Math Is Everywhere!

"You truly know when the engine is running here at C&C. One of the early signs is the newly positioned VIIIs skipping around the school buildings, eager and enthusiastic to begin their job of running the school Post Office."

By Jane Clarke, Lower School Director

One of our IIIs teachers, Megan Lau, and I were in the middle of our meeting and were happily interrupted by eager VIIIs doing surveys for important things to stock up on before they open their PO, and what kind of pricing might be realistic. One survey crew became interested in the number of envelopes that might be good to stock, whether they could be sold in packs of 5 or 10, whether larger envelopes should be priced higher than smaller envelopes, and why that might make sense. A highlight for me was when one VIII implored his partner with such passion: "Wait, wait, let me do the math!" A joyful moment indeed. I will include some photos at the end of this message that show examples of how mathematical thinking is embedded into the Lower School program in meaningful and consistent ways. Our motto has become: Math is Everywhere!

I will leave you with some snapshots of the way in which Math is Everywhere in our program!

The IIIs fit shapes together and explore symmetry, all in the context of block play.

Here in the IVs, attendance is organized in such a powerfully simple way: make a bar chart out of brick-shaped blocks! IVs also participate in filling in the Attendance cards (collected by the VIIIs) and explore numbers in different ways.

Vs record their attendance as they arrive in the morning using a Rekenrek grouping sequence. Teachers use these portable charts to talk about numbers and how they can be grouped together as a counting strategy, all in the context of knowing who is/isn't in school today.

VIs return to the Rekenrek system in new ways as they begin to record attendance and group numbers, make predictions and estimations, and examine addition and subtraction in new ways.

Teachers use the routine of block pick-up in flexible ways to think about many important math concepts. Here in the VIs, children are hard at work! Grouping, estimation, patterning, and parts to whole: it's all part of the block experience

The VIIs use familiar manipulatives to create number towers.

VIIs work on equations in creative ways. This one involved legs!

VIIs continue to fit shapes together in complex ways, this time when creating the Mary Whalen tanker boat.

VIIIs come around to survey. Talking with Megan (IIIs teacher) opened up new ways of thinking about pricing and merchandise opportunities in the VIIIs!