Investigation Math

*What is Investigation Math?
Investigation math is a K-5 curriculum to help students better understand fundamental ideas of number and operations, geometry, data, measurement and early algebra. It eliminates teaching times tables to students and all memorization of math facts. It was aimed to help improve the teaching and learning of elementary mathematics.

*Results of its use in Alpine School District?
By the Alpine School District using Investigation Math, there was a petition signed by 1173 parents, 3122 children represented, and 740 moved toward charter/private schools just within the Alpine School District. It began lowering students test scores tremendously to the point of failure. It wasn't emphasizing enough of the basics, and is allowing the elementary schools to choose which program to use. The district hasn't stopped hearing complaints, and got a lot of wrath from parents.

*Arguments for and against its use?
The Investigation Math didn't provide enough emphasis to memorizing multiplication tables and learning long division. People felt it didn't prepare their children for college or life. Tremendous gaps in the first grade curriculum for the first year or two, there is a lot of time spent cutting and organizing, requires a lot of prep time, not enough practice time in learning math strategies with worksheets.

The students were able to explore and learn mathematical concepts through actual investigations. The games and activities are child oriented and fun , the games/activities build upon some first grade concepts, and it has a math workshop model built into it.

*My opinion?
It is a very flexible mathematics programs, which needs more structure and not so much investigation freedom. I think children need to know and memorize the necessary basics of mathematics. It is great for students to be creative, but there are other ways of incorporating that into the math subjects or using creativity for other curriculum. Having the students create their own problem-solving problems may seem a bit vague, and I don't know how much it would really help the students learn the necessary curriculum. I think it was a great idea for the Alpine School District to allow the elementary schools to pick, because if the parents and students aren't happy then no one learns. I feel as though the traditional way of teaching mathematics is the best and most affective way for students, and it's the way I would prefer.