Review | enVision Math Grade 1

So, this is my first math-centric post and it is a review of enVision Math Grade 1.

enVisionMath is a K-6 math curriculum designed to help children learn math. It mimics some of the key features of the philosophy found in a lot of "Asian Maths" programs, such as emphasis on problem solving, bar diagrams, number relationships, quantity, strategy. Or at least it was designed to do this. I recently had the opportunity to acquire 3 grades of enVision Math for under $15 dollars and I let it go because personally, from my experience with the 1st and 3rd grade programs, it wasn't a bargain.

In this review I will be focusing on just the first grade math work text. In first grade students cover 20 topics that span 5 different strands:
1 Number and Operations
2 Algebra
3 Geometry
4 Measurement
5 Data Analysis and Probability

*Problem Solving* is highlighted in each chapter with a special work page that is color coded to let you know that it focuses on problem solving. I used those colors because each chapter is color coded through the text so that you know which strand of math that chapter is supposed to focus on.

enVisionMath is colorful and conceptual but the buck kind of stops there. Well, before I go down this "whats wrong with it" road, I'd like to highlight some of the positives, such as they are.
Vocabulary is taught and highlighted with new topics so kids can 'speak' math early on, there are cute little math games that open up each topic, though we haven't been playing them (my bad!) but admittedly the games are very limited in scope but who cares. If you and your kid like games, then game on. Who cares if you only play each game less than 5 times? They are games and they are there to be enjoyed as each parent/child see's fit. For many kids, that's all they really want to do is play a little and then move on. I think that the included games are great. There is sufficient space for young children to write in this text, which I found a relief. Each page is serrated so its easy to tear out, teach from, do the work sheet and move on.

So those are the positives. Now lets do down "What Wrong With it" road.
 You can't get very far in the text (as in, past the first 2 lessons) without noticing that  this text includes almost NO practice. I mean it, practice is very, very  minimal. There is zero review in the book either. At no point do you go back and review the first half of the book. (We're on topic 10 of 20 and I've previewed extensively, so I know.)

There is a short test of each topic at the end an a "reteaching" page on the back of the test so that if a student misses a certain set of questions on the test, you can reteach that part but there is no chance to practice or review with in the text. There is a workbook that goes with the text, but I haven't been using it with my student.

I understand that each topic is supposed to be learned conceptually and all, but you still have to practice enough to remember something. After all, the more you use a skill that has just been learned, the better you get at it, right? I understand that many kids don't need review, but a textbook should include it, even just as optional review in the back or something.

Another odd thing is that they include a copy of the multiplication table from 0 - 14 in the first grade text but no where is their an addition table....Nor is there drill or practice of addition tables....They do introduce addition facts but not all of them and there is no succinct chapter or section that has them all. No addition table, no fun games or tips to help students and parents practice at home. Oh yeah, the first grade text does NOT introduce multiplication. At all...
I found that fact to be very, very, very, very bizarre...

This book introduces a lot of strategies to add or subtract which is great but it only introduces them. There isn't sufficient practice and since this curriculum is designed to mimic an Asian style of doing math, many Western parents may struggle to see where this curriculum is going and what it is getting at so they may struggle to help their kids 'get it'. It feels more like a survey of basic addition and subtraction than anything. Never getting in depth or pausing on a topic long enough to let it sink in and never reviewing it either.

I wouldn't recommend buying enVisionMath if you can get something else, get it. I was gifted this worktext in brand new condition and it is fun and simple. It gets done and my student is having success and reveling in what he can do, so I use it with him. I wouldn't pay to use enVisionMath and there are programs out there that I like better.

I don't think that enVision is horrible. I like to use games and I have enough K-3 math workbooks to make up for the lack of drill, but over all enVisionMath seems poorly put together and I wasn't impressed with it enough to take advantage of the "amazing deal" of grades K-2 of enVisionMath for less than $15 dollars. I have a ton workbooks around the house already and I didn't need more. Plus enVisionMath isn't a good enough resource, in my opinion, to spend any money on it.

Each topic is introduced in a fullpage of vagueness. You have to read the footnoot thats meant for parents to get an idea of what you are supposed to do. Often times, we skip that "introduction" and go straight to the 2-page spread that has a couple of examples across the top. We read the example first, then we do the guided practice together and I encourage my student to try the 'independent practice" side of the page on his own, if he can. If he gets stuck then I help him, usually he can do it on his own.

Then we do the word problems that are supposed to challenge him to problem solve. Sometimes they do, most times they do not. Over all, I find enVisionMath to be "meh" in the math department. I feel quite confident teaching basic K-5 math (arithmetic, time, measurement, estimation, data analysis and such) so I can use pretty much anything to teach it, but it would be nice to get a program that I LOVE.

I give this program a 7/10. It introduces a lot of strategies that it doesn't provide any sort of follow up for. Its instructions are a little ambiguous and sometimes non-existent. There is no review, nor any mastery built into the work text. A large part of the score is that it is a math program that gets done. it only takes about 30 minutes to do a couple of lessons and it is tolerated or enjoyed depending on the day, it has never caused tears or frustration and we have made it to chapter 10 in only a couple of months. We could easily finish this text by the end of September.