Interview: Jeff Catania is an Instructional Coordinator for eLearning, I.T., and Numeracy with the Halton District School Board in Ontario and a First Steps in Mathematics Facilitator.
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First Steps in Math training has changed my thinking about the way students learn mathematics.
No longer do I identify students in a split grade mathematics class as grade 3 or grade 4 students.
I now identify each student with the phase of development they are currently in and understand what mathematics is needed to teach and move them along through the next phase.
First Steps in Math provides each student with the opportunity to address each misconception by challenging their current knowledge and understanding of mathematics, while providing meaningful mathematical experiences directly related to their individual needs.”
Tim Eirich
Curriculum Consultant
Prairie South School Division
Take five struggling grade 6-math students and spend 20 minutes per week with each for 4 months and what can happen? What can happen is that the grade 7-teacher has no idea that these students were at one time struggling in math. What was done? The diagnostic activities in First Steps in Math were used and the suggested interventions were engaged in. When mathematical gaps and misconceptions can be easily identified and remediated, great things can happen quickly. Struggling math students can make huge “understanding” and ability gains in a short time.
First Steps in Math has deepened my mathematical understanding, has improved my teaching, and has proven to me that all children can make sense of math if the needed pieces are in place. When I encounter a struggling student, I know immediately what understandings are not in place. But more importantly, now I know what to do!
Denise Flick
District Learning Coordinator SD#20
The constructivist approach in the new Math curriculum in British Columbia is a significant shift from traditional math instruction. FSiM supports the new curriculum fully and wonderfully.
Through FSiM, my colleagues and I understand math better for ourselves, and we have a much deeper knowledge of the developmental progressions children move through as they build their understanding of math. As a result, we are becoming more confident and more capable math instructors.
FSiM is the complete package for us as we work through the Assessment For Learning cycle with our students. It provides diagnostic tasks that we use to assess our students and determine which development stage each student is at. From there, we can use our own activities or those provided in the FSiM materials to plan instruction that moves children to their next place of understanding. Working with this resource is very easy, because the Key Understandings that FSiM uses to describe fundamental math concepts are correlated to the Prescribed Learning Outcomes in our BC Math curriculum.
I highly recommend this resource.
Daryl Stevens
Grade 5/6 Teacher
Instructional Support Teacher
School District 72, Campbell River
British Columbia
First Steps math program adds up to rejuvenating experience Saskatchewan Bulletin, Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation. February 18, 2009