AMATH Foundations - Frequently Asked Questions

Below are the top 25 questions asked by teachers, administrators, and individuals after viewing a full demonstration of AMATH Foundations.   

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1. What are the system requirements for AMATH Foundations?
2. For what audience is AMATH Foundations appropriate?
3. Who is currently using Foundations?
4. How long has Foundations been used in schools?
5. For what standardized tests or state proficiency tests will Foundations prepares a student?
6. How long will it take a student to complete Foundations?
7. Will Foundations help teachers identify students who are in need of additional help, motivation, or reward?
8. Is it necessary for a student to complete Foundations prior to attempting a proficiency test?
9. Do students like to work with Foundations?
10. Is Foundations appropriate for learning disabled students?
11. What if I find an error in Foundations?
12. Are there sounds or multimedia feedback with AMATH Foundations?
13. Can students cheat in Foundations or get the answers from another student?
14. Is AMATH Foundations a stand alone curriculum or is it a supplement?
15. How often is Foundations upgraded and does the content change?
16. Are there any diagnostic tests in Foundations to determine where a student should start?
17. Are there any ways to accelerate progress through Foundations and further take advantage of previous learning?
18. How does Foundations document student progress?
19. If I have AMATH Pre-Algebra, the predecessor to Foundations, can I upgrade?
20. How do I assign grades to students using AMATH Foundations?
21. Are students "timed" when working in AMATH Foundations?
22. At what reading level is AMATH Foundations?
23. How does AMATH Foundations Address reading comprehension, word problems, and extended response questions?
24. Does Foundations progress in "lock-step"?
25. Can students use a calculator?

1.  What are the system requirements for AMATH Foundations?

2.  For what audience is AMATH Foundations appropriate?

Foundations is appropriate for all students from elementary school to adult. The working environment is not gamey or juvenile. Students of all ages find foundations fun and challenging, yet not condescending, even when working in elementary topics. For example, adults who have problem with the multiplication table find that they learn very quickly from Foundations without feeling inferior.

3.  Who is currently using Foundations?

AMATH Foundations is used by individuals and by educators at all levels. Foundations can be found anywhere there is a need for math literacy. Our satisfied customers include elementary schools, middle schools, junior high schools, high schools, vocational schools, adult literacy efforts, junior colleges, community colleges, universities, corporate educators, prisons, halfway houses, and individuals.

4.  How long has Foundations been around?

AMATH Foundations and its previous versions have been a vital part of math education in schools and homes since 1993.

5.  For what standardized tests or state proficiency tests will Foundations prepares a student?

AMATH Foundations is an ideal preparation tool for State Graduation/Proficiency tests like the Ohio Graduation Test (OGT), MEAP, and TAS tests. 

Foundations prepares students to excel on the SAT, ACT, and GRE tests. 

Foundations prepares students to take college math placement exams and test out of remedial math classes, saving thousands of dollars on college tuition. 

Even teachers use AMATH Foundations tool to prepare for State Teacher Certification tests.

6.  How long will it take a student to complete Foundations?

The time it takes a student to complete Foundations varies tremendously. The average "at risk" high school student completes all of the AMATH Foundations Study Modules, not including any testing modules, in approximately 43 hours. The time needed to complete Foundation will vary significantly because of students varying skill levels, attention spans, and performance rates. We have seen very advanced and motivated 8th graders complete the entire program in as little as 10 hours, while a motivated adult may need as much as 80 hours to complete Foundations. 

It is important not to become discouraged if a students needs more than the average amount of time to complete Foundations. As long as motivation is maintained and students progress at a steady rate, they will succeed. The most important thing is that they complete the program, not the amount of time it takes.

7.  Will Foundations help teachers identify students who are in need of additional help, motivation, or reward?

An integral part of AMATH Foundations is its elegant, easy to use reporting and tracking system. When managing a group of students, teachers are encouraged to regularly print summary reports for that group. The simple, columnar reports allow teacher to identify by quick inspection a comparison of how all students are progressing. In addition to the class/group summary reports, a timeline report is available that helps teachers identify the weekly volume of work each student completes. By using the timeline, teachers can spot students who may be having problems outside of the classroom that are affecting their performance. 

