K-2nd Grade - Gateway 3

The materials reviewed for Experience Math Kindergarten through Grade 2 meet expectations for providing teacher guidance with useful annotations and suggestions for how to enact the student materials and ancillary materials, with specific attention to engaging students in order to guide their mathematical development.

The materials offer teacher support both in print via the Teacher Experience Guide and digitally on Savvas Realize. The organized landing pages on Realize and the printed teacher guides provide resources for planning, prepping, and teaching. This includes instructional support for each lesson part: Minds On, Action, Consolidate, and Your Turn. The materials provide ancillary materials, including Games and Activities such as Wonder Tasks, Making Connections Tasks, Math Talks, Brain Benders, Academic Vocabulary, and Math Refresh Videos. These are accessible within the Topic Resources and Lesson Resources sections of Savvas Realize, with guidance that suggests how and when to use them. The Program Overview includes a Pacing Guide that suggests how long to spend on each topic and lesson, allowing time for resources such as Math Talks and Mind-Benders. The Program Overview section, Setting up the Experience Math Classroom, provides suggestions about the physical space in the classroom and discusses developing a math community.

The materials provide annotations and suggestions connected to specific learning objectives within lesson and topic planning guides. In each Lesson Planning Guide, the Mathematical Focus lists the Essential Understandings for each lesson, which specify important mathematical ideas. The Essential Understandings document in the Program Overview states, “they are strand-based and occasionally borrow from other strands, helping to make connections within and among strands. They are spiraled when strands are revisited across grades or within a grade.” In each Lesson Planning Guide, “And the Point Is…” explains why the content of the lessons and activities is important and identifies any related prior learning.

Annotations within the lessons provide useful guidance for teachers in engaging students in mathematical development. 

Examples include:

• In Kindergarten, Topic 4: Comparing Quantities, Lesson 3, Action, Action Task, Teacher Guidance, Probing and Extending, “You could ask questions such as these of a small group to probe, challenge, and extend students’ thinking: Count Kyle’s bananas. Kelley has a greater number of grapes than the number of Kyle’s bananas. How many grapes does Kelley have?”

• In Grade 1, Topic 12: Equal Shares of Shapes, Lesson 1, Action, Action Task, Differentiation, What You Could Do If…, “Students use all four of the halves provided to make their whole. You could…Remind students that half means there are two equal pieces. Ask them to show you what two shapes they were thinking about. They might self-correct or, once they have identified two pieces, you might simply move away the other pieces to show the new whole.”

• In Grade 2, Topic 5: Comparing Numbers within 1,000, Lesson 2, Consolidate, Consolidate Questions, Teacher Guidance, And the Point Is…, “Students might be curious about how other pairs of students chose numbers and create their number lines in the Action Task. A gallery walk would satisfy their curiosity and provide more data for answering Consolidate Questions.” 

The materials provide additional support to guide instruction and address student needs. In each topic and lesson, teachers can access coaching related to content through “Marion’s Insights” videos, which offer instructional strategies, math contexts, and implementation tips. Guidance in the Action section includes “What Could You Do If…” notes that address common misconceptions, as well as differentiation strategies such as Parallel Tasks and Multilingual Learner Support. Topic Planning and Resources under Planning include “Going Back…Going Forward,” which shows how content connects across grade levels and may assist teachers in differentiating instruction.

The materials reviewed for Experience Math Kindergarten through Grade 2 meet expectations for containing explanations and examples of grade-level concepts and/or standards and how the concepts and/or standards align to other grade levels so that teachers can improve their own knowledge of the subject.

The materials provide adult-level explanations and examples of grade-level concepts so that teachers can improve their own knowledge of the subject.

