Lessons generally follow the same pattern. Prior to the lesson, the teacher may use one or both of two optional group activities as a getting started activity. Each lesson begins with a short introduction containing review, a story, or some activity lead by the teacher, with student participation, which introduces the topic for the day. This section also directs specific vocabulary development to understand the lesson. The teacher then goes to the first page of the two pages of student work for the day and uses the example at the top of the page as a teaching device to go over the lesson and show students how to do the material for the day.
Students finish the exercises on their own, with the teacher checking and helping as necessary.
At the end the teacher then closes the lesson with a short discussion question and a verbal skills assessment. There is then a one page homework assignment in the homework book. Each lesson also comes with reteaching, enrichment and problem solving worksheet activities. There is relatively little guidance on when or how to use the optional introductory or follow up activities. A series of activities related to math are given to fill some of the gaps in the day, such as lining up time.