Larson Texts, Inc. and its subsidiary Big Ideas Learning, LLC produce mathematics education materials for kindergarten through college calculus. For more than 45 years, we have been deeply committed to providing innovative and coherent products that inspire students and teachers and empower them to achieve greatness.
Our story began when Dr. Ron Larson, a mathematics professor at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, recognized the need for student-friendly math textbooks. Ron published his first textbook, Calculus, with D.C. Heath in 1978 after five years of development.
Since then, we invented several features students take for granted today, and our textbooks are known for their readability, accuracy, and instructional design. We have received multiple industry awards and our textbooks are leaders within their markets.
We formed Big Ideas Learning in 2008 to publish our own products, and have since published Big Ideas Math – a print and digital core mathematics curriculum from kindergarten through Algebra 2. We’re pleased that we’re now extending Ron’s original philosophy beyond students to include teachers and parents.
Our passion for classroom instruction includes utilizing technology to facilitate the best learning outcomes. In the 1980s, we wrote the first graphical hypertext engine used to deliver tutorials to students. In the 1990s, we created Interactive Calculus and Internet Calculus, the first multimedia mathematics textbook delivered via CD-ROM and internet, respectively. In the 2000s, we developed a complete internet-based mathematics tutorial curriculum.
Today we build companion web sites and mobile applications for all products. Math Musicals brings mathematics to life for young learners through educational stories, songs, and animations. CalcChat and CalcView provide point-of-use tutorial help for older students. BigIdeasMath is the only K-12 core curriculum product in the industry that is easily accessible online for personal use.
We believe it’s our responsibility to initiate and support local education programs that make a positive impact. We’re particularly fond of the $500,000 Larson Texts Excellence Scholarship at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, and the $100,000 commitment to the Bayfront Maritime Center’s School Ship Porcupine. We’re proud to regularly participate in Behrend College’s Math Options program and Best Practices in Teaching and Learning Mathematics Conference.
