| Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) |
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What is AAUW?
AAUW was founded in 1881 as the American Association of University Women. There are now over 100,000 AAUW members, 1300 branches, and 500 college and university partners. The mission of AAUW is to advance equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, and research. For more info about the organization and its branches, visit the AAUW website at www.aauw.org.
What does Let’s Read Math have to do with the AAUW mission?
Let’s Read Math is clearly an educational outreach project. Some programs are organized just for girls, but most programs are co-ed. However, we find that girls and women are drawn to Let’s Read Math because of the connection between reading and math. Each LRM lesson involves reading a good children’s book and doing related math activities. We also work to engage mothers in the process, so that children see women who like to discuss and do math.
How did LRM get started in AAUW?
Dr. Claire Passantino from the Makefield Area Branch of AAUW in Yardley, PA, started LRM as an AAUW community outreach project in the local library. At each LRM workshop, AAUW volunteers would read the children a good book, then do little math activities related to the story. Soon thereafter, the West Chester/Chester Co Branch of AAUW (also in PA) began LRM programs in their community. Community Action Grants awarded by the National Educational Fdn of AAUW have been instrumental in starting the program and getting it to spread to other branches in the Mid-Atlantic region. Plans are underway to spread the program nationally. Most programs are for children in grades 2-4, but materials are available for children in grades K-1 and children in grades 4-6. Some programs are experimenting with training older children as mentors to younger children.
Spreading Let’s Read Math inside AAUW:
To make the program easier to replicate, Dr. Passantino developed lessons and workshop manuals for others to use. She and Graham Boose, from the West Chester Branch of AAUW, visited branches across the Mid-Atlantic region, to demo the lessons and offer advice about how to start a program in interested branches.
General Information for AAUW branches who want to do Let’s Read Math:
To find out more about starting a program in your branch, contact Graham Boose at GDBoose@comcast.net. The current Ed Fdn grant is about to expire (June 09) and we are not sure what will happen next. We hope we can find a way to spread the program nationally, by providing start up materials to interested branches, and giving them an image of our workshops by viewing video clips online.
How to get started with Let’s Read Math:
The first thing for you to do is to assemble a committee in your branch and think about where you want to do your work. You may want to work with teachers in classrooms, but there are many other venues to consider - libraries, YWCAs, Girl Scouts, after school centers, family centers, day camps. LRM can be as simple as gathering a group of children, reading them a book, and doing a little math activity to an elaborate program coordinated with a local school district or college, reaching hundreds of children. To get ideas, click HERE to read what other branches are doing.
How much does it cost?
This will be up to you. How many sessions will you do? Will you give take-home math items to the children? Will you buy them the books? Or will you simply read a book, maybe one borrowed from the library, and use simple inexpensive items to do the math activities? We find that an estimate of $3 a child is usually adequate to do the basic program – buying a copy of each book for the group as a whole, and purchasing basic supplies.
How should we use the information on the LRM website?
[I’m thinking we can link to existing pages on the current website?]
If you want more info about the Funbooks: go to funbook tab
If you want a list of the books featured in each Funbook:
download Funbook 1 booklist
download Funbook 2 booklist
download Funbook A booklist
download Funbook Advanced booklist
If you want more info about the workshops: go to the workshop tab
If you want to see the workshop outlines:
download workshop FB1 Alexander
download workshop FB1 Amelia
download workshop FB1 Commissioners
download workshop FB1 How Big is a Foot
download workshop FB1 Greedy Triangle
download workshop FB1 Sam Johnson
download workshop FB1 Tangrams
download workshop FB2 Amanda Bean
download workshop FB2 Chrysanthemum
download workshop FB2 Counting Penny
download workshop FB2 Picture Pie
download workshop FB2 Quarter From the Tooth Fairy
download workshop FB2 Spaghetti and Meatballs for All
download workshop FB2 The Sundae Scoop
download workshop FB2 Wanda's Roses
If you want to see a list of other children’s books about math
If you want a list of math topics and the LRM featured books that address that topic
If you want to know how to order LRM materials: shop cart tab
If you want more info about LRM: contact us tab |
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