Each student who has requested one was issued a calculator to use with problem-solving, not computation, as the objective. At the beginning of the year the curriculum includes place value, the four basic operations with whole and decimal numbers. However, the real goal is to help students think logically and mathematically, and for them to discover the beautiful relationships of numbers. Later in the year students will use estimating skills, and learn graphing, statistics and probability theory. We then head into fractions by learning the lowest common multiples and denominators, factors, prime and composite numbers and greatest factors.
Parents can help students by checking on basic math fact knowledge.
Information containing informal assessments, plus an explanatory letter, was sent home early in the school year. Math homework is generally assigned Monday through Thursday. Students will be using a variety of multimedia and application tools to create reports to demonstrate their knowledge of curriculum areas. For example, students will create web pages during the course of the year and use the Internet to research information. In order to foster both academic and social development, the overall climate of the classroom is critical.