ABSTRACT
Number Power attempts to help students to develop the ability to reason flexibly with numbers as well as to develop the social skills they need to work well in collaborative settings. Students work together to investigate a broad range of mathematical concepts over time, in different contexts, and with a variety of materials. The Number Power program is contained in teacher resource books for each grade from kindergarten through Grade 6. Prior to the introduction of Number Power, none of the schools or teachers were using a Standards-based mathematics program. Teachers in the Number Power with staff development condition taught more of the lessons than teachers in the Number Power only condition during each year. The instructional approach in the Number Power program represents a considerable departure from traditional approaches to teaching mathematics. Some teachers indicated that Number Power was very much like their “regular” mathematics program.
