ONE-DAY MATH for Teenagers

AVID, Upward Bound, Alternative Schools, Teen Programs

The lessons in ONE-DAY MATH were used different populations of at-risk teens in Alternative Schools and GED classes as the math kit was being developed. Students who had little patience for direct instruction were surprisingly patient and persistent when listening to a recorded voice. They enjoyed studying in groups of peers, or alone with headphones. The humor and direct tone of instruction was especially appealing to teens and young adults who felt alienated from school. Most important, teens learn that there can be several ways to approach a problem within the rules of mathematics, so if one way doesn't work, they can try another. Given a set of headphones, students who study alone can can feel free to try new skills, make mistakes, or go back to review without fear of embarrassment.

If you feel that a student has the maturity and study habits to work alone, you can assign units of ONE-DAY MATH that the student can master at a comfortable pace, reviewing lessons and stopping to do the hands-on activities. Otherwise, use the math kit as a general guide or lesson plan, and introduce students to the materials at a pace that allows supervised practice as well as question-and-answer time. You might try downloading some Two-Minute Drills and short lessons from the iTUNES site, so students can listen on their electronic devices wherever they go.