Components of Mathematics Instruction

  • Mathematical Problem Solving


    Students will apply mathematical concepts and skills and the relationships among them to solve problem situations of varying complexities. Students also will recognize and create problems from real-life data and situations within and outside mathematics and then apply appropriate strategies to find acceptable solutions. To accomplish this goal, students will need to develop a repertoire of skills and strategies for solving a variety of problem types. A major goal of the mathematics program is to help students become competent mathematical problem solvers.

  • Mathematical Communication

    Students will use the language of mathematics, including specialized vocabulary and symbols, to express mathematical ideas precisely. Representing, discussing, reading, writing, and listening to mathematics will help students to clarify their thinking and deepen their understanding of the mathematics being studied.

  • Mathematical Reasoning

    Students will recognize reasoning and proof as fundamental aspects of mathematics. Students will learn and apply inductive and deductive reasoning skills to make, test, and evaluate mathematical statements and to justify steps in mathematical procedures. Students will use logical reasoning to analyze an argument and to determine whether conclusions are valid. In addition, students will learn to apply proportional and spatial reasoning and to reason from a variety of representations such as graphs, tables, and charts.

  • Mathematical Connections

    Students will relate concepts and procedures from different topics in mathematics to one another and see mathematics as an integrated field of study. Through the application of content and process skills, students will make connections between different areas of mathematics and between mathematics and other disciplines, especially science. Science and mathematics teachers and curriculum writers are encouraged to develop mathematics and science curricula that reinforce each other.

  • Mathematical Representations

    Students will represent and describe mathematical ideas, generalizations, and relationships with a variety of methods. Students will understand that representations of mathematical ideas are an essential part of learning, doing, and communicating mathematics. Students should move easily among different representations: graphical, numerical, algebraic, verbal, and physical and recognize that representation is both a process and a product.

  • Curriculum

    Instructional Foci per grade band are as follows:

    Kindergarten, 1st Grade, & 2nd Grade
    In all classes the overarching emphasis in these classes is to focus on Number Sense.

    3rd Grade, 4th Grade, & 5th Grade
    In all classes the overarching emphasis in these classes is to focus on Estimation, Computation and Fractional Thinking.

    6th Grade, 7th Grade, & Pre-Algebra
    In all classes the overarching emphasis in these classes is to focus on Proportional Reasoning and Algebraic Functions.