Mastering Essential Math Skills series

Provides strong worked examples through video instruction where Fisher demonstrates step-by-step problem solving with students working along.

Video tutorials show Fisher using a whiteboard to teach each concept step-by-step, with students advised to work problems with paper and pencil along with him, providing clear modeling before independent practice

Supports direct instruction through structured video lessons with clear explanation, modeling, and guided practice format.

Videos feature explicit instruction from Fisher with step-by-step explanations and modeling, followed by structured practice problems in the workbook format

Excellent integration of retrieval practice through daily review problems and unique speed drills for math facts.

Every lesson begins with review problems from previous topics, Books One and Two include innovative circular speed drills for addition and multiplication facts, and final reviews test entire sections

Uses effective mastery-based sequencing with Fisher's philosophy that students should demonstrate mastery on 10 problems before moving to the next topic.

Richard Fisher's approach requires students to correctly complete 10 questions to demonstrate mastery before advancing, and multiple reviewers note the logical flow of lessons that build upon each other

Minimal teacher support with videos serving as the primary instructional resource, but lacks detailed teacher guides.

One reviewer noted 'the lack of a detailed teacher's guide showing step-by-step solutions for struggling students' as a significant limitation, though videos provide the main instructional content

The curriculum emphasizes procedural skill development through practice problems but provides limited conceptual instruction beyond brief 'Helpful Hints.'

Each lesson contains extremely brief instructional content described as 'Helpful Hints' followed by practice problems, with videos providing step-by-step procedural instruction rather than deep conceptual development

Includes systematic word problem practice with one problem per lesson, though instruction on problem-solving strategies is limited.

One word problem appears at the end of every lesson except those entirely devoted to word problems, and there's a dedicated Problem Solving book in the series

Includes built-in assessments through regular review sections and final tests, though lacks diagnostic tools for identifying specific gaps.

Books include final reviews at the end of each section and some have additional tests, with one reviewer noting 'regular assessment is built into each book'

Limited use of visual models, primarily relying on traditional whiteboard instruction in videos.

Reviews mention Fisher teaching with a whiteboard but don't describe use of visual models, manipulatives, or concrete-representational-abstract progressions