Elementary Math: Foundation for success
Did you know your elementary student is charting her mathematical journey through high school? The student who arrives at middle school fluent in math, armed with strategies and willing to work with others is prepared to persevere through the challenges of algebra and geometry and set a course through Calculus and Statistics in high school.
“Every learner should struggle every day,” says Heather Kreger, Fort Zumwalt Elementary Math Curriculum Coordinator. “Whether you’re an adult or a child, if you’re not struggling you’re not learning. That deep level of learning we are doing in math in elementary will help students learn to persevere in all areas of curriculum and life.”
Teaching perseverance puts math in focus. Rather than swallowing facts they can quickly spit out, students are asked to absorb strategies that can be used beyond math:
Work together.
Ask for help.
Share what you know.
Explain how you did it.
Listen to how your classmate did it.
Try again. Persevere.
“These are skills students need to succeed in all areas,” Kreger says. Elementary learners who persevere become middle school learners on course to pursue math at high levels in high school and equipped to meet the demands of college and career.