Mentoring Mathematical Minds was given to me for this review and I was compensated for my time in writing it. Opinions are my own. I was not required to write a positive review.
Math is one of those homeschool subjects that can make moms nervous. Many of us bravely step into a world of numbers lacking confidence. What happens when you have a student who is gifted with numbers and begins to think mathematically well beyond your comfort zone? Mentoring Mathematical Minds (Project M3) by Kendall Hunt aims to challenge students with higher level mathematical thinking. Teaching Gifted Students with Project M3 shares how a math program can help families with math minded kids excel. Our sixth grader has always been a unique learner and it has become obvious in the last few years how much he displays gifted intensities. He was excited to hear about Project M3 and picked these two units for fun. In addition to our Life of Fred studies, Project M3 provides this gifted math thinker with a challenge.
Mentoring Mathematical Minds Project M3
Kendall Hunt’s Mentoring Young Mathematical Minds (Project M3) contains modules of math organized in units and is designed specifically for gifted math learners. We have been using two units and have enjoyed the hands on investigations.
Organization of Project M3 for Gifted Math
It wasn’t hard to figure out how to use this program. The teacher’s manual comes with information on every aspect of the modules. The lessons are set up with:
- Planning Phase– which is full of the purpose of the lesson, the materials, and the mathematical language used.
- Teaching Phase– Consists of initiate (introduction and engagement), Investigate (the activity that cements the concept), Reflection (discuss and write about the concept), Summary (of the lesson which is helpful for teacher preparation)
- Assessment Phase– Provides check ups at the end of some lessons to touch base with students. Additionally, there are unit tests provided that you can also use to pretest students on their prior knowledge.
Although, these lessons are written for classroom use, they are easily modified for home instruction.
Benefits of Using Project M3 with Gifted Math Learners
As we used these modules, the strengths of the program became obvious. Here’s what a homeschool mom can expect of these Mentoring Mathematical Minds sets:
- Sold in modules– So you can choose which topics to teach in this way.
- Challenges gifted math learners– Plenty of activities, higher learning questions, and deeper investigations into topics than a typical math curriculum.
- Scripted Instructional Sections– which may be useful for parents who aren’t as confident in teaching math
- Thorough Teaching Guides– Moms will have no problem figuring out how to implement M3.
- Differentiate Instruction– Allows you to meet the needs of students with varying mathematical talent and talent potential.
- Helps Students to Understand the Math– and to communicate about their learning
- Offers Opportunities– for application of the concepts
- Hint Cards– Provide background knowledge and further explanations and examples for a concept. This is good for students who haven’t done much with challenging activities on a topic.
- Think Beyond Cards– for kids who know the material well and are ready for more challenge. They focus on questions that require higher level thinking and mathematical discussion. You can use these instead of or in addition to the Thank Deeply questions.
- Student Mathematician Journal– A place for students to write and think about the math concepts just like the notes of a mathematician.
- Hands on Investigations– Throughout the unit there are hands on activities which help to cement the concepts before doing application exercises.
Plan a Family Math Event
One of my favorite parts of this curriculum is the Family Math Event which is held as a culmination of the unit. The event might include:
- Many of the activities that the students did during the unit to share with others
- Add in new activities based on student ideas
- Students as math experts for the evening
- Work on cooperative math exercises with those in attendance
As homeschoolers, we can invite family members and friends to a Family Math Event. When our students were younger, they often enjoyed having sharing nights. What a fun way to end a math unit!
Connect with Kendall Hunt and Mentoring Mathematical Minds
Learn more about other products and units published by Kendall Hunt. They are not limited to math, but they are all about gifted learners.
We will continue to enjoy both Record Makers & Breakers and What are the Chances throughout this school year. Project M3 makes a great resource for gifted math students.