We are thrilled to announce an exciting shift in our math curriculum next year to Math in Focus: The Singapore Approach. After a yearlong faculty review, we believe this new program will strengthen our ability to meet the needs of our students and to build both their skill and confidence as math learners. Per the program's design, Math in Focus will be fully implemented in Kindergarten - Grade 6; Beginners and Pre-Kindergarten will draw upon Singapore strategies but will continue to use multiple resources to support early numeracy skills.

In addition to an emphasis on problem-solving across the grades, we are also drawn to the program's emphasis on depth over breadth. More specifically, we are encouraged by the fact that the program is designed to reach a broad range of learning styles through its rich use of manipulatives, visualization strategies, and range of tools for differentiation. In addition to skill-building in computation and mental math, we are excited by the opportunities it provides students for engaging in communication, reasoning, and algebraic thinking. Lastly, but perhaps most importantly, we believe this approach will foster in our students greater confidence in and enjoyment of mathematics.

We chose Math in Focus not only for the quality of its curriculum, but equally for the wealth of technological and professional development resources available to support the program. Students and teachers will have classroom access to robust technology tools and virtual manipulative to enhance math learning. Our teachers will engage in a full day of implementation training prior to the start of school and will have additional opportunities to work one-on-one with grade specific Math in Focus coaches throughout the year.

In addition to supporting students and teachers through this exciting transition, we are also committed to supporting our families. We will offer family education events on the new program in the fall, and Back-to-School nights will provide more specific information by grade. In the meantime we encourage you to learn more about Math in Focus by visiting http://hmheducation.com/mathinfocus/index.php.

• Categories