Touch Math
Touch Math was developed in the early 1970s by Janet Bullock, who was a special education teacher motivated by the need to help students with disabilities grasp basic math concepts. Bullock's approach was innovative, combining tactile and visual components to facilitate understanding of numbers and their relationships—essential for building foundational math skills. This curriculum has since evolved to support not just students with learning challenges but a broad spectrum of young learners across various educational settings (Modulo) (YouTube).
Differentiation: What Makes Touch Math Special Touch Math stands out due to its multisensory approach, where each numeral has associated touch points that visually and physically represent its value. This method supports calculation accuracy and helps embed a deeper understanding of numbers, making it particularly beneficial for early learners and those struggling with traditional math concepts. The program includes materials for a range of mathematical operations including addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, using this tactile strategy (Bonnie Terry Learning).
How to Get Started To begin with Touch Math, parents or educators can access structured lesson plans, worksheets, and manipulatives from the Touch Math curriculum. These resources are tailored for different grade levels and provide a comprehensive guide to implementing the Touch Math method effectively (Modulo).
How it Works Touch Math is designed to be integrated into a homeschool curriculum with ease. It requires minimal preparation and involves about 15 minutes of daily engagement. The program is hands-on and typically necessitates parental or caregiver involvement to guide the learning process. It blends audiovisual and kinesthetic learning modalities, making it a very interactive experience for students (Modulo).
Educational Subjects Included
Basic Arithmetic (Addition, Subtraction)
Advanced Arithmetic (Multiplication, Division)
Number Sense
Early Algebra Concepts
Problem Solving Skills
What’s Good About It Users appreciate Touch Math for its effectiveness in making math accessible, particularly for learners who find traditional methods challenging. The tactile nature of the curriculum aids in engaging multiple senses, which can enhance memory and understanding of mathematical concepts (Ablison).
What Could Be Improved Despite its many benefits, Touch Math could be improved by extending its application to more advanced mathematical topics. Additionally, the heavy reliance on visual cues can be a limitation for students with visual impairments or those who struggle with visual processing (Modulo).
Advice from Parents Parents recommend ensuring consistent practice and integrating the lessons into daily routines. They also suggest supplementing the curriculum with real-world math problems to enhance practical understanding and application of the skills learned through Touch Math (Modulo).
Who It’s an Ideal Fit For Touch Math is ideal for early learners, particularly those in grades K-6 who need a concrete, hands-on approach to math. It's also well-suited for students with learning disabilities or those who benefit from a multisensory learning environment (Modulo).
Who It’s Probably Not a Fit For This program may not be suitable for students who are already proficient in math and do not require tactile or visual aids to understand mathematical concepts. It might also be less beneficial for older students or those preparing for advanced mathematics (Modulo).
Grades Touch Math is most effective for students in grades K-6.
Cost The program typically ranges from $165 to $215 for a full year's curriculum, with additional materials starting at $35 .
Ways to Get It Touch Math materials can be purchased directly through their official website, which offers various kits and supplementary resources tailored to different educational needs (YouTube).
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For the last 20 years, I’ve taught over 2000 children in 3 countries (of all socio-economic backgrounds). I pioneered an English language program in a conflict region in the Middle East. I’ve worked as a bilingual public school teacher at some of the highest and lowest performing public schools and in all five boroughs of NYC. I’ve tutored 18 subjects in three languages to some of the wealthiest families in NYC, San Francisco and Paris to make up for shortcomings in private schools they were paying up to $60,000 a year to attend.
Since 2015, I’ve helped hundreds of parents start microschools (way before this was a household buzzword). I founded CottageClass, the first marketplace for microschools and learning pods that was part of the Techstars 2018 class. In 2019, I created a virtual learning program to help families through the pandemic, a free online math tutoring program (masteryhour.org), and schoolclosures.org, a hotline developed in collaboration with Twilio and 80 other partners including Khan Academy, Revolution Foods and the Crisis Text Line, that served 100,000 families impacted by school closures.
I’ve climbed trees with children in forest schools in San Francisco, and tested new digital apps with kids in seven countries.
I’ve also coached dozens of families at different stages in their homeschooling journey. Most recently, I founded Modulo with homeschooling dad, best-selling author and tech entrepreneur Eric Ries, to help families curate their children’s education, social and childcare experiences drawing from a diverse array of in-person and online resources.
During the last three years, I’ve devoted much of my time to reviewing and testing secular homeschooling curriculum and other resource. I’ve spent the last three years talking to thousands of secular homeschooling families, and poring over tens of thousands of secular curriculum reviews and testing physical curriculum and digital apps for with hundreds of students to find the highest quality, most engaging, personalized learning materials for every type of learner.
I’ve spoken about homeschooling and modular learning at multiple venues including SXSW EDU, NY Tech Meetup, and on the LiberatedEd podcast.
In 2022, Modulo was one of 8 organizations who were awarded the Bridge Grant from the Vela Education Fund to expand access to homeschooling and modular learning to under-resourced communities.
My experience in education and homeschooling has led me to believe that there is no perfect education for every child, but families have an extraordinary amount of wisdom they can apply to building the perfect education for their individual child.
My goal with Modulo is to make it possible for any family to easily build a customized education that their child will love, and that will empower the whole family to thrive, taking into account, social, emotional and academic needs.
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I graduated Summa Cum Laude from Brandeis University with highest honors, with a double degree in French Literature and American Studies and minors in Environmental Studies and Peace & Conflict Studies.
And I love to learn!
Right Start Math review: For a highly visual, and hands-on math curriculum, Right Start Math is a favorite mastery-based choice for families that dislike worksheets. A phenomenal option for kids who thrive with hands-on-learning, gifted kids, and also children with dyscalculia.