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Review Synopsis: by science content expert
Monica Mitchell
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| The Family Math program provides quality materials suitable for use in afterschool programs. Although originally designed for sessions with students and parents, the activities are easily adaptable for afterschool classrooms and appropriate for teamwork, group work, and cooperative, heterogeneous grouping. Exercises are organized around specific content areas but also across content strands. Each activity identifies appropriate grade levels, math content, and real-world connections. These activities maintain a proper balance between skill development and conceptual understanding, while letting students with varying knowledge bases participate. All activities are relevant to students' experiences, encourage group participation, and stimulate student interest and enthusiasm. Students might work on a problem about building a tree house, the Mayan trading game, or conducting a snail race (no live animals necessary). The costs of the Family Math materials are low, and they are easily accessible. Student activities are reproducible and can be utilized multiple times with adaptations and modifications to support continued learning. Most activities can be extended or simplified to adjust the difficulty level. Although staff training and an extensive background in mathematics are not required, this reviewer recommends some level of training from EQUALS to maximize the utility and implementation of the materials. Aligned with national mathematics standards and current research on the science of learning, the content and pedagogy of the materials are sound. These materials go a long way in providing meaningful mathematics in a fun, relevant context, designed specifically to reach diverse communities and involve parents in their children's educations. |
| Full Review: |
Established in 1981 by the EQUALS program at the Lawrence Hall of Science, Family Math is an afterschool program well known in the mathematics education community. It's used in many U.S. schools as well as internationally. Recognizing the importance of parent involvement to support students' academic success, the program engages families by providing exercises that children and adults (parents, guardians, or teachers) can use together to learn about mathematics. In a report recently released by a national panel, Family Math was recognized as a program with potential to broaden the participation of underrepresented groups in mathematics (BEST, 2004). The Family Math materials that were examined as part of this review include: Family Math II—Achieving Success in Mathematics K-6 and Family Math: The Middle School Years—Algebraic Reasoning and Number Sense.
The content of the Family Math materials aligns well with national mathematics standards (NCTM, 1989, 2000) and current research on the science of learning (Bransford, Brown, & Cocking, 1999). The activities are fun and creative, yet the mathematics underlying them is not trivial and includes important concepts applicable to K-8 curricula as well as practical applications.
The K-6 book is divided into four content areas covering probability and statistics, algebraic and logical thinking, number sense, and geometry. Each section has at least nine activities, though some have as many as 13. The middle school book is organized around two content areas: algebra and number sense, with about 30 problems in each. Although the content is organized around specific strands, most activities are cross-disciplinary—an algebra problem may involve other strands, such as geometry or number sense. Family Math also integrates additional strands into the activities, including measurement, data analysis, problem solving, reasoning, and communication. Moreover, the activities pay appropriate attention to skill development.
Perhaps this program's strongest feature is the focus on equity. Equity is the first principle of current mathematics standards, but it is rarely adequately addressed in math materials, let alone addressed as naturally and elegantly as in these materials. Working from the premise that all children, regardless of background or ethnicity, can learn mathematics, Family Math activities offer multiple, flexible entry points that help students build on their prior knowledge. When appropriate, prior knowledge requirements are indicated and the materials provide activities to address them. In order to offer access to diverse audiences, Family Math materials are available in multiple languages, including Spanish and Chinese.
Family Math presents mathematics in contexts that motivate students and parents to do mathematics together. The activities in both books are developmentally appropriate and use interesting mathematics problems relevant to the every day lives of kids and families. Every problem indicates the appropriate grade range for use (most span at least three grade levels), the mathematics involved (e.g., simultaneous equations, fractions, permutations), and required materials. The activities require everyday items that many families either have in their homes or can obtain from neighborhood stores, such as toothpicks, dice, or beans. Using everyday items to illustrate and solve mathematics problems reinforces the premise that mathematics is accessible to everyone and a part of everyday life. Additional information on real world applications, mathematics connections, the history of the math concepts, hints to approach the problem, and tips for parents are usually included. The middle school book includes information on future schooling and work.
Most problems can be extended for more advanced work or simplified to reduce the level of difficulty. The mathematics activities and investigations are designed for multiple uses, becoming progressively more difficult through minor modifications. For example, after completing an activity, it is suggested that students try to replicate it using numbers they choose to see what happens.
In an activity based on playing cards, students are prompted to make the aces worth 11 instead of 1 and to describe how this changes the outcome. Several activities are games involving conjecture, logical thinking and mathematical reasoning. These can be played innumerable times, modifying elements such as the rules or number of players involved, resulting in different math implications. By suggesting modifications of the activities presented, Family Math magnifies its potential impact because many of its exercises remain fresh and interesting over multiple uses and offer progressively more difficult challenges as users gain an understanding of mathematical concepts. Activities are designed with appropriate and sound pedagogical approaches for mathematics problem solving (Polya, 1957).
Overall, the Family Math materials are completely suitable for use in afterschool programs. Although the materials are designed for students and parents to use together, they are flexible enough for an afterschool instructor to use with students, too.
An extensive background in mathematics is not required, though some level of training or experience is useful to get the most out of the materials. Accordingly, EQUALS offers training at various sites throughout the country. This regional distribution of training sites may permit afterschool sites implementing the materials to obtain training at a reasonable cost. The books themselves are relatively inexpensive (none costs more than $30). The program does not require student books since the contents of the book for students use (e.g., game boards) can be reproduced.
These materials are perfect for encouraging and promoting a connection between afterschool programs and the home. If the program is used for afterschool programs, students should be encouraged to share the mathematics activities with their parents at home. The parent information included in the book can be reproduced and sent home with students so parents can find out how to support their children in learning mathematics at home.
References
Bransford, J. D., Brown, A. L., and Cocking, R. R. (1999). How people learn: Brain, mind, experience and school. Washington, D.C.: National Research Council/National Academy Press.
Building Engineering and Science Talent (BEST). (2004). What it Takes: Pre-K-12 design principles to broaden participation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Retrieved June 26, 2006, from http://www.bestworkforce.org
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. (1989). Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics. Reston, VA: NCTM.
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM). (2000). Principles and Standards for School Mathematics. Reston, VA: NCTM.
Polya, G. (1957). How to Solve It. 2nd edition. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. |
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