The Everyday Mathematics curriculum incorporates the belief that people rarely learn new concepts or skills the first time they experience them, but fully understand them only after repeated exposures. The instructional model blends exposition and discussion, individual and group work, projects, explorations, and investigations. Children also learn and practice basic facts throughout the curriculum, in the context of problem solving, choral drills, and a variety of games. The program includes cross-curricular projects that let children apply mathematics in other subject areas. In grades 4 and 5, children participate in the year-long World Tour and American Tour projects, in which students apply mathematical concepts to learning about the United States and other countries.
Calculators are an integral part of the program as an aid to concept development and applications.
The curriculum assumes that each child has a slate, calculator, measuring tools, and drawing tools, and that each teacher has a classroom set of manipulatives. Every student in grades 1-6 uses two consumable journals throughout the school year to record mathematical ideas and responses to activities and problems. In grades 1-3, students also have a consumable Activity Book. At grade 6, student materials include the nonconsumable Student Reference Book. Grades 5 and 6 use the Geometry Template for drawing and measuring geometric figures.