In some circles, I might be known as a curriculum junkie. Did you know, they actually make t-shirts for us? I’ve often joked that I could not have been a public school teacher because I would have spent my meager income on supplies, tools and visual aids for my students and classroom. Can one ever have enough of these? Keeping my class limited to my own children has kept it manageable, most of the time. My heart races a bit at the beginning of the school year, when create-a-classroom and outfit-a-student items go on sale! It delights me when I discover a new curriculum. You might think that as long as I have been homeschooling there wouldn’t be much new to me, but you would be wrong. Sometimes, I think I’ve lived in a cave! There are new products being developed every day, and there are many that have been around for years that I didn’t know existed. Students learn in different ways and what may work for one might as well be written in a foreign language for all the help it is to another; so, I’m always looking for the best fit for my crew.
My latest discovery is AIMS Education Foundation, with the emphasis on my, because they were established in 1981, giving them more than 25 years experience in education. They are “dedicated to producing math and science materials that will engage students and build conceptual understanding.”
Thanks to The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Review Crew, I recently had the opportunity to use and review Area Formulas for Parallelograms, Triangles & Trapezoids, for grades 6-8. An 80 page teacher’s book with CD Rom access to printable pdf. pages.
This single book is a great supplement to our math curriculum and it retails for only $9.95. (Even better is the Essential Math: Measuring Dimensions, set of 7 books, that saves you 15% by purchasing them all at the same time. It’s $59.20.) There are 15 days of lessons, comprised of 5 components:
- Investigations * Hands-on activities. Cutting-up parallelograms, triangles and trapezoids; forming, combining and manipulating to reinforce formulas and see their interrelatedness.
- Comics * Used as instruction and review of the investigations. We expected “funny,” and were initially disappointed that these are not humorous in any way. They are drawings, with text bubbles, depicting interaction between student and teacher. Academic instruction using common speech.
- Animation * A visual summary of the important formulas and techniques.
- Problem Solving * Activities that help students apply and retain concepts.
- Assessment * An opportunity to test the level of understanding gained.
Visit their website at www.aimsedu.org and read how AIMS got started. You’ll find their store there, too! It’s one of my new favorite places, with their Small Group – Homeschool Lab kit, that I found under Labs, Kits & Components, for $122.95.
You will also want to browse through –
- Activity Books
- E-Activities
- Essential Math
- Classroom Sets
- Literature Links
- Math Resources
- State-Specific Science
- AIMS Magazine
Contact:
AIMS Education Foundation
P.O. box 8120
Fresno, CA 93747
Call – 1.888.733.2467
For classroom, homeschool, summer bridge, intervention or after school, explore the benefits of
AIMS Education Foundation for your family. I think you’ll be glad you did.
Blessings,
This product was given to me, free of charge, in exchange, for my honest review, as a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew. I receive no other compensation for my reviews on this blog. The opinions expressed are my own.
*Contents and photographs of this blog are copyrighted; they are the property of Knee Deep In Grace and may not be used without written permission.
I’m glad to hear I’m not the only homeschool mom who gets excited when all the back-to-school stuff comes out in the stores! Or the only one who hadn’t heard of AIMS, what a great resource!