Their commitment was to find ways that helped teach the way children learn. A page of abstract symbols, no matter how carefully designed or simplified, cannot involve the student's sense in the way real materials can. Symbols are not the concept. They are only a representation of the concept and as such are abstractions describing something which is not visible to the student. Real materials can be used by the child to assist their understanding of the concept which lie behind the symbols.
Children construct meaning and understand concepts better through the use of manipulatives.
These workshops support the ideas outlined in the NCTM Standards and NSTA Standards. These documents are based on the belief that the big ideas of math and science must be available to all students. Workshops are led by teachers who have implemented this philosophy in their classrooms. They have faced challenges in working with colleagues, parents, and administrators who have questions about how children are taught and evaluated in mathematics understanding.