Series Overview

The Math Monsters series is an entertaining gateway to in-depth mathematical thinking and reasoning involving meaningful problems. It is an educational opportunity for both teachers and students. Teachers will become familiar with the recently updated national standards and practices which fuel the curiosity of young mathematicians. Young students who are beginning to develop their own understanding of mathematical concepts can find support and comfort in the humorous and questioning approach the Monsters use to solve their mathematical problems.

What's the "Big Idea?"

The Math Monsters series was developed in cooperation with the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) and is designed to meet and support NCTM Standards for K-2 mathematics process and content instruction. In each episode, the mathematical content is referred to as the "Big Idea" and includes topics such as, Data Collection, Patterns or Measurement. Mathematical processes are interwoven into every episode. These processes include:

Program Integration Made Easy!

The Math Monster Matrix will help teachers integrate the episodes into the their mathematics program. Each episode is cross referenced with the NCTM standard that it supports. The NCTM K-2 Standards are also outlined separately for teacher reference in the guide. A Teacher's Guide is available for each Math Monster episode. Each guide includes:

Helping Your Little Math Monsters...

Active Learning is at the heart of every Math Monster episode. We believe children learn mathematics by doing and problem solving; by discussing and creating their own solutions. In order to involve children in these processes, please refrain from explaining the "Big Idea" or modeling the solutions. Allow your students to make inquiries and construct meaning during the preview activities, episode and post viewing activities.

The Pause Points are important mathematical moments in each episode. We highlight these with question marks. They provide opportunities for discussion with the children as they follow the Math Monster's progress. Suggestions for the teacher are given for each Pause Point in the guide. If possible, it's best that you stop the program in order to spend more time exploring the question asked. Just look for the question marks ??????????? in the episode guide.

Sideline Suggestions and comments are provided to guide discourse and give practical information to the teacher about the episode, pause points or activities. Ultimately, every teacher will use and extend the "Big Idea" of each episode to match the particular group of students.

Avenues for Assessment are threaded throughout the Math Monsters series. By observing students, studying their work samples, and encouraging the children to talk about their strategies, teachers can best plan their next moves and give the feedback so necessary to students. Questions to guide informal assessment appear in the Avenues for Assessment section of the teacher's guide and periodically in Sideline Suggestions.

Your students will have fun as they follow the Math Monsters through similar developmental stages in their thinking. The Monsters communicate, reason, problem solve, create and use representations, and make connections in mathematics the same way as young children. Join our characters, Addison, Mina, Split and Multiplex, as they explore mathematics for all learners.