Mathematics for each age group at Wingra

In Principles and Standards for School Mathematics, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics describes ten areas of focus that span the Pre-K through Grade 12 school years:

Wingra classrooms address all ten areas of focus in distinct ways.

At the primary level, ages 5 to 7

Our youngest students do math activities daily and work on problems in all ten  areas of focus. The curriculum is partly based on a math program developed at the University of Wisconsin-Madison called Cognitively Guided Instruction, or CGI. CGI is an approach to teaching mathematics based on listening to how children solve problems and building on the knowledge they already have. Children are encouraged to solve problems in different ways and to share strategies with one another. This process leads to a deep understanding and flexibility in thinking. The process of solving the problem is as important as the answer itself.

Students progress in a developmentally appropriate way from representing math concepts with manipulatives to the use of number sentences and standard algorithms.

Older students in this age group also begin work in the Investigations curriculum. This curriculum, called Investigations in Number, Data, and Space, was developed by the Technical Education and Research Center (TERC) and the National Science Foundation and consists of 2- to 6-week units in number, data, and space, which are emphasized because of their fundamental role in mathematical thinking.

At the intermediate level, ages 8 to 11

The students in this age group continue to develop their math skills through a two-part approach. All students have regular math-center assignments which are individual skill-building activities suited to the level of each student. Students also continue to work with the CGI and Investigations curriculum.

Older students start a problem-solving based math program called Math in Context (MIC). Developed at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, MIC activities move students systematically through important strands of math such as measurement, probability, algebra, and estimation. MIC allows students to practice a variety of math skills and learn strategies from peers as they work in teams to solve complex problems.

At the senior level, ages 11 to 14

Math time for the oldest students is one of the few instances when we group students in the same class by their grade level. We do this to be certain that our graduating eighth graders will have mastered the math skills they need for continued success at the high school level.

The oldest students at Wingra build their math skills in a more individualized way by setting math goals, with teacher guidance. For some students, this will mean working in a small group using a pre-algebra text. For others, more advanced algebra or geometry skills will be the focus.

All students in our older classrooms also complete regular math center assignments, often integrated with the thematic unit. As in the younger classes, centers may include significant practice in the Numbers and Operations content area, but at a level that will challenge older students and employ Algebra, Geometry, and Data Analysis.

Read about how math is approached at Wingra School.
What every parent should know about math at Wingra.»

For more information on the specific curricula, see: 

Principles and Standards for School Mathematics. 2000. National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. A description of the NCTM documents is provided online at www.nctm.org.

Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics. 1989.

National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.

Investigations in Numbers, Data, and Space. 1997. TERC (Technical Education and Research Center) and the National Science Foundation. This website has detailed information about the curriculum and the TERC organization.

Math in Context website.

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