• Every topic includes multiple “Marian’s Insights” videos. These videos feature embedded professional learning that provides point-of-use instructional support directly within the digital platform. In the Program Overview, a document called “Connecting to Concepts Beyond the Grade” lists the main ideas of the grade and makes connections to future work. The coaching videos from Dr. Marian Small are strategically placed throughout each lesson to offer teachers access to her mathematical expertise and pedagogical guidance. Each topic of Experience Math includes a folder titled Marian’s Insights Videos that contains all of the videos for that topic. For example:

  • In Kindergarten, Topic 7: Representing Addition and Subtraction, there are two videos that can be viewed to improve a teacher’s knowledge in math, including an Overview: Representing Addition and Subtraction, and Connecting Concepts Beyond the Grade: Adding and Subtracting.

  • In Grade 1, Topic 14: Two-Digit Addition and Subtraction, eight videos can be viewed to improve a teacher’s knowledge in math, including an Overview: Two-Digit Addition and Subtraction, Connecting to Concepts Beyond the Grade: Addition and Subtraction, How Digits Change When Adding One-Digit to Two-Digit Numbers, Why Use a Changed Hundred Chart?, Hiding Full Ten-Frames, Thinking in Terms of Units, No One Procedure is Best, Not Necessarily Regrouping, and Place Value When Adding Two-Digit Numbers.

  • In Grade 2, Topic 9: Length, eight videos can be viewed to improve a teacher’s knowledge in math, including an Overview; Length, Connecting to Concepts Beyond the Grade: Measuring, Some Measurements Don’t Need to Be Exact, Standard Units, The Centimeter and the Meter, More Small Units, Fewer Large Units, Getting Students to Estimate, and Iterating a Unit.

• In the Program Overview, additional professional learning videos explain each key element of the program. These include a set of videos that describe the Essential Understandings for each key mathematical concept and a set of videos that describe each Mathematical Practice with examples from the content.

Materials contain explanations and examples of how the concepts and/or standards align to other grade/course levels so that teachers can improve their own knowledge of the subject. For example:

• In Topic Planning and Resources under Planning, “Going Back…Going Forward” shows how content connects across grade levels and provides brief explanations that link learning from the previous grade to the following grade.

  • In Kindergarten, Topic 2: Representing Numbers to 10 states, “As students move to Grade 1, they represent two-digit numbers beyond 20 as well as numbers to 20.”

  • In Grade 1, Topic 5: Representing and Interpreting Data states, “In kindergarten, students sort and classify objects, based on both count and shape. In Grade 2, students extend their work on graphing to picture graphs, simple bar graphs, and line plots.”

  • In Grade 2, Topic 3: Working with Equal Groups states, “In Grade 1, students learn repeated addition strategies that help them determine how many items are in an array. They also learn how to decompose a shape. In Grade 3, students move from seeing multiplication as repeated addition related to arrays to alternative views of multiplication related to equal groups in general. They will begin to learn multiplication facts in Grade 3.”

• In Lesson Planning Guides under Planning, “And the Point Is…” provides the rationale for the lesson and makes connections to prior learning.

  • In Grade 1, Topic 7: Adding within 20, Lesson 6 states, “Students have had a few experiences in previous lessons in addition strategies, for example, adding by rearranging and relating one addition fact to another. In this lesson, students consider more explicitly how knowing one addition fact provides access to other addition facts. Students have worked with ideas related to this lesson before: Kindergarten or Earlier - Represent addition with objects and drawings; Solve addition word problems; Fluently add within 5. Grade 1 - Add using properties of addition; Solve joining and part-part-whole problems; Represent and solve addition word problems; Relate counting to addition.”

  • In Grade 2, Topic 7: Time and Money, Lesson 2 states, “The focus of this lesson is on developing counting strategies for counting money in the form of small collections of coins or bills. Students have worked with ideas related to this lesson before: Grade 1 or Earlier - understand the tens numbers; counting by ones. Grade 2 - understand counting by 5s; understand counting by 10s.” 

The materials reviewed for Experience Math Kindergarten through Grade 2 meet expectations for including a year-long scope and sequence with standards correlation information.

The Program Overview has multiple documents that can be used by a teacher to guide instruction for the year. For example: 

• The Correlation Document identifies which lessons are aligned with each standard and mathematical practice. 

• The Grade Level Content document lists the progression of content and the standards taught across a school year. Topics are listed with each lesson specifying the aligned standards and mathematical practices. 

