Standards for Mathematical Practice
The Standards for Mathematical Practice are important processes and proficiencies that span all levels of mathematics. The eight practices covered in these standards stress the ability to not just “do” math but to understand and explain the math.
Holt McDougal Mathematics for Grades 6, 7, and 8 have integrated these practices into student learning throughout the program to develop learners who can think outside of the box.
Persevere in Solving Problems
Holt McDougal's four-step problem-solving plan guides students through the process of problem solving. At the beginning of each book, the problem-solving process is introduced, and practice appears throughout.
Focus on Problem Solving features found in every chapter provide practice on this process and encourage students to apply what they have learned.
Reason Abstractly and Quantitatively
Think and Discuss appears at the end of every lesson or activity, prompting students to evaluate statements, explain relationships, apply mathematical principles, and justify their reasoning.
Critique the Reasoning of Others
What if?, Error Analysis, and Reasoning exercises demonstrate students' understanding of the application of mathematical principles and allow them to qualify their reasoning. Students are also prompted to show their deeper understanding of the mathematical structure.
Model with Math
Application exercises and Real-world Connections apply mathematics to other disciplines and in real-world scenarios.
Use Tools Strategically
A variety of Hands-on Labs and Technology Labs use concrete technology tools to explore mathematical concepts. The Graphing Calculator activities incorporate graphing technology into student learning.
Attend to Precision
Reading and Writing Math and Write About It exercises help students learn and use the language of math to communicate mathematics precisely.
Express Regularity in Repeated Reasoning and Make Use of Structure
Lesson examples group similar types of problems together, and the solutions are carefully stepped out. This allows students to make generalizations about—and notice variations in—the underlying structures.