Differentiating EveryDay Math

[LKcoby11]

Hello! My district uses the EveryDay Math program and while I like it for certain things, I'm wondering how to go about differentiating my instruction for a variety of learners. Does anyone have any ideas about how to accomplish this task? Thanks! :)

[bcasbcjs]

I sorry I am a new teacher so what exactly is Everyday Math ?How structured is it?

[Zookeeper]

We use ED Math - I teach 1st grade. I also include addition and subtraction programs from the Primary Concepts catalog. I just received the 2007 edition of ED Math as we are looking at our Math series. They have included a few more ideas in there. We do more explorations than are in the book and we also use some material from a series called Trailblazers (we used for one year and it was excellent for primary). The best thing you could do would be to surf grade level sites.

[FLAteacher]

Uggh, we use EM and I HATE it.
:(

[mopar]

Every day math is hard to use in a classroom. But it does have some great explorations and use of manipulatives which kids love. It also teaches students strategies that they may understand more than the strategies we were taught. I have students that only use front end addition or lattice multiplication. I love these strategies. I also like that it spirals. Concepts that the students were taught in week 1 are continually addressed and students are asked to solve problems from earlier lessons in the math boxes.

However, I feel that it doesn't emphasize facts enough. Try adding 10-15 minutes of fact practice 3-5 times per week. The students will begin to learn the facts as they practice and this will help alleviate the major downfall of the program. Also try adding in timed tests if your students are old enough.

And Trailblazers is a great supplement as it is put out by the same university. It was designed to hit many of everyday maths downfalls. However, it does not have some of the great features of everyday math. So, use each program cautiously and know where to modify.

[Zookeeper]

I am on the Math committee at our school and we will be looking at other series - we use the EM now but we are not happy with it in the primary grades (K and 1) as it does not have much in facts and it jumps around too much. The new 2007 edition is a little better (especially the assessments) but not enough. Any really good series out there?

[mopar]

Math Trailblazers is pretty nice...like everyday math but with more fact work and less jumpy. Still offers the exploration piece.
I've also looked at Progress in Math-this has much to offer to.
The Houghton Mifflin series is good too. We actually looked at adopting a few years back.
You could try the Saxon series. It seems pretty good for K-4 but after 4 it becomes a little messy. So make sure to check out all levels if needed for grades 5 and higher.

[EricDNA]

There are lots of internet-based sites that are good too.
Compass Learning and Skills Tutor to mention two. Don't stick with just one book or series, they all have shortcomings. Take a look a Core Knowledge, too.

[EricDNA]

Use a variety of different materials. Kids are all different and one shoe will not fit them all. Pretest and then work from this point on. Kids have different styles of learning just like adults do. Multiple Intelligences are everywhere except when it comes to testing.

[AAA Teacher Forum]

My school uses Everyday Math and we made the agreement to "keep it pure" and not supplement. We did say that using computation timed test (other than those in the EM book) would be okay.

I know that others have referenced the computation in previous post...this is really addressed in the games. I believe to truly make it work for students, you have to do math games for 10-15 EVERYDAY!! Not on Friday. And you have to monitor what they are playing and how they are playing. Computation is HUGE part of the games!

When it comes to differentiation, our school has a notebook of extension ideas that I use. (This grade-level specific book came from another school.) Students who complete early know they can select an activity. I have also typed up the activities that they include in the teacher's guide for extensions and review.

I think that you can also structure your math time with "guided math groups" just like you do with reading. If you administer a pretest, these groups can be formed easily. (The notebook I mentioned above contains a pretest.) You can also use the CD that comes with the program to create this test as well. This CD can also prove itself useful in creating differentiation activities as well.

Finally, I think utilizing parent volunteers to help with your differentiation can prove helpful as well.

Jennifer

[mopar]

Thank you for sharing that. It would be nice to have the same binder that you have. But then you are supplementing a little with other things too. What are these other things in the binder similar too.
I love the idea of using the games to reinforce facts. I knew that they did but never thought to use them every day to teach facts.