• The Pacing Guide outlines the number of lessons with each topic, as well as the number of days necessary to implement them. This is also found in Topic Planning.

• The Scope and Sequence document lists key mathematical ideas K-8 and indicates which topics at which grade levels address the concepts.

In addition, some discrepancies in the materials that were noted for Grade 2 related to instructional time include, but are not limited to:

• In the Program Overview under Correlation, the Correlation to the Common Core Standards document lists Topic 1, Lesson 3 as correlated to 2.NBT.2; however, this lesson does not exist in the digital materials.

• In the Program Overview under Pacing Guide, it lists six lesson days and nine total days for Topic 1. However, within the Topic 1 Planning and Resources tab, the Planning section shows seven total days with only two lessons instead of three. This document also lists two Wonder Tasks for Topic 1, but only one is available in the Planning and Resources tab.

• In Topic 3: Working with Equal Groups, the Planning section lists both a Making Connections Task: Counting Squares and an Experience Data Task: Planning a Wind Farm; however, only the Making Connections Task: Counting Squares is available under the Planning and Resources tab.

• In Topic 14: Adding and Subtracting Greater Numbers, Lesson 5, the Planning Guide does not list a standard in the Teacher Resources section. However, in the Program Overview under Correlation, the Correlation to the Common Core Standards document lists standards 2.NBT.7 and 2.NBT.9 as aligned to this lesson.

• The Correlation to the Common Core Standards lists Lesson 1-1 as correlated to 2.OA.3; however, this lesson addresses skip counting by 5s, not odd and even numbers.

The materials reviewed for Experience Math Kindergarten through Grade 2 meet expectations for explaining the program’s instructional approaches, including reference to research-based strategies, and explaining the role of the standards.

The materials have clear instructional approaches that guide teaching and learning activities. The program is a student-centered curriculum that focuses on enabling students to make sense of mathematics. This is achieved through a framework of Essential Understandings or big ideas. For example:

• In the Program Overview, the document titled “Experience Math Research Base” lists numerous instructional strategies that guide the program’s approach to teaching and learning. These strategies include A Focus on Big Ideas to Help Students Build Connections, Teaching with Intention, Using Backwards Design to Plan More Effective Lessons, Teaching Through Problem Solving Creates Problem Solvers, A Focus on Critical Thinking, Differentiating Instruction to Meet Individual Needs, High-Quality Assessment Enhances Learning, Teacher Metacognition and Professional Learning, and Parental Involvement Influences Student Learning.

• In the Program Overview, the document titled “Setting Up the Experience Math Classroom” provides ideas for different instructional approaches found within the materials. Topics in this section include Setting Up for Small-Group Discussions, Transitioning to Whole-Class Discussions, Building a Math Community, Focusing Discussions, and Encouraging Student Participation.

• In the Program Overview, the document titled “Making Decisions” acknowledges, “We provide some guidance, but you know your class best.” The author also provides a professional learning video that explains how these decisions relate to instruction.

• In the Program Overview, Additional Activities and Practice sections, such as Wonder Tasks, Math Talks, Math Refresh Videos, etc., include explanations describing what each component is, why it is beneficial, and when it should be used. The same type of explanation is also provided for each Differentiated Instruction strategy and each category within the Assessment System.

• In Professional Learning Videos, there are more than 50 videos from the author explaining the rationale behind various elements of the program. These include topics such as 3-Part Lesson Structure and Essential Understandings, among others. While some content overlaps with the documents in the Program Overview, the videos provide additional detail, explanation, and coverage of several new topics.

Materials include and reference research-based strategies. For example:

• In the Program Overview, the document titled “Experience Math Research Base” includes two pages of references that were used to develop the instructional approaches in the program.

Materials include and reference the role of the standards in the program. For example:

• In the Program Overview, the document titled “Focus, Coherence, and Rigor” explains how the program addresses the major work of the grade and identifies where to find information about standards progressions. It also includes a narrative describing how program elements and additional activities relate to grade-level content. Another document in the Program Overview, the Grade Level Content document, shows which standards each lesson aligns with. In the Topic and Lesson Planning Guides, the related standards are accessible within the Teacher Guidance column on the right-hand side of the page.

