Lower School Math
Look into the classroom during a math lesson, and you’re sure to see excitement as the students play math games and eagerly raise their hands to share an idea about the calendar pattern. Math classes in the Lower School have started with a review of last year’s lessons, and students are building their algebraic thinking each day with new challenges.
Second graders are exploring different ways to break up numbers within 20; third graders are solidifying addition and subtraction skills as they prepare to move on to multiplication; and fourth graders are busying themselves with prime and composite numbers, characteristics of arrays, and patterns in factor pairs. In each classroom, teachers are pushing students to verbalize their thinking with meaningful questions: How do you know? Can you prove it to your neighbor? What would happen if…?
Lessons and concepts are reinforced not only with written exercises but also with lively discussions and of course, games, which allow students to apply their knowledge as they strategize their next move. JK-4 Math Coordinator Leah Silver is approaching the year with a clear goal in mind. “We want all students to know that they’re capable of tackling complex math problems. When they learn to see math as a playful activity, a puzzle to be solved, their attitude shifts. They’re excited to become mathematicians and eager to tackle the next challenge. And we need to make sure that the next challenge is always at their fingertips.”
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Lessons and concepts are reinforced not only with written exercises but also with lively discussions and of course, games, which allow students to apply their knowledge as they strategize their next move. JK-4 Math Coordinator Leah Silver is approaching the year with a clear goal in mind. “We want all students to know that they’re capable of tackling complex math problems. When they learn to see math as a playful activity, a puzzle to be solved, their attitude shifts. They’re excited to become mathematicians and eager to tackle the next challenge. And we need to make sure that the next challenge is always at their fingertips.”
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Grace Church School is a co-educational independent school in downtown Manhattan, New York City providing instruction for nearly 800 students in Junior Kindergarten through Grade 12.