By examining individuals' detailed progress reports, teachers quickly identify students' specific strengths and weakness.

8.  Is it necessary for a student to complete Foundations prior to attempting a proficiency test?

We encourage students and educators to plan enough work time in advance of taking a proficiency test to complete the entire program. As addressed in a previous question, it takes the average at risk student working every day a little less than one semester to complete foundations. In an educational setting that is not always possible though. Through our experience, completion of only the first 3 folders in AMATH Foundations is almost always enough to help a borderline student pass a math proficiency test. The first folders in AMATH Foundations focus on alleviating simple errors in arithmetic and concentration, which may be all that is needed to get a student "over the hump".

9.  Do students like to work with Foundations?

Yes! As with anything you introduce to a student in an educational setting, your positive attitude will play the biggest role in how Foundations is received. The unique streak grading system challenges students like a game. Because it is demanding and sometimes difficult, students will occasionally become frustrated. This is good, because once they complete the section that is challenging, they will feel a very strong sense of self accomplishment and achievement. AMATH provides written rewards and certificates of completion. Students appreciated those much more after they have had to work for the rewards.

10.  Is Foundations appropriate for learning disabled students?

Absolutely. AMATH Foundation reading level, reference tools, self pacing, documentation, reward, one-at-a-time problem presentation, and detailed solutions all fit very well with students with learning difficulties. Click here to see an article published in the Network Exchange, a periodical for schools catering to the learning disabled.

11.  What if I find an error in Foundations?

AMATH is just like a textbook, only bigger. AMATH Foundations is capable of generating over a billion different problems and solutions. The program code behind AMATH Foundations covers nearly 5,000 pages of paper. Like all textbooks, you may find an error or incorrect answer. While we have tested AMATH Foundations thoroughly to ensure that any errors are will not effect the overall benefit of the program, you may find one. 

If you do find an error please take a screenshot of that error and send it to us so we can fix it for future versions. To take a screenshot, simply hold down the control key and press the PrintScreen/SysReq button on your keyboard. Then start your word processing software and choose Edit Paste. A picture of your screen will be inserted onto your document. Enter any text you can to help us better understand the error then save the document and email it to support@amath.com.

12.  Are there sounds or multimedia feedback with AMATH Foundations?

The current version of AMATH Foundation does not have any sound or multimedia feedback. We are considering adding this feature for the next version. In the event that we do add this feature, schools will be able to shut off sound if it became distracting.

13.  Can students cheat in Foundations or get the answers from another student?

No! AMATH Foundations randomly generates each problem. This means that two students sitting side by side and working on the same study modules will be presented with different problems. This also means that a student cannot enter a study module, try each problem, record the answers, exit the program, re-enter the study module and then enter the recoded answers. 

The database entry for each student's progress record is protected by encrypted check digits. This means that even if a student breaks the school's network security, they will not be able to manually change their progress in AMATH Foundations.

14.  Is AMATH Foundations a stand alone curriculum or is it a supplement?

Schools use AMATH Foundations as either a stand alone curriculum, usually for intervention, or as a supplement to the curriculum they have already adopted. This is one of the reasons AMATH foundations is not in lock step.

15.  How often is Foundations upgraded and does the content change?

Foundations is upgraded one or twice each year. Because the math behind Foundation has not changed in thousands of years, most upgrades are no different that textbook revisions, we simply fix any errors we are aware of.

The content in AMATH Foundations is also relatively static. Only when trends in education change, does our content change. For example, if state graduation tests include more material, then we modify Foundations to include that material.

Most educational institutions are eligible for free upgrades. Contact your sales representative for more information or email sales@amath.com. Individual versions are not eligible for upgrade because they should be completed by the time an upgrade is available.

16.  Are there any diagnostic tests in Foundations to determine where a student should start?

No, but if you choose to use a diagnostic test, students may start wherever you direct. We strongly recommend against this because diagnostic tests are very frequently misleading. Most diagnostic attempts fail to recognize students' problems in computation, arithmetic, and even the multiplication table. Diagnostics are very inefficient because they fail to identify important, early holes in math literacy. 

