The Beauty of Math for Parents

Perplexing Measures!

Grade 4 students explored modeling with fractions using Mindset Mathematics Big Ideas. In this task, students created and used fractions to measure different objects. In the process, they learned how fractions can help when measuring. They also generalized that their fractions must relate to the same whole before they can compare. Ideas of fair shares, equivalence, and fractions more than one (improper fractions or mixed numbers) also came up as they synthesized their learning. Definitely a productive struggle!

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How do we use Khan Academy?

Khan Academy is one of the resources we use as a school to practice specific math skills within the grade level. This year, we begin to explore using MAP Recommended Practice to cater to different readiness based on the students' MAP scores. Students can use Khan Academy as part of their stations (rotations) or during goals time. 

"Basketball Data"

Inspired by the data visual of the basketball shots of Golden State Warriors player Steph Curry, these 5th-grade mathematicians investigate the frequency of shots for chosen locations around the hoop. Which places on the court do we find most success? Might there be a relationship between the location on the court and one's efficiency? What other questions are we now curious about? Mathematicians are inquirers!

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Dear Data: Grade 2 students tell a story through their data representations.

How many times do I fight with my little sister?

How long does it take for our class to get to the gathering?

How many times have I been courageous?

How do we make Math meaningful?

As they continue to learn about data, second graders use their learning to investigate and share something meaningful to them. Can you tell the stories behind these creative visual representations? Mathematicians are creative thinkers and communicators!

How do teachers plan Math units?

Here is an example of how the teachers collaborate to plan the Math units in the Village School. Together, we look at the essential elements of the unit, clarify end goals, and plan the next steps. 

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Learning through play!

What does it feel like to be a point on a coordinate plane? Grade 5 classes play Battleship against each other to experience what they are learning about the coordinate plane. 

It's amazing how children see things...Cartooning flexible thinking with multiplication strategies.

How might students look for and make use of structure?

From Third grade, students notice patterns or rules when multiplying and dividing numbers.  When I look at different products and quotients, what pattern do I see? How can I use this pattern as a rule or structure to help make multiplication and division easier? In this picture collection, Grade 3 students are investigating on divisibility rules.

Tuning In: Division

How might we start exploring the concept of division? Through a snack party! Third Graders buy snacks to share with their group mates equally. They notice how both multiplication and division are about equal groups. They begin to ask, "How about the extra ones?" Well, that's why we have remainders when we divide! 

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How can we support facts fluency?

Third graders build on their multiplication facts fluency through various games. In this video, students were playing "Salute" using a deck of cards and "Tri-Facta" board game. 

Play "Salute" or "Tri-Facta" at home! Here's how to play Salute. Tri-Facta is available on Coupang and Amazon

Investigating Equal Groups

What comes in equal groups?

Where do we see equal groups?

What is multiplication? How does it work?

Math is everywhere!

Counting Collections

We love Counting Collections in the Village! Grade 2 students continue to use Counting Collections to strengthen the development of their mathematical reasoning. From developing counting strategies, they build on their additive reasoning by flexibly adding numbers of things in groups formed. In the process, these young mathematicians are getting ready to reason multiplicatively!  

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Counting & Numbers

In Early Years, Math starts from Morning Meeting as they look at the calendar together. They continue their Math investigation as they ask, What ideas can we discover today as we count? What if we start counting from today's date? How far can we go? Might there be other ways of counting? Our young mathematicians end their class by sharing ideas and questions..

What does it mean to communicate reasoning?

Kinder friends practice communicating their reasoning using models, pictures (including symbols), and words. They make connections and begin to use their models to support their thinking.

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Grade 5 Counting Collections: Beans Inquiry

Students wondered about very big numbers, and used Counting Collections to explore how a number system work. In the process they looked at the patterns in our numbers/number system and the concept of Powers of Ten. 

How did we count?

What is our system?

How does it system work?

What is our strategy?

How do mathematicians reason and be convincing?

