Work with mathematical concepts occurs in the classroom in a variety of ways.

Math Lessons
Our math meetings provide the children with an opportunity to think about a common problem, to share strategies for solving the problem, and to explain why their strategies work.

Group Work
Through group work, the children can arrive at a better understanding of their own thinking by explaining it to others. In addition, they can learn that there is often more than one solution to a problem. Group work gives an opportunity for children who might think about problems in different ways to work cooperatively, and share their strategies. As we work with groups of children on math, we select and develop each activity specifically to provide the children with experiences in thinking about how to solve everyday math problems.

Folder Work
Concepts learned in meetings and group work are strongly reinforced through folder work. In addition, new concepts are often introduced in folder work through games--like Crazy Creatures, or Hexagon. These assignments require the children to work with pattern blocks, geoboards, base-10 blocks, and numerous other manipulatives to further their understanding of a range of concepts--from geometric area to double-digit addition.

Math Games
Games such as Four in a Row, Dice Graph, Number Line, and 100's Chart give children repeated practice with number facts using a variety of manipulatives. Other mathematical skills, such as logic and spatial strategies, are reinforced in games like Swim Away and Block Out. We design our math investigations using materials that provoke children's curiosity, and that can be approached from many different levels.

During the course of the year we cover a range of concepts areas:

• Patterns and Relationships
• and attribute Recognition
• Graphing and Data Analysis
• Operations and Computations -- Combining and Separating Numbers
• Geometry and Fractions
• Measurement
• Money

Our math activities are set up in such a way that there is not always one "right" method or line of thinking to follow. We encourage children to make predictions, explore the materials, and then articulate the questions, discoveries, and theories that emerge out of their experiences. Helping the children construct an understanding of number relationships is our primary goal. A problem such as 112+112 might be approached in various ways. One child might begin by using her knowledge that 12+12=24; another child might use his skill of counting by 10's; another student might start by noting two hundreds are 200.

Often it is assumed that learning the algorithms is "learning math." but learning math involves actively adding amounts, collecting data, using concrete materials, and, finally, learning the algorithm to record (and apply in future similar cases) what has been mastered conceptually. Research has proven that concept must precede symbol memorization.