, par. 2, lines 1-4. |
YES See TE, p. T25. |
AMBIGUOUS TE is ambivalent on automaticity. Contrast TE, p. E4, col. 2, par. 6, and TE, p. E15, col. 2, par. 2, lines 1-3 with TE, p. E15, col. 2, par. 3, lines 6-8 and TE, p. H124A, col. 1, par. 1, lines 1-3. |
NO "Students may want to use calculators to solve all the addition problems. For exercises 2a-2f suggest that students use them only to check their work." – TE, p. 96B, col. 1, par 2 |
NO "Focus on the process of finding an answer, not the answer itself." – TE, p. xvii |
NO "… there are many ways to find sums; [students] should choose the way they think is easiest." – TE, p. 9, right margin, lines 2-4 |
CONTRADICTORY Contrast Teacher's Reference Manual, p. 125, par. 4 with Teacher's Reference Manual, p. 109, par. 1-3. |
| overall rating: | best | very good | fair | poor | poor | very poor | worst |
* "Reinvention strategies" include "count on," "make a ten," "use doubles," "count back," "count up," "draw an array," "skip count," "use models," and "find patterns."