Math

In math each student works at his or her own pace, whether that means working slightly behind grade level or three years ahead.  The teacher works directly with only two students while others practice skills to mastery on paper and in a computerized program.  Facts practice, word problem skills, and assessment are constantly integrated as well.

What is our math program?

Our multi-faceted approach to math class is completely unique, honed from our years of tutoring. Since math is a skills-based course, we believe students should be challenged to master new skills at an individualized pace. Each math class contains only six students so that our teachers can fully customize to each student. The skills that students work on are based on their readiness, not their age or a pre-designated course list.  Students practice through a variety of activities:

• Math Looping ^SM:  In this unique activity, the teacher sits with one to three students and creates customized sets of problems based on a list of skills that the student is reviewing and learning. It’s a highly interactive activity that we have perfected over years of tutoring. It allows a masterful teacher to keep the student constantly in the “zone of proximal development” where real learning takes place.
• Problem solving applications:  Math provides the conceptual basis for solving real world problems.  Students must not only understand the steps to take to arrive at an answer, but why those steps are taken and how they relate to the original problem. Our classes emphasize applying math skills to problem solving applications through individual practice and group activities.
• Individualized Practice Sets:  While the teacher focuses on some of the students in skill looping, others work on individualized practice sets of skills they have recently learned or reviewed. This is similar to math homework seen in more traditional math classes.
• Virtual Practice: In order to ensure that students have truly mastered content, we supplement our teaching with an online math curriculum, which provides the students with additional individualized practice that is responsive to their errors and progress.
• Mastery of Basic Facts:  Once basic math skills such as multiplication facts and square roots are automatic, students can learn higher level concepts more easily and accurately.  A daily warm-up activity ensures mastery of math facts and formulas at each student’s individualized level

Math Looping is a service mark of Nurturing Wisdom, Inc.