Included among these are a special education and an ESL population which also had great success with the MathLand program. All Glen Rock students in grades K-5 use MathLand. They continue to serve as mentors. My current fifth grade students have been exposed to MathLand since 1995, and it is evident that they are very comfortable with problem solving. They are used to investigating in pairs and recording their discoveries in diagrams as well as words.
Enthusiasm abounds as they race to the board to convince the class of their answers to problems.
I am always amazed at the variety of strategies the children use to reach solutions. Strategy' has become the operative word. When you reflect upon your thinking and explain it, you have greater ownership of the concept. This reflection and explanation simultaneously prepares you for test taking.