The materials reviewed for Experience Math Kindergarten through 2 meet expectations for providing a comprehensive list of supplies needed to support instructional activities.

A Materials List spreadsheet is found in the Program Overview folder for each grade level and is a comprehensive spreadsheet that categorizes materials. It explicitly indicates whether each item is included in the curated manipulatives kit or requires separate procurement by the school or district. 

For example:

• In the Read Me of the Materials List, Overview, “This spreadsheet contains a comprehensive list of all materials referenced throughout the Experience Math K-8 program. Each grade level has its own tab, and materials are organized to show exactly which topics use each item, making it easy for teachers to plan and prepare for upcoming lessons.” 

• In the Read Me of the Materials List, Column Layout, “Column A (ITEM): Lists the specific material or resource name. Column B (TYPE): Indicates the material category (see Material Types section below.) Columns C and beyond: Show which topics use each material, marked with an ‘X.’”

• In the Read Me of the Materials List, Material Types, “Understanding the material types will help you determine what you need to source:

  • Included in Kit: These materials come with the Experience Math manipulative kit for your grade level. If your district purchased the Manipulative kit, you don’t need to source these separately. 

  • Not included in Kit: These are additional materials you’ll need to gather from your classroom, school, or purchase separately. Examples include everyday items like boxes, plates, classroom books, or access to outdoor spaces.

  • Teacher Resource Page: These are printable resources and worksheets available through the Savvas Realize platform. You can download and print these as needed for specific topics.

  • Picture Book (not included in Kit): Optional literature connections that enhance the mathematical learning experience. While not required, these books can enrich your lessons when available. 

  • Poster (Digital Version Included): Visual resources available digitally through Savvas Realize that you can project for classroom use. All posters are contained within the print Student Experience Book. 

  • Storytime Book (Digital Version Included): Grade K only. Digital storybooks available through the platform that support mathematical concepts.”

At the Topic level, Teacher Resource Masters are included that also contain Materials List, and in the Planning Guide, every lesson includes a Materials list specific to the lesson. 

The materials reviewed for Experience Math Kindergarten through Grade 2 meet expectations for providing strategies and support for students in special populations to work with grade-level content and meet or exceed grade-level standards, which support their regular and active participation in learning.

Materials provide strategies, supports, and resources for students in special populations to support their regular and active participation in grade-level mathematical tasks and problem-solving activities. 

• In each lesson, the Action Task side panel includes a Differentiation tab that provides guidance and access to a Parallel Task. Parallel Tasks are designed to meet the needs of students who need additional support and those ready for additional challenge. They include suggestions about when it might make sense to differentiate. Although Parallel Tasks and assessments vary in complexity from the Action Task and Topic Assessment, they focus on the same Essential Understandings. For example:

  • Kindergarten, Topic 10: Representing Numbers from 10 to 20, Lesson 1, Action Task, Differentiation, What Could You Do If…, “Students say the ten part of teen numbers before the ones part, for example, teen-seven instead of seventeen. You could … Explain that we always say the number of extra ones first. Eleven and twelve are special cases; you may also want to review counting from 10 to 20 to reinforce the names of all the numbers.”

  • Grade 1, Topic 4: Meanings of Addition and Subtraction, Lesson 2, Action Task, Differentiation, Parallel Tasks, “If students are struggling with the numbers they choose in Task A, encourage them to choose smaller numbers and/or only two kinds of cookies. If they struggle with a total of 12 cookies in Task B, encourage a smaller number, for example, 10 or even 5. For an extra challenge, students could choose even more types of cookies to put on the plates in both Task A and Task B.”

  • Grade 2, Topic 1: Skip Counting, Lesson 2, Action Task, Differentiation, Parallel Tasks, “For students who are struggling with counting a number of items that is not a multiple of 10, make sure all collections are multiples of 10 and all coins are dimes. For an extra challenge, you might ask students to count a collection including dimes, nickels, and pennies.”

