Math Innovations

Name: Math Innovations
Brand: Kendall Hunt Publishing Company

by Kendall Hunt Publishing Company

MathGrades 6–8

About This Curriculum

A coherent and focused middle grades curriculum that aligns to the Common Core State Standards and is designed to engage students in gaining a richer, deeper, and more proficient understanding of mathematics through real-world contexts and problem-solving scenarios.

What makes it unique: Real-world context and problem-based learning with inquiry-based activities, games, and investigations organized around single mathematical concepts per unit

Math Innovations: Inquiry-Based Middle School Math Curriculum

Math Innovations is a grades 6-8 math curriculum published by Kendall Hunt that emphasizes inquiry-based learning through real-world contexts and problem-solving scenarios. The curriculum aims to align with Common Core State Standards while engaging students in deeper mathematical understanding.

Best for

Middle school teachers seeking inquiry-based approaches to math instruction, though alignment concerns may limit effectiveness

Evaluation Criteria

1 strength · 2 concerns · 6 insufficient evidence

Word ProblemsStrength

Strong emphasis on real-world problem-solving scenarios suggests attention to application problems.

Curriculum description specifically mentions 'real-world contexts and problem-solving scenarios' as core design elements

Direct InstructionConcern

The inquiry-based pedagogical approach may not emphasize direct, explicit instruction.

Curriculum explicitly identifies as 'inquiry-based' which typically de-emphasizes teacher-led direct instruction in favor of student discovery

Sequencing ApproachConcern

EdReports found the curriculum does not meet expectations for focus and coherence, indicating potential sequencing issues.

EdReports Gateway 1 rating of 'Does Not Meet Expectations' for alignment to grade-level standards and focus on major work suggests problems with content sequencing

Worked ExamplesInsufficient Evidence

No information available about the curriculum's use of worked examples or modeling.

Neither the curriculum description nor EdReports summary provides details about instructional examples or cognitive load considerations

Teacher TrainingInsufficient Evidence

No information available about teacher professional development or support materials.

Neither curriculum description nor EdReports evaluation provides details about teacher training components or instructional guidance

Retrieval PracticeInsufficient Evidence

No evidence of systematic retrieval practice or spaced review components.

Curriculum materials description and EdReports summary provide no information about cumulative review or retrieval practice features

Assessment DiagnosticInsufficient Evidence

No evidence of diagnostic assessment features or formative evaluation tools.

Available materials provide no information about built-in assessments or diagnostic capabilities

Visual RepresentationsInsufficient Evidence

Real-world contexts suggest potential use of visual models, but specific implementation is unclear.

Curriculum emphasizes 'real-world contexts and problem-solving scenarios' which may include visual representations, but no specific examples provided

Conceptual Procedural BalanceInsufficient Evidence

The inquiry-based approach suggests emphasis on conceptual understanding, but balance with procedural fluency cannot be determined.

Curriculum description emphasizes 'richer, deeper understanding' through problem-solving but provides no specific information about procedural skill development

Sources: edreports.org