What is Framework Math, and why is it unique in the Math market?

"Vertical" Math

Framework Math is a unique Math program because it approaches Math in a "vertical" way, covering skills from PreK - 5th grade, and helps students build a deep understanding of all concepts from basic counting up through long division (in ways that naturally extend to fractions, decimals, negatives, algebraic equations, and much more) with the use of 2 simple, high-leverage tools: ten frames and a Rekenrek. 

Problems with "Horizontal" Math

Traditional Math programs often spread these skills out across an entire elementary school experience, which results in:

• chunking skills into seemingly isolated topics, 
• reviewing skills each year to address Math gaps from concepts that weren't mastered previously or repeating skills that students may have already learned, 
• spreading out the development of concepts across so many years that students lose sight of how everything is connected, 
• limiting students to the Math covered at each grade level rather than offering each student the the opportunity to pursue a concept through as far as they can understand it,
• and, almost invariably, causing students to learn Math from different teachers and textbooks, making use of different manipulatives, and emphasizing a variety of strategies that may come across as even more algorithms to memorize if they aren't explored in a way that promotes number sense and fosters a "Math intuition" about the way numbers work. 

Good for Kids

Framework Math was designed to counter all of these problems by helping students trace out one cohesive line of development that continues unfolding throughout the entire self-paced and compact curriculum. The same subitizing skills that are taught in the Foundations book (Volume 1) are an integral part of the multi-digit multiplication process; the fundamental understanding of place value explored in the very first book helps students make sense of long division (in Volume 5) in a meaningful, intuitive way that doesn’t depend on memorizing single-digit multiplication facts or multi-step algorithms that most adults can’t remember or explain. 

Good for Parents

Not only does it help those on the side of learning the material, but it also solves several problems that often frustrate parents. Many homeschool curriculum have: 

• extra prep work for parents as they pre-learn the material in order to teach their kids, or
• pages of dense text on black-and-white pages that serve as scripts for parents to read aloud to their kids, and
• lessons that depend on a large collection of manipulatives that cost a lot of money, require extra organization, and potentially involve conflict with younger siblings who want to play with or eat the Math toys. 

Open & Go

Framework Math, however, is truly an open-and-go curriculum. The logical development of ideas progresses in small steps, each one building on the last, with simple teaching notes at the beginning of most units but no separate books of scripts or daunting teacher training materials. And to combat the overwhelm that many children and adults experience when faced with walls of text, every page is full color and makes use of as many pictures and as few words as possible.

Further support

Additional resources are currently being developed that will provide optional extra practice for any areas where students may need more help. This set of resources includes:

• video lessons that accompany each unit, 
• extra practice worksheets with larger writing and less “busyness” on each page to help encourage and accommodate the needs of students with dyslexia, dyscalculia, ADHD, and others, and 
• digital activities that match the content in each unit but provide a more interactive learning experience with immediate feedback. 

Simplicity

Another strategic design element of this program is the use of just two manipulatives which together have the capability of helping students build out a true framework for understanding how numbers and all their operations work. Although all tools, manipulatives, representations, and strategies have an important place in Math, the multiplicity of methods and materials often gives the impression that Math is complicated (and expensive!); additionally, the various tools aren’t often sufficiently tied together and tied into their abstract representations, leaving students with the impression that each tool is different and not ultimately understanding how the hands-on manipulatives translate to abstract numbers on a page. 

Mastery

Framework Math is a mastery-based program, where mastery is measured by the ability to thoroughly understand, apply, and stretch the numeracy-based strategies explored in each unit, rather than by speed drills focused on single-digit Math facts. Since each skill and strategy builds on the ones before it, students need to completely understand the concepts in every unit before moving on. Check-ups are provided at the end of each unit to help ensure that students are competent and comfortable with each skill. Spiral review also ensures that core concepts are kept front of mind; this continual review is provided through games and re-usable strategy-based templates as well as integrally built into the nature of the program.

Who is it for?

Many families have reported that Framework Math has greatly helped their kids who struggle with dyslexia and dyscalculia. Several families have also found the straightforward and simple nature of the program to be more helpful to their kids with ADHD and autism than other Math curriculum they have tried. 

The program was designed to be the first experience that kids have with numbers to help them build a strong foundation in understanding place value, subitizing, and a strategy-based approach to Math, and then progress as far as possible in each book without the limitations of grade level standards. It has also, however, been successfully used by older students who are struggling with multiplication or division due to a lot of gaps in their Math foundation; this program helps them to go back and build a solid foundation from the beginning in a very efficient and structured way, without having to repeat years' worth of Math to catch up to grade level.