I have used AIMS products for years. Way back when, as a public
school teacher, AIMS books were my go-to choice for math and science
related unit studies. Their material is always top-notch and I'm
so glad to see they are actively marketing to homeschoolers!
With the above said, I think it's only fair to tell you that Getting
Into Geometry, like all AIMS books I've seen, is written with classrooms
in mind. In other words, lessons often suggest that groups of children
work together to complete a task. In almost every instance, it's
been very easy to do the activity with only one child, but I think
it's important to know that you will be reading lesson plans written
for classroom teachers.
Now, let's move on to the good stuff. AIMS stands for Activities
Integrating Math and Science. Through very hands-on, well-documented
lessons, children make real connections to math and science concepts.
The fun lessons include reproducible pages that help children keep
notes, organize information and "see" the results of their experiences.
These student pages are black and white, but are very engaging
with clear expectations. For your convenience, with the book comes
a CD-ROM that includes PDF files of all the student sheets.
Getting Into Geometry is a math-based unit written for Kindergarten
and 1st grade students. However, I've found my K4 son able to handle
many of the lessons. In approximately 50 lessons, a solid introduction
to geometry covers the topics of:
- 2-dimensional shapes
- Composing and decomposing shapes
- Symmetry
- 3-dimensional solids
- Spatial relationships
The lessons are very teacher driven which isn't surprising for
the age level they are geared toward. They are also very hands-on,
which builds concrete understanding as your little one begins processing
fundamental geometry concepts. My son has simply loved the lessons!
I will admit that it takes a tad more preparation on my part as
opposed to simply opening a math workbook, but the effort has created
a meaningful and fun math time.
Sometimes, the parent is expected to gather a few common materials
or make other lesson preparations, but all needs are obviously
noted in the teacher's section of each lesson. Besides purchasing
a set of geometric solids, all other manipulatives called for in
the lessons can be easily created from inexpensive materials, or
simply copied from the book and cut from paper.
The teacher's notes also include some background information concerning
the concept, tips about making the lesson flow well, and step-by-step
procedures. You will also find questions to ask at the end of the
lesson which help evaluate your child's understanding. The teacher's
notes are quite easy to read and implement.
I love AIMS!
Product Review by Cindy West, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, January,
2012
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