The Big Ideas Math: Modeling Real Life program uses a Universal Design for Learning to create an engaging and innovative program that uses hands-on activities and scaffolded instruction. The instructional design guides students through concepts from surface-level to deep-level learning and allows them to transfer these skills to new concepts in a complete and comprehensive way. This allows for balanced lessons with built-in differentiation, as well as RTI support, that appeals to students and teachers alike.

The Big Ideas Math: Modeling Real Life series comes with two options of accelerating students, the Advanced Pathway and the Compacted Pathway. Students in either pathway cover all the middle school content in two years, allowing them to reach Algebra 1 in eighth grade and advanced mathematics in high school.