New Reviews: JUMP Math’s Assessment & Practice (AP ) Books

JUMP Math’s Assessment and Practice (AP) Books provide comprehensive mathematics instruction for grades 1-8. Learning List recently reviewed JUMP Math’s products for grades 4-6. At these grades, instruction addresses number sense, patterns and algebraic thinking, geometry, measurement, and probability and data management.

Based on the work of mathematician and bestselling author John Mighton (The Myth of Ability, 2003; The End of Ignorance, 2007), JUMP Math emphasizes building students’ confidence in their ability to solve problems mathematically. Instruction is discovery-based and focuses on helping students explore concepts with teacher support and guidance. Lessons begin with brief period (about 3 minutes) of explicit, teacher-led instruction, followed by guided and independent practice with teacher support, and extension activities. Lessons introduce one or two concepts at a time and present learning tasks that build on one another in a logical progression. Click on the picture to watch a video titled “Everybody Child Can Learn Math and Love it.”

“Mental Math” activities are included in each lesson. These activities ask students to solve problems without paper or pencil. Mental Math develops number sense and fluency in problem solving and helps students recognize patterns, make predictions, and estimate solutions. Teachers are encouraged to provide continual formative assessment of learning through questioning and observation of student performances on learning tasks and exercises. Bonus questions are provided for students who master concepts quickly.

Student AP Books are designed to support students at all reading levels. Each page addresses one or two concepts in simple language and includes reminders of relevant concepts that students have already learned. Textboxes provide the steps needed to solve problems, and some problems include partial solutions to help students understand the process of problem solving. Illustrations are provided to help students visualize concepts. Click here for samples.

About JUMP Math: JUMP Math is a registered non-profit that promotes numeracy based on the belief that all children can learn math, all teachers can teach math, and both can enjoy it. Their approach features meticulously crafted lesson plans that enable teachers to explain math concepts in a clear and engaging way.  A careful progression from basic concepts to challenging problems methodically builds student understanding, confidence, and love of math.  You can read about the success teachers have experienced using JUMP Math in the New York Times article “A Better Way to Teach Math” and explore news reports about JUMP Math.