There was a time when letters and sounds were taught in isolation. But now we know that children learn to read more successfully when they are enveloped in a print-rich environment (books available all the time and being read aloud, posters with text on the wall, lists, charts, etc.) Not only is this more effective, but it leads to deeper reading comprehension and effective critical reading skills. We are in the midst of a similar revolution in math. We now know, through extensive research and practice with students, the dangers of teaching math facts and algorithms (memorized methods like borrowing and carrying) in isolation. It often leads to students who can only do distinct individual pr