Familiar w/ "Everyday Mathematics" Curriculum?

[Ms. S]

I'm a first year 4th grade teacher and I am excited that my school is starting a brand new math program called Everyday Mathematics. Everyone will be in the same boat and we will all be learning together (and I won't feel like such a newbie!)

If you have piloted or are currently using this program, do you have any tips or words of advice for me? I like the looks of it so far. It has very high expectations and so many resources for the teacher and student. I'm only concerned about pacing... do you find that students are left behind on a regular basis? My school schedule allows me for about one hour of math time per day... is this enough? Do you take more than one day to teach a particular lesson? The program suggests how to pace it, but have you finished both volumes of lesson plans in one school year? I don't want to rush my students but I want to cover all the material!

Anything you could tell me would be greatly appreciated! Thanks,
Ms. S

[newteacher16]

The fourth graders used it in the school where I student taught, and I know the teachers really liked it because it continually reviews skills. I think it has "math boxes" or something to that effect that review topics previously learned. For that reason, I think it worked well and allowed strong and weak students to refine their skills.

[Amanda]

Here's a previous thread with some discussion about everyday math:
http://forums.atozteacherstuff.com/s...ead.php?t=3503

[Ms. S]

Thanks Amanda. I haven't used the program yet, but I can already identify with everyone who had concerns... Knowing these things will help me a great deal so that when my own concerns surface, I will remember that others went through the new program as well and were feeling the same way. I'll stay optimistic about it and do my best to make sure my fourth graders don't get too frusterated either!

[mbboss]

I student taught in 4th grade and used this math program. It does a good job, but be prepared to pull in other sources. I know when I taught the fractions unit, I had to use a different book because I didn't feel like it was enough for my kids. It seems like it teaches the concept and that's it. It sometimes goes a little too advanced on the concept and you have to be prepared to explain in detail. Overall it's good to use and it's very outlined and easy to follow, but with every program it has its problems.

Hi! I use EveryDay Math in 3rd Grade. It is WONDERFUL! There are a few concepts that we realized that the series only gives basic instruction and have pulled a few other resources to help. Your district has probably already done this for you. Ask an experienced Math teacher on your grade level. They will already know where the "gaps" lie. Overall the program is great and really creates "thinkers" in the classroom. There is an abundance of hands on activities that help students to understand key concepts. You will love it!

Hi, I teach 5th grade Everyday Math. Make sure to read the teacher resource manual that accompanies. I found it very hekpful. My district bought the dry erase boards and they are a wonderul asset and you can use the boards in all the subjects. In manual math sure to do math boxes and. Also try and make transparencies of math boxes and study links when you review the lessons. I love Everyday Math.

[Andrea L]

I am coming into this discussion a little late, but I thought I would share. I also teach fourth grade and used Everyday Math last year for the first time. It has its ups and downs. One thing that I found myself doing was skipping the World Tours (I think this is what it is called). They were difficult for my students and often didn't pertain to the chapter. I typically spent at least an hour and a half on each lesson each day. At first I tended to spend even more because I don't like to teach a lesson and then move on if some students are frustrated etc, but my colleagues told me to keep going. Eventually they will pick up the concepts--it may not be in the fourth grade, but they will pick them up. The program comes with some math games as well! My kids loved these! Our district encourages us to play games at least 3 times a week, as it helps to reinforce the concepts that are being taught. I’ve also found that there is a lot of preparation for many of the lessons. Everyday Math also has two workbooks as you know-- I've found that in the Math Boxes, problems 1 and 2 are previews of what are to come. Most often, I had my kids skip these or do them for a prize but not to be graded because they hadn't been exposed to those concepts in the past. I didn't get through every chapter of the program because I wanted to re-teach concepts that were tricky. Many of the teachers that I work with have found that they have gotten further in the book over time, but that they still haven't ever completely finished and I believe that this will be the fourth year with the program. I to found that I often had to supplement or even change lessons to make it easier for my students to grasp. The multiplication and division units are a little lacking as well and so I found that I had to supplement those as well. Overall, the program is a good program. I like the way that it continuously repeats or spirals back to concepts. Be prepared to keep moving in order to get through the book. I've found that many of the goals of Everyday Math are not "concrete goals" until they are in the intermediate grades and even then they are often only being exposed to concepts. Hope this helps!

Hi there! My name is Jaime and this will be my 4th year teaching the EDM cirriculum! Your school has done a wonderful thing in purchasing this program for your students! It is a bit different than the typical math that we are all used to, but in this case change is great! I think that you and your students are going to love working with EDM. It takes a lot of getting used to, but it is well worth it in the long run. The program teaches great problem solving strategies and really makes the students think about math in a new and exciting way. Pacing is very important in carrying out the lessons appropriately. Make sure to use your Scope and Sequence that is included with your manual. At the beginning of each lesson it will also tell you if you will need 2 days to complete the lesson. If nothing is stated then you only use 1 day. It was a life saver the first year of teaching the program. It will tell you what lesson you should be on during each semester of the year.

Some students master the concepts at faster levels than others, but that is to be expected! Just remember that not all concepts have to be mastered right away. The Learning Goals are broken into Beginning, Developing, and Secure. Pay close attention to the goal level when evaluating your student's progress. Some skills won't need to be mastered at all until 5th grade. Don't try to master everything, which you will do at first. I did and I did not get the cirriculum completed the first year. I could not move on until every one of my students understand and could complete the concept independently. I have gotten better. The cirriculum works as a spiral meaning that the concepts will appear again throughout the entire year as well as in the following years. Some of the skills are just to be exposed and not mastered!

Each year you will notice that your students will come to you more knowledgable from the previous year's class. This is due to the fact that they are being exposed to the skills at an earlier age, making it easier for them to comprehend the skills at a higher rate. It will work the best when you get the first class that had started EDM from kindergarten. You will see a BIG difference! Just remember to have fun with it. I think you will truly enjoy it. I know I have! Study that manual though!!!!! And one last thought. You don't have to do it all. Pick an choose the most important concepts because if all you have is 1 hour a day to teach math, you'll never have enough time to finish the entire lesson in one day. If you have any other questions feel free to email me and I'll do my best to help! EMAIL REMOVED - Send PM to This User Instead
good luck to you!!!!

[Ms. S]

Andrea L& Jaime- Thanks a lot for your summaries of how your years went. Now that I know a little bit about what to expect, I'm less apprehensive about the whole thing! I'm so glad I joined these forums! Thanks for the help