Pattern, number sense, shape, measurement, skill acquisition and development, practical math, and problem solving are elements of mathematics that are revisited each year in greater depth and with greater sophistication. Our goals are to foster appreciation, enjoyment and success at both logical and intuitive mathematical thinking and to achieve appropriate levels of competence in those mathematical skills. Students are placed in small classes with children of comparable skill and ability. Each class period is planned in segments, including group and individual instruction, warm up activities, introduction of new concepts, practice, and review.
For some of our students, dyslexia has no impact on mathematical abilities; for others, calculation is weak because of difficulties with writing legible and accurate numbers or because of memory storage and retrieval issues; still others are dyscalculic. Some need to catch up on years of imperfectly learned concepts and inadequately practiced skills while others need the opportunity to be challenged and succeed at advanced levels.
Each class period is planned to include a mixture of visual and kinesthetic activities to reinforce both skills and abstract concepts. Students remain actively engaged when the activities in math are varied. Teachers are encouraged to create materials individualized for specific students. While abundant resources are available to the teachers, textbooks are not assigned or used except as one of many possible learning tools.
