Mathematics at our school is taught by giving students opportunities to solve engaging problems and by building on the natural ways children make sense of numbers. Rather than primarily giving students worksheets of problems and prescribing formulas to find answers, teachers convey the fundamental concepts that will allow students not only to make calculations and memorize math facts, but also to solve problems that are meaningful to them. Teachers ask students to explain their thinking.
By explaining how they solve problems, children learn that math is a process of thinking and a tool to use in life. Students’ thinking moves developmentally from the concrete to the abstract. In this way, students become adept at higher levels of critical thinking, such as synthesizing, analyzing, and applying.
Research has shown that when children construct for themselves new ways of thinking about problems, understanding is deeper and can therefore be applied to new situations. While all students at Evergreen learn to use math for problem solving and abstract thinking, we also work to differentiate our math curriculum for students of different abilities and learning styles. For this reason, students will sometimes work in flexible ability groups for math instruction.
Specific components of mathematics include:
The commitment of math facts to memory, so that recall of addition, subtraction, and multiplication becomes “automatic”
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Measurement, time, money, and other areas of “practical” math
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Calculations, geometry, algebra
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Word problems and hands-on problem solving with manipulatives or real-world situations
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Differentiated assignments, homework, and/or instruction
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Heterogenous grouping or ability grouping, as appropriate
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