Mathematics at The Phillips Brooks School

Mathematics
Mathematically Powerful Children:
  • develop meaning for numbers and operations
  • look for relationships among numbers and operations
  • understand computational strategies and use them flexibly, efficiently, and accurately
  • can makes sense of numerical and quantitative situations

-From Understanding Mathematics Across the Grades. 2006. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann

At the Phillips Brooks School, our math program is informed by the Everyday Mathematics curriculum, developed by the University of Chicago Mathematics Project.

Our goal is to develop and reinforce skills in children that will enhance their appreciation of how we use math in our everyday lives. Children build understanding and develop skills as a result of meaningful and connected learning experiences. Mastery of mathematical concepts and skills comes from repeated exposure and practice. This allows students to make connections and build on the mathematical content they already know while gradually learning more challenging content.

Our math program features:

  • lots of hands-on activities
  • various ways of looking at numbers and the way they are used
  • different methods and strategies for computation
  • a safe environment in which to experiment and 'play' with numbers
  • a priority on automatic recall of basic number facts
  • a program where both the answer and the process are important
  • a home/school partnership with daily 'Home Links' (Grades 2-3) and 'Study Links' (Grades 4-5) that provide opportunities for families to participate in the students' mathematical learning.

Content strands include:

  • Number and Numeration
  • Operations and Computations
  • Data and Chance
  • Measurement and Reference Frames
  • Geometry
  • Patterns, Functions and Algebra

To find out more about the Everyday Mathematics program and grade specific content go to: http://everydaymath.uchicago.edu