I have used AIMS products for years. Way back when, as a public school teacher, AIMS books were my go-to choice for math and science related unit studies. Their material is always top-notch and I'm so glad to see they are actively marketing to homeschoolers!

With the above said, I think it's only fair to tell you that Getting Into Geometry, like all AIMS books I've seen, is written with classrooms in mind. In other words, lessons often suggest that groups of children work together to complete a task. In almost every instance, it's been very easy to do the activity with only one child, but I think it's important to know that you will be reading lesson plans written for classroom teachers.

Now, let's move on to the good stuff. AIMS stands for Activities Integrating Math and Science. Through very hands-on, well-documented lessons, children make real connections to math and science concepts. The fun lessons include reproducible pages that help children keep notes, organize information and "see" the results of their experiences. These student pages are black and white, but are very engaging with clear expectations. For your convenience, with the book comes a CD-ROM that includes PDF files of all the student sheets.    

Getting Into Geometry is a math-based unit written for Kindergarten and 1st grade students. However, I've found my K4 son able to handle many of the lessons. In approximately 50 lessons, a solid introduction to geometry covers the topics of:

• 2-dimensional shapes
• Composing and decomposing shapes
• Symmetry
• 3-dimensional solids
• Spatial relationships

The lessons are very teacher driven which isn't surprising for the age level they are geared toward. They are also very hands-on, which builds concrete understanding as your little one begins processing fundamental geometry concepts. My son has simply loved the lessons! I will admit that it takes a tad more preparation on my part as opposed to simply opening a math workbook, but the effort has created a meaningful and fun math time.  

Sometimes, the parent is expected to gather a few common materials or make other lesson preparations, but all needs are obviously noted in the teacher's section of each lesson. Besides purchasing a set of geometric solids, all other manipulatives called for in the lessons can be easily created from inexpensive materials, or simply copied from the book and cut from paper.  

The teacher's notes also include some background information concerning the concept, tips about making the lesson flow well, and step-by-step procedures. You will also find questions to ask at the end of the lesson which help evaluate your child's understanding. The teacher's notes are quite easy to read and implement.

I love AIMS!

Product Review by Cindy West, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, January, 2012