• In each lesson, Open Questions appear throughout the materials and are structured with a low-floor, high-ceiling design to support access for all students and opportunities for extension.

• Most topics include a student-facing Math Refresh video that provides step-by-step guidance related to lesson content.

• A Professional Learning Video for Differentiation explains where in the program teachers can find strategies and supports. These videos reference Parallel Tasks and Open Questions that appear throughout lessons.

The materials reviewed for Experience Math Kindergarten through Grade 2 meet expectations for regularly providing extensions and/or opportunities for advanced students to engage with grade-level/course-level mathematics at greater depth.

Materials provide multiple extensions and opportunities for advanced students to engage with grade-level mathematics at greater depth throughout every topic and lesson. The program’s differentiation system provides opportunities for advanced students to engage with grade-level mathematics at greater depth. For Example:

• Most Action Tasks include enriched tasks that address the same essential understandings as the core lesson and include variations that add mathematical sophistication, computational complexity, or conceptual depth.

• In each lesson, Open Questions uses a "low floor, high ceiling" structure that supports access for all students and allows advanced students to extend their reasoning and explore concepts in greater depth.

• In Topic Planning and Resources, Wonder Tasks are three-act, problem-based activities that include multiple solution pathways. The Teacher Guidance column includes a people icon linking to Differentiation support, which contains Extension Questions.

• Brain Benders include open-ended questions in real-world contexts that involve multiple variables and mathematical models and allow for exploration of different solution approaches.

• Making Connections Tasks integrate concepts from multiple mathematical domains and include problems that connect mathematical relationships across domains and require varied problem-solving strategies.

The materials embed extension opportunities within lessons through questions that prompt students to extend their thinking beyond grade-level expectations, rather than through separate assignments.

There are no instances of advanced students doing more assignments than their classmates.

• Enriched tasks within the embedded differentiation framework maintain the same essential understandings as the core lesson and include increased mathematical sophistication, computational complexity, or conceptual depth.

The materials reviewed for Experience Math Kindergarten through Grade 2 meet expectations for providing manipulatives, both virtual and physical, are accurate representations of the mathematical objects they represent and, when appropriate, are connected to written methods. 

Examples include:

• Each grade has a physical manipulative kit that varies by grade, and the contents are included in a comprehensive chart specific to their content, including items such as base-ten blocks, linking cubes, pattern blocks, and number cubes. 

• Digital manipulatives are accessible via Savvas Realize through Braining camp. Examples of items included are base ten blocks, fraction circles, and place value disks.

• Manipulatives are routinely incorporated into Minds On Activities, Action Tasks, Your Turn Questions, and Supporting Activities across all grade levels. Examples include:

  • Kindergarten, Topic 8: Adding and Subtracting, Lesson 2, Action Task, Teacher Guidance, Using the Action Part of the Exploration states, “Provide number cubes. Set out a large walk-on number path in the classroom. Alternatively, provide students with small number paths and counters. Students can either move themselves on the walk-on number path or move counters on the small number paths to help them answer the questions.”

  • Grade 1, Topic 14: Two-Digit Addition and Subtraction, Lesson 2, Action Task, Teacher Guidance, In This Task states, “Students use the hundred chart to make sense of why 10 more than a number is immediately below it on the hundred chart and 10 less is immediately above it.”

  • Grade 2, Topic 9: Length, Lesson 5, Minds On Activity, Teacher Guidance, Using the Minds On Activity states, “Before Question 4, demonstrate for students how to use a centimeter ruler to measure length, and have students practice with a partner. Help students see that if they do not start to measure with one end of their object at 0, their pencil that is 15 centimeters long might end at 20 or 25, and then it is not as easy to see how long it really is. If someone asks, you can point out that you would have to subtract the number at one end of the pencil from the number at the other end to figure out the length. By starting at 0, you would be subtracting 0, so there is nothing to do; you can just read the end value as the length.”