Experience Math™, a student-centered middle school mathematics program, celebrates the art of teaching combined with the power of an engaged classroom. This comprehensive curriculum strengthens learning through intentional teaching and gathers evidence of learning through purposeful assessment strategies. Discovery and exploration create community for students, while practice and game play establish fluency. Experience Math is fully aligned to the Common Core Content Standards (CCSS) and through simple planning and high-value, in-the-moment professional learning, the program allows teachers to do what matters most.
Experience Math was developed by renowned educator Dr. Marian Small to improve learning with intentional teaching aligned to clear goals and strategic instructional decisions.
Designed around Essential Understandings
Experience Math is designed with a focus on essential understandings, or big ideas, to help students build meaningful connections in math.
Built on Student–Centered, Rich Tasks
Experience Math increases student engagement by leveraging rich tasks as the main driver of learning in each lesson.
Centered on Hands-on Learning
Experience Math encourages a hands-on learning approach to support exploration and the development of conceptual understanding.
Focused on Developing Critical Thinking
Experience Math deepens critical understanding to help students make sense of math concepts and build problem-solving skills.
Marian’s Insights
As your personal coach and partner, Marian Small has embedded her own instructional insights, including mathematical contexts, differentiation strategies, and implementation tips throughout the lesson.
Minds On Coaching
Marian’s instructional supports include And The Point Is… information on the mathematical purpose of the activity. Sample student solutions and strategies help guide open-ended discussions. Professional Learning Videos for many activities offer relevant insights on the lesson concept. Connect Ideas and Experiences help students bridge the concept to their own experiences.
Action Coaching
Additional And the Point Is… notes help invest students in their learning outcomes. Differentiating instruction suggestions for Parallel Tasks aim to help students that need more support or more challenge. What Could You Do If… provides strategies for addressing common misconceptions and errors. Sample Student Responses and Strategies speak directly to young learners.
Consolidate Coaching
And the Point Is… features clarify information about the mathematical focus for each Consolidate Question. An Assessment for Learning points out what teachers should observe in their students along with strategies for reteaching materials if necessary.
Number and Data Talks
5-10 minute discussions that support student fluency and flexibility in thinking about numbers and operations. Students have the opportunity to share strategies with their classmates and use their own problem-solving abilities.
Brain Benders
Engaging, often open-ended tasks that encourage creative problem-solving in the real world. Students decide the appropriate model for a real-life situation, consider their assumptions about the problem, then use the model to arrive at a solution.
Academic Language Activities
Provide opportunities to build understanding of critical words needed to communicate mathematical ideas and understandings.
Wonder Tasks
Three-act, problem-based activities that challenge students to come up with the question to be solved. The majority of the task is verbal, providing opportunities for students to communicate their mathematical thinking and understanding.
Making Connections Tasks
Students integrate concepts from multiple mathematical domains by providing additional opportunities to revisit and build important connections. They further apply mathematical skills and concepts they have already learned to solve a complex problem with multiple parts.
Plan and Review Mathematical Concepts
Topic and Lesson Planning allow teachers to easily review pacing, objectives, standards, and mathematical contexts. Student data is easily accessible to help adjust lesson plans. Marian’s Coaching is directly embedded to provide professional learning through short videos, mathematical backgrounds, differentiation suggestions, and questioning strategies.
Prep Print and Digital Materials
Teachers can download and/or customize their lesson presentations. Additional learning aids, activities, or assessments are available for printing. Interactive lesson activities and/or assessments can be assigned from the dashboard.
Project and Teach from One Device
With Presenter Mode, teachers can project the lesson presentation and materials with their instructional supports, including differentiation suggestions, question strategies, and sample answers, from the same device.
Getting Started with Experience Math
Professional Development Videos, Getting Started Videos, an Implementation Guide, and more comprehensive resources are available. Teachers have access to these on-demand to help them begin using Experience Math.
M Magazine
Marian Small created this online math magazine to empower math educators across the country. Every issue is filled with helpful features such as videos, demos, shareable activities, and exclusive content to inspire the best possible learning experiences.
Observational Assessment Tool
Realize Scout helps teachers document “in-the-moment” student learning right on the Realize digital platform. Key observation goals are noted within the Scout Tool to help inform key learning moments to capture.
Measuring Student Growth
Snap photos, record observations and class discussions, and make anecdotal notes while creating a detailed picture of student growth over time. During parent-teacher conferences, these insights can be easily shared.
Inform Evaluation
The observations gathered in Realize Scout help teachers inform their evaluations and lesson planning. By storing and collecting media, observations can be validated on the spot for every student.
Games and puzzles are offered strategically within the Your Turn lesson allowing students to engage in fun and meaningful practice of mathematical skills concepts. They think creatively and critically while developing perseverance and a positive attitude. By working together, students need to develop prosocial collaborative and cooperative behaviors.
Teachers access one curated, digital center on Savvas Realize where they can plan, prep, and teach Experience Math.
Brainingcamp Virtual Manipulatives
Brainingcamp Virtual Manipulatives bring math to life and improve conceptual understanding. Teachers can view student work and share screens in real-time.
Students can easily access Experience Math digitally through Savvas Realize®. Resources such as interactive assignments and embedded learning aids enrich their time in class and at home.
The optional Student Experience Book provides support, also available in Spanish, along with space for practice and self-reflection as students work through the phases of each lesson.
Each grade level includes a curated classroom manipulative kit to support Experience Math lessons.
Google Translate™ compatible, easily accessible resources provide family-friendly Topic and lesson-level support. Interactive videos, vocabulary review, and helpful search terms engage students at home—no login required!
