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New Product Review: Sharon Wells Mathematics Program

August 12, 2022August 6, 2018

$Sharon Wells Mathematics$

Sharon Wells Mathematics Program is a comprehensive product that supports mathematics instruction and preparation for Texas STAAR exams in grades 2-5. Content is available in print format. Instruction is tailored to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) at each grade level and emphasizes preparation for standardized tests. Learning List recently reviewed resources for grade 4.

The Sharon Wells Mathematics Program is organized in six 6-week units. Daily resources support 90 minutes of math instruction and are made up primarily of black and white problem-solving worksheets. At grade 4, instruction is organized in four core components: (1) Problem Solving/Process TEKS, (2) Basic Facts, (3) Skills, and (4) Concepts. Each component begins with a list of the TEKS covered by instruction and includes open-ended and multiple-choice practice problems. Multiple-choice problems are formatted to reflect STAAR exams. [Read more…]

New Product Review: TeachTransform Master Fractions

September 6, 2022July 23, 2018

Learning List has reviewed TeachTransform’s Master Fractions. This is a supplemental product that supports mathematics instruction in grades 2-5. Resources are available in print format and are designed for teachers. The text’s blackline masters must be copied for student use. Instruction focuses solely on fractions; other math content is not addressed. At each grade level, Master Fractions provides a variety of activities that help students develop the conceptual understanding needed to master the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) related to fractions.

At each grade level, Master Fractions is organized in sections, or units, made up of lessons that address specific concepts related to fractions. For example, at grade 4, sections address (1) representing and iterating fractions, (2) equivalent fractions, (3) comparing fractions, and (4) adding and subtracting fractions. Instruction emphasizes the use of visual models and simple manipulatives. Content is presented simply in black and white print and is designed for teacher use. [Read more…]

New Product Review: Learning Farm

September 6, 2022July 18, 2018

Learning Farm is a supplemental online program that provides instruction and adaptive practice activities that address specific Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) in mathematics, English language arts/reading, and science for students in grades K-8. Instruction is presented in interactive learning activities that support independent practice, review, and preparation for standardized tests. Learning List recently reviewed mathematics resources for grades 3-5.

Learning Farm’s content is organized in “Topics” (e.g., place value, area) that address specific TEKS (e.g., 3.2.A, 3.6.C) and are grouped in terms of TEKS reporting categories (e.g., Numbers and Operations, Geometry and Measurement). Each topic has an optional short lesson that explains concepts using text, mathematical tools (e.g., number lines), and visual models. Lessons include a set of practice questions that students complete independently. [Read more…]

New Product Review: ExploreLearning Gizmos

September 6, 2022July 11, 2018

Learning List recently reviewed ExploreLearning’s Gizmos. This supplemental, web-based product supports math and science instruction across grades 3-12. Instruction is inquiry-based. Gizmos are content-specific simulations and virtual manipulatives that provide students with dynamic, hands-on opportunities to explore math and science concepts in fun and meaningful ways.

Across grades, Gizmos are housed in searchable libraries for math and science. Libraries are structured by grade band (e.g. 3-5) and topic. The math library is broadly organized in topics that include: numbers and operations, algebra, geometry, measurement, and data analysis and probability. Each topic includes sub-topics with one or more content-specific simulations (e.g., estimation using a number line). Each sub-topic Gizmo has a short overview of the simulation, learning objectives, a list of new vocabulary, and feedback from the Gizmos’ user community. [Read more…]

Defining Roles: Standards vs. Curriculum vs. Instructional Materials

August 24, 2022June 18, 2018

Focus Educators and publishers often use the terms “standards,” “curriculum” and/or “instructional materials” interchangeably. Moreover, many educators consider their instructional materials to be their curriculum. However, each of these terms represents a distinct component of an educational program. In the sections that follow, we provide explanations of each of these terms to differentiate their meanings in the context of PreK-12 education.

Standards set out what students are expected to know and be able to do at the end of each school year. Standards are generally established at the state level. In fact, ESSA requires that each state create learning standards for public schools in three subjects—English language arts/reading, mathematics, and science—and many states go beyond ESSA’s minimum to set standards in social studies, career and technical education, languages other than English, and other subjects.

In contrast, the curriculum is developed at the district level, the product of local policy making. While the standards tell you what is expected, the curriculum provides the road map to get there. Often described in documents such as “scope and sequence” and “units of instruction,” a curriculum includes goals, instructional practices and pedagogical guidance, suggested resources and instructional materials, and methods of measuring student progress. [Read more…]

New Product Review: GrapeSEED

August 12, 2022June 4, 2018

Learning List has reviewed GrapeSEED, which is a supplemental product that supports English for language learners as well as English language arts/reading (ELAR) instruction in grades K and 1. Content is in print form and available online including digital (i.e., DVD) resources. GrapeSEED is an oral language program that develops students’ speaking and listening skills while providing a foundation for literacy. Instruction strives to accelerate the development of language skills, reduce achievement gaps, and increase the confidence of emergent readers. [Read more…]

New Product Review: Blue Pelican Math Algebra I

July 24, 2022May 29, 2018

Learning List has reviewed Blue Pelican Math’s Algebra I course. This comprehensive product supports teacher-led instruction and independent study for students in Algebra I. Content is available in print and online formats. Instruction emphasizes paper-and-pencil problem solving and includes web-based videos in which author Charles Cook explains concepts and demonstrates problem solving strategies. [Read more…]

New Product Review: Savvas’s enVisionmath2.0 Common Core

September 6, 2022May 20, 2018

Savvas’s enVisionmath2.0 Common Core is a comprehensive mathematics curriculum for grades K-8 that includes print and eBook resources with additional online content. Students learn through hands-on activities that focus on understanding, fluency, and flexibility with math concepts while developing problem-solving skills. Learning List recently reviewed eBook and online resources for grades K-5. [Read more…]

Effective Implementation: A Key to Success

August 23, 2022May 15, 2018

Image: Effective Implementation: A Key to Success The effective implementation of a material is as critical to student success as the material’s alignment to standards. Learning List’s editorial reviews empower districts with information they need to not only to select materials but also to implement materials more effectively. They provide a qualitative analysis of each material’s instructional content and design. They point out the critical components of the product and the value each provides in the instructional process. They highlight the supports available for teachers and point out deficits in the material’s offerings.

For example, the editorial reviews explain whether teacher resources include background in content and pedagogy, provide pacing information and/or lesson plans, and offer guidance in differentiating instruction. They explain the professional development opportunities in the material and note when a product contains additional supports for novice teachers, such as comprehensive discussions of the required content knowledge and pedagogy, and detailed lesson plans to support instruction.

Learning List’s alignment reports guide educators in their selection and use of standards-aligned materials. Our editorial reviews help educators understand the intended use and instructional components of each product so they can implement the product effectively. Together, these reviews empower educators to choose and use materials to fuel their students’ success.

**A recent example of implementation gone wrong … and how reading our reviews could have lead to success!**

An assistant superintendent of a subscribing district called to let us know that her high school math teachers believed that our reviews of a particular material were too generous to a publisher by failing to mention the material’s lack of rigor. They felt the material did not provide practice exercises necessary to allow students to develop mathematical proficiency.

Rigor is an attribute we review materials for both in our alignment methodology and in the editorial review. So, after the call, we reviewed our alignment reports and editorial reports for each applicable grade level.

Our alignment reports revealed the following information about the material:

The material was aligned to a high percentage of the relevant state standards, meaning that we found at least one aligned citation for the majority of standards in each grade level. [Read more…]
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