Kindergarten:
Really cute mathematical picture books containing concepts like money, numbers, sharing, more and less, and counting. It presented the concepts in a child-friendly and inviting manner. There was also a teacher guide for each unit. I thought this was really cute and the books would be a great addition to any classroom library.
Grade 1-3:
Textbooks including stories, journals, and worksheets. They included a description of the focus and home connections. I really liked that the children could connect what they were learning to "real life". The teacher guide included planning and assessment support for each unit. It also included teaching tips, cross curricular connections, activity banks, how to differentiate instruction, literacy links, and various teaching ideas and resources. I was surprised that all of this would be included in the teacher's guide and felt it was obviously well thought-out and constructed.
Grade 4-6:
Textbooks containing chapters on patterns, numeration, addition and subtraction, number relationships, date relationships, geometry, multiplication and division, ratio and percent, fractions and decimals, measurement, and probability. Textbook has an accompanying workbook (and answer book) that has worksheets to supplement the text. Also has a teacher's guide for each chapter and includes lesson ideas, questions to ask, assessment ideas, and ways to differentiate instruction.
I noticed that the text has a lot more questions than arithmetic, which is different from when I grew up. One problem I had with textbooks as a child was reading all the "extra" information that could help me make more connections to the "real world" or to gain a deeper understanding of the math. I remember ignoring everything except for the problems we had to solve on the page. I would speed through those as fast as I could, so in the end I really didn't understand what I was doing, I was merely repeating an abstract process that I couldn't actually relate to.
I can only guess at how useful these resources (or the similar ones in other provinces) will be to me when I become a teacher. I feel we can't really judge how "good" they are until we really get to know the curriculum guides, and more importantly, the individuals in our class. I think however much these resources are used in the classroom, they should be tailored and adapted to fit the needs and interests of the unique set of students each year. I also think that many of the lessons and problems presented in these resources could be used successfully in the classroom, but teachers should make them their own. Rather than getting the students to open the textbook and solve problems, the teacher should take the problems that they like, personalize them, and bring them to life in the classroom. What the students learn and experience should be as "real life" as possible, not reading what the world is like from a textbook.
