Like a great book or compelling work of art, a great curriculum is meant to be studied. Eureka's "educative" character is an essential feature of the program. In an article for SEEN magazine, Lynne Munson argues that "The expectations of the CCSS are slowly ushering out the day of the scripted curriculum. Content-rich materials that are educative and respectful of teachers as students themselves are replacing scripts." Munson points out that the lesson preparation process offers a perfect opportunity for studying both mathematics and teaching methods, whether you do it alone or in dialog with peers. To learn more about why and how lesson study is the professional development wave of the future read Munson's article, "Classroom Curriculum for Teaching Students and Teachers."

Those are the words of parent Ron Halter, whose children attend Immanuel Lutheran School in Freeport, Illinois. When Immanuel Lutheran needed to improve its curriculum, it adopted Eureka Math. Even though Immanuel only began implementing Eureka in August, scores have risen more than 10 percent on the Measures of Academic Progress test covering students from kindergarten through 8th grade. Halter says he was hesitant at first but now is thrilled with the change he's seen, not just in his kids but in himself: "When they first brought it home, it looked so foreign," Halter said. But now, according to the local newspaper, Halter "said even he understands math better since he started helping his kids learn with the new program."