You can see it for yourself in our store! Be sure to check out the extended sample on each product page.
First Grade Math With Confidence is a comprehensive, 32-week math curriculum delivered via an Instructor Guide and a Student Workbook. It’s a fun, hands-on, and straightforward program that builds kids’ confidence in learning math (and helps parents teach math with confidence, too). The curriculum provides complete coverage of all the important first-grade math topics in short, hands-on lessons.
The Instructor Guide’s scripted, open-and-go format makes it easy to teach math consistently, and the friendly notes, tips, and illustrations help you excel and grow as a teacher. The lessons focus on one concept at a time and offer continual review. Optional activities extend the math concepts into daily life, giving the student additional practice. The Student Workbook reinforces the instruction and reinforces previously acquired skills. This simple, beautiful, age-appropriate workbook is colorfully illustrated by Itamar Katz.
How Is the Curriculum Structured?
First Grade Math With Confidence is organized into 11 units. Each unit focuses on one topic for 2-4 weeks. Each week has five lessons; the fifth lesson is optional for enrichment and review.
Daily lessons are short and simple (15-20 minutes) and have three parts: memory work and review; hands-on teaching; and workbook time.
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What will I need to buy to use First Grade Math with Confidence?
The parent/teacher needs an Instructor Guide and each student needs a Student Workbook.
You create your own Math Kit using these easily accessible supplies:
- 125 small counters: these can be coins, marbles, poker chips, beans...
- Pattern blocks: buy the plastic blocks for about $10 or copy the paper version from the book
- Coins (20 pennies, 20 nickels, 10 dimes, 4 quarters)
- Play money (10 one-dollar bills, 10 five-dollar bills, and 10 ten-dollar bills)
- 2 packs of 100 blank index cards
- 2 packs of playing cards
- 2 regular, six-sided dice
- Clock with hands
- 1-foot (or 30-centimeter) ruler
- Blank paper
- Pencils
Besides your Math Kit, you’ll use other items once or twice in the lessons. This supply list is included in the First Grade Math With Confidence Instructor Guide, and in the sample on our website.
How do I know if my child is ready to start First Grade Math With Confidence?
Most children will be ready to start First Grade Math With Confidence when they are 6 or 7 years old. You need not have completed a formal kindergarten math program, although it’s helpful if the child has learned to count to 10 and to hold a pencil before beginning First Grade Math With Confidence.
If your younger child has completed Kindergarten Math With Confidence, or if you wish to skip directly to First Grade Math With Confidence, the student will probably be fine if she can count to ten and is comfortable with pencil-work. Placement tests will be made available on our Help Center - FAQ when they are ready.
Children who have used another math curriculum should have no problem entering into First Grade Math With Confidence.
I live outside the U.S. and/or I prefer the metric system. I see there's a lot of measuring. Can I still use First Grade Math With Confidence?
Yes. The curriculum provides options for teaching your student using any form of coin as well as standard units of measurement like centimeters and meters.
In what formats is First Grade Math With Confidence sold?
We sell the curriculum in both paperback and PDF formats. Paperbacks are available from our online store and from multiple booksellers. The PDF is available only from Well-Trained Mind Press.
The paperback Student Workbook is printed in color. You can print the PDF in color or black-and-white.
The Instructor Guide is available as an ebook from the ebook vendors (Kindle from Amazon, and so on). The Student Workbook is not available as an ebook because the student has to write in the workbook.
Where can I learn more about the curriculum?
We describe the curriculum on our website, where you can also see an extended sample. You can look at the author's website, where you can read Kate’s articles, recommendations and responses to customer questions.
Here's the Math With Confidence Scope and Sequence.
Take a look at the Help Center - FAQ about the Math With Confidence series.
On our YouTube Channel, you can see a short YouTube video in which Kate Snow describes the curriculum. (Link to be provided when the video is ready.)
Check out Cathy Duffy's review of the series to date.
For other questions related to products in the Math With Confidence series and our publication plans, check out the Customer Help Center - FAQ Math section.