I’ve been hearing about guided math for a while, and after a lot of research into what programs are out there right now, I settle on Simply Skilled in Second‘s guided math product. I bought the third grade version because it aligns more to the standards we teach at our school (we tend to “teach up” across several units), and it has been perfect. I love the whole concept of not teaching many whole group lessons. My kids have been engaged, and I’m able to teach more content in a shorter amount of time because my student-to-kid ratio is smaller.
Here’s what I love about Anna DiGilio’s product:
- Very clear, easy-to-follow differentiated lesson plans.
- Once you’ve initially set up your material, there is very little work to do to prep for each week. She recommends using sheet protectors for work mats. Students use dry erase markers on them, then you simply wipe them clean and throw them in the unit’s binder for use the next year.
- She uses mentor texts to introduce concepts.
- Every lesson has a small group activity and an independent practice activity.
- It comes with several center activities for each unit.
- It comes with 15 skill-related word problems per unit.
I’m telling you guys … Jasmine and I scoured products ranging from other teacher-authors, and even big curriculum publishers. This one just seemed the most comprehensive and easy-to-follow. I do recommend you watch her short videos that explain how she sets it up in her room, and how she rotates her students. She clearly has a lot of experience with what works for kids, and implementing her guided math has been easier than I thought it would be.
Check it out!
