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Professor B Mathematics
Activating the Contextual Learner

General Curriculum Overview

Professor B Mathematics:

• uses many "mental gymnastics" games and fingers as comprehensive manipulatives
• stimulates and activates children's natural capacities for mastery of mathematics
• ensures a huge reduction of mental tension
• teaches math as a contextual story that makes sense
• enables rapid and thorough understanding
• eliminates remediation and rote learning
• allows sustained mastery of skills
• uses "mental gymnastics" games and fingers as manipulatives
• allows children to progress at their own speed - as quickly or slowly as needed
• easy to use - virtually no teacher preparation time needed

Professor Everard Barrett says:

Each child is "fearfully and wonderfully made" with mental computers of awesome power.

Just as one's brain was designed by our Lord to assimilate and retain the content of a story, it will similarly retain the content of arithmetic if it is presented as a contextual, developmental flow (a continuing story).

Arithmetic can be presented as a sequence of developmental steps on a ladder; where mastery at previous rungs provides readiness for the next connection.

Facilitating children's mastery of arithmetic is incredibly simpler when approached from the perspective of the Lord's wisdom, order, and design

"Master 'seventh grade math' by third to fourth grade. Because our methods activate the same gifts children have used for learning and retaining stories, learning math at this accelerated pace (by means of connections and truth-telling) is incredibly easier than the snail's pace of 'slow motion math' (with its disconnections and untruths)"

Foundations:

Professor B Math is founded on Biblical principles. It does not, however, refer to Scripture or the Biblical principles directly.

Tells the Truth

simply in all arithmetic computations without using confusing, often time consuming and meaningless steps of procedure and terminology.

Cost Effective:

Well documented studies around the world have proven the effectiveness of Professor B Mathematics. It condenses the arithmetical content, traditionally spread over seven to eight years of expensive textbook/ workbook materials into three texts, three workbooks, and a charts book. "Seventh grade math" is being mastered by fourth graders. Sixth graders have consistently scored higher grades against traditionally taught ninth graders.

Where to Start:

Because Professor B teaches math in such a simplified and effective way, we recommend that most children begin with Book 1 in order to learn these new, foundational techniques and to "unlearn" previous, cumbersome methods. Of course, older children will proceed very quickly through Level 1.

Placement Test

The placement test will help you to determine if your child needs to go through Level 1.

Visual and Hands-On Learners

Professor B teaches to all learning styles but does not use manipulatives. If you have a child who is a strong hands-on or visual learner, it is very easy to adapt the program to use manipulatives. We particularly recommend the Cube-A-Links Cubes, Beginner Counting Set, and Place Value Counting Sticks. See the Math Manipulatives page for more details about these items

Geometry:

Professor B Math does not cover geometry. For an introduction to basic geometry concepts, we recommend using Mathematical Reasoning Supplemental Books. For an excellent highschool level geometry program we recommend Life of Fred Geometry.

Rounding Out the Mathematical Experience:

You may wish to introduce additional concepts not covered in Professor B Mathematics. Using supplemental resources will help you to cover telling time, money, geometry, pre-algebra concepts, graphing, drawing pictures to illustrate problem solving, and more. Check out the Supplemental Topics page for ideas.

Board of Education Standards:

Professor B Mathematics is an ungraded program and because of the way it is structured, you will not follow a traditional track in teaching math. For instance, typical standards have a child into about grade four or five before they use figures in the trillions. Prof. B Level 1 has a kindergarten child reading numbers in the trillions and a second grader can be adding/subtracting numbers in the trillions. We expect a child to actually learn how to perform computations and not rely on calculators as most curriculums teach reliance on! Upon completion of Prof. B Level 3, a child will have more than met the requirements of any provincial or state standards for a seventh grade level in the understanding of addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions, decimals, percentages, prime factorization, and least and highest common factors. Even if you take 1½ to 2 years per level (10 months is the recommended time frame), starting in kindergarten or grade one, the child will be well underway to completing highschool algebra with Professor B Algebra before finishing grade seven!