The Family Math book of activities can be ordered through various math publishers or supply houses, your local bookstore, or directly from the Lawrence Hall of Science. Hands-on programs, by their very nature, involve many manipulatives and other materials. Math Trailblazers is no exception. In addition to the commercially purchased manipulatives, many activities call for collectible materials, such as jars, container lids, paper towel cores, etc. The job of gathering and managing these materials can be eased with the assistance of a parent volunteer.
Many teachers use parent volunteers to assist with classroom activities.
The parents can be assigned to work with particular groups of students or with individual students who need extra assistance. They can work on special projects or lesson extensions with small groups. In many cases, it is simply just helpful to have an extra set of hands and eyes in the classrooms to assist as needed. The roles parents play in providing support will obviously need to be tailored to your needs and the interests and capabilities of individual parents. There is little doubt, however, that cooperative parents are a valuable asset as you work with Math Trailblazers.