Foundations eliminates the need for diagnostic tests and is the solution the problem of where to start an intervention class or remediation effort. AMATH works best when all students start with the very first study module in integer arithmetic. As you will earn in the next section, AMATH's unique Streak Grading method allows students to complete study modules for which they already have mastery in only a minute or two and then progress at their own pace through the remainder of the program. It works like an insurance policy and a comprehensive review all in one.

17.  Are there any ways to accelerate progress through Foundations and further take advantage of previous learning?

Yes! As described in the previous question, a diagnostic test may be used, but is not recommended. Instead of a diagnostic test, students can complete a comprehensive review for each topic in Foundations. If they perform poorly on the comprehensive review, then the student should go back and complete all of the modules covered in the review. This will save time by allowing students to skip entire sections of study modules for which they already have mastery. This will not help the student learn as much as completing all of the study modules, but when time is short, it is a good alternative.

18.  How does Foundations document student progress?

Foundations tracks and stores data on every problem students attempt including, how many times each study module was accessed, how much time was spent in each study module, how many problems were attempted, the student's long streak, and when they completed the study module. All of this data can be viewed in detail, in summary, by class, or as a timeline. 

The data stored by AMATH Foundations can be view on-screen, printed, or exported for use in a spreadsheet program.

19.  If I have AMATH Pre-Algebra, the predecessor to Foundations, can I upgrade?

Most schools that have purchased an AMATH Pre-Algebra site license are eligible for a free upgrade to AMATH Foundations. Individual versions of AMATH Pre-algebra are not upgradeable.

20.  How do I assign grades to students using AMATH Foundations?

Each teacher grades differently when using AMATH Foundations. Some teachers choose to use the 10 question quizzes that are available in Foundations for each topic, while others use their own tests. 

Whatever method you choose to use, we strongly recommend using a method that promotes and rewards progress. For example, set benchmarks and assign letter grades to them. If students get X number of study modules completed by a certain date, then they get an A. If the complete Y study modules by that date, they get a B and so on.

21.  Are students "timed" when working in AMATH Foundations?

Students are not required to finish AMATH Foundations Study Modules in a certain time. AMATH Foundations does however record how long it takes a student to finish a study module, how many problems they attempted, and other information. Teachers can then use that information to determine if a student needs to do more work in that area or if they have motivation problems.

22.  At what reading level is AMATH Foundations?

Most problems, directions, and solutions in AMATH Foundations are presented in 4th to 6th grade reading levels.   

23.  How does AMATH Foundations Address reading comprehension, word problems, and extended response questions?

While the reading level is not high, the need to read for content is reinforced. The content or directions, or even just units of measure may subtly change in each problem. This forces the student to read each problem presented for content. If they get in a groove of answering the same type of problem the same way, they stop reading directions. 

Simple word problems are introduced in each section as arithmetic is addressed. This helps students build confidence and get used to math problems presented in sentence format. As the program progresses, all of the problems are presented in more of a word problem like format. An entire folder is dedicated to problem solving in which students learn how to translate language into math symbols, build equations from sentences, identify relevant date, before students are even asked to solve traditional word problems. Word problems progress gradually and are reinforced throughout the entire program. By the time the student is asked to solve word problems not only will they have computational mastery, they will have experience turning language into mathematics, and confidence in their ability.

24.  Does Foundations progress in "lock-step"?

No. While we strongly encourage students to complete AMATH Foundations in order, the program does not lock students out of any study modules. If a teacher directs students to complete the modules in order and they do not, their progress report will show it. Likewise, if a teacher wants to direct a student to a specific study module, they may without interference, just as teachers jump around in textbooks.

25.  Can students use a calculator?

Teachers may allow students to use a separate calculator or use the calculator provided with the computer's operating system, but we do not recommend it. All of the modules in AMATH Foundations have been designed for students to do their computational work with pencil and paper. In fact, we recommend that students do all of their work in a spiral notebook. This way, when teachers identify a problem, they can go back and look at how the student is working the problem and better identify an incorrect the problem.

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