Reasoning and convincing are two math practices we strive to develop in our math class. In this "Paper Folding" activity, partners took turns being a skeptic and a  convincer.

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Math is about making connections.

Kinder friends played with finger mazes. In our Math classes, one of our goals is for our students to engage in activities that support "finger discrimination," or knowing their fingers really well. And yes, this skill is important for Math learning!

Math is a visual subject. 

Two of our five brain pathways are visual, which is why it is important for us to visualize and draw our ideas in Math. Drawing strengthens connections in our brain.

Math is for everyone!

Students continue to spend time looking at how our beliefs can affect how we learn and grow as mathematicians. It starts with our beliefs, our mindsets and dispositions.

Who can be great at Math? Everyone!

Approaches to Learning in Math

How we learn is as important as what we are learning. For this reason,  we are spending time inquiring about the Approaches to Learning (skills) and what each skill might look like in our Math class. How can these approaches/skills support our growth as mathematicians? 

Inspirational Maths

We started the year in the Village focusing on our identities as Mathematicians. How can our mindset and beliefs influence our Math learning? As a community, how can we help each other grow? Classes came up with inspiring messages and norms of collaboration to remind them that everyone can learn Math and be great at it. As a school, it is our goal for all our students to see themselves as mathematicians and see maths as 

Welcome to School Year 2023 - 2024!

Math is Fun!

Students activated prior knowledge of fractions by making their own smoothie recipe using fractions! We continue to ask ourselves, how can we use math in our daily lives? 

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Tuning In: Fractions 

Grade 4 mathematicians tuned into fractions as they talked about what they already knew and played with fractional pieces. They also had opportunities to use fractions as they made recipes and baked. Next goal: Find out more about fractions. What new ideas can we learn about fractions? What new concepts, vocabulary, and skills can we learn?  

Finding fractions

Where can we find fractions?

Baking with fractions

How do we use fractions?

Making fractions

 What are fractions like?

Measurement & 

How the World Works

Is there a connection between thinking like a scientist and as a mathematician? Grade 1 students used the concept of measurement as well as the practices of a mathematician (for example, reasoning quantitatively, using tools, and being precise) as they inquired into the theme, How the World Works. Scientists are mathematicians, too!

Measurement: Studio Model

One teaching-learning structure that we use in Math is the studio model. In this Grade 2 class, students sign up for  stations throughout the week to explore a particular concept or skill. The teachers monitor learning as they confer with the children and give feedback. 

How Math supports the Unit of Inquiry


The second graders inquired into how information can be expressed as organized and structured data. They used their understanding and skills in data handling to support their unit on Sharing the Planet, as they investigated their actions, for example, the amount of trash they produce, and their impact on the environment. 

Math supports UOI

Math can inform

Math for reflection

Math brings action

It's Math Dress Up Day!

Thank you, Student Council, for organizing our Math Dress Up Day. It was lovely to see students and teachers wearing their favorite numbers, math symbols, and ideas, including positive messages about Math. Let's continue to promote love for Math learning in our school and spread the message that we all belong in Math!

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Math in the Early Years

What does Math look like in the Early Years? How do our PreK and Kinder friends learn Math? Play is such an important part of children's learning. They learn about numbers, counting, measurement, and shapes as they interact with materials in their environment. They talk about math and do math as they play games such as cooking and cafe/restaurants, road and building construction, puzzles, and boardgames. 

How Many Beans?

Grade 5 mathematicians started their inquiry on place value (power of 10) through counting collections. They developed systems in counting; Some started using 5 as their base, some started with 20, some used 60 as their base, while another used the base 10. Which is most efficient?

Let's Make Squares!

Grade 3 mathematicians practiced their thinking and social skills through the task, "Let's make squares." Group members practiced taking turns, being courteous, and listening to different ideas as they placed a stick one member at a time to make 1-12 squares. A great way to build norms of collaboration.

We started the year with a read aloud, "Everyone Can Learn Math."

Everyone Can Learn Math by Alice Aspinall