FAQ

YES! MathLinks: Core (2^nd ed) was enthusiastically recommended for adoption in California. It is now available for all schools/districts to review, pilot, or purchase.

Each grade level is made up of 10 units of study.  Teacher Editions (TE-1 per unit) are available in print and electronic formats.  Consumable Student Packets (SP – 1 per unit) are available in print and on a virtual platform.  The Teacher Portal (TP) has unit resources and general resources. A few manipulatives are included for the 7^th and 8^th grade programs.

Request pilot information by filling out this form or email Cynthia Raff at cynthia@mathandteaching.org.

We offer free pilots for one unit of a 10-unit course. You get up to 40 Student Packets for free, and digital access to the Teacher Edition, slide decks to support lesson delivery, assessments, and many extras resources via our secure Teacher Portal.

No, we do not charge for the basic pilot. If your pilot extends beyond the basic 40 students, or if you want to pilot any additional units, the cost is $4.00 per Student Packet per student. 

Yes, we provide a free one-hour Zoom overview of all of the student and teacher components. If you prefer in-person PD, you will be charged for our travel expenses only. We are based in the Los Angeles area.

Yes, MathLinks: Core (2^nd ed.) Grades 6-8 meets ALL requirements of the California Mathematics Framework, as confirmed by a CA adoption review committee.

Every unit includes a “Planning for Different Users” chart and a “Strategies to Support Different Users.” These charts identify features and specific suggestions for English learners, struggling learners, advanced learners, and enrichment. 

Every unit includes a teaching tip about “Developing Language Skills through MathLinks.” Here you’ll find language objectives by lesson, group discussion ideas to promote reading, listening, and speaking; and journal ideas to promote writing.  A “Text File for Translation” (with no graphics or numbers) can be translated through a service like Google Translate and used side-by-side with the Student Packet, on an as-needed basis,. Finally, targeted, intentional vocabulary development routines are provided in every Student Packet.

The “Strategies for Different Learners” chart in every unit provides lesson-specific suggestions for struggling learners. The Student Packet is formatted with a structured, uncluttered workspace for students. “Watch-Fors” in every Teacher Edition are alerts for common errors on pages where you may see them. In the Teacher Portal, an “Essential Skills” problem set with just-in-time intervention options is provided for every unit; and the “Assessment, Follow-up, and Feedback Chart” gives formative diagnostic, formative, and summative suggestion options, with reteaching ideas if needed.  

Every unit has a Teaching Tip that describes specific activities and resources for “The Enrichment and Challenges for Advanced Learners.”  Additionally there are “Nonroutine Problems” for every unit in the Teacher Portal. These provide a variety of challenging problems, including some from the Math Olympiad.

In addition to a variety of hands-on activities in every program, we include technology activities; puzzles, games, and card sorts, real-life and mathematical investigations; math talks and data talks; problems that connect to the environment; and suggestions to celebrate student identity and culture. 

“Activity Routines” are recurring features in all courses. There are about 10 routines per grade level, and they generally appear in all grades.  Students report they especially like the “Poster Problems,” Big Square Puzzles,” and “Why Doesn’t It Belong” discussions.

MathLinks includes both formative and summative assessment options. Some of the Formative assessments are pre-assessments, journals, a Monitor Your Progress feature, and Packet Reflection. Some summative assessment options are Quizzes, Tests, Projects, and Tasks.  With the lesson-by-lesson “Assessment, Follow-up, and Feedback” charts, teachers can determine which path will best meet students’ needs.

A print Teacher Edition for each unit includes information on planning lessons, content and practice standards, information on the big ideas of the course in the unit, language development, and enrichment, just to name a few items. Teachers also have access to a wide variety of resources through the Teacher Portal.  Some of these are: the Teacher Edition, Slide Decks, Student Packets (for projection), Essential Skills for just-in-time intervention, Skill Boosters to help fill bigger gaps, Nonroutine Problems for enrichment, Tasks, Projects, Quizzes, Tests, Technology Activities, Getting Started videos and a wealth of Program Information that explains the philosophy and program design. 

Parent Letters (in English and Spanish) and Student Resource Guides are available for every MathLinks unit on the public website. All Student Packets are available for viewing.

All resources in the Teacher Portal are available to print except for Student Packets. These must be purchased (in print and/or digital formats).

Most students work in a consumable Student Packet, and a digital format is also available. Students may also view Student Packets and Student Resource Guides on the website.

Both programs provide accessible mathematics content to a broad range of learners, with a strong focus on developing conceptual understanding, while building in meaningful problem-solving and skills practice. Some significant changes in the 2nd edition include a more explicit focus on the Big Ideas of the grade, opening problems that create interest and a need to know, (3) slide decks and lesson notes to guide instruction, and (4) a Teacher Portal with resources for review, intervention, and enrichment.  Click here for more details about the differences in the programs.