Math

Math class is an exciting journey where University Cooperative School students build a deep conceptual understanding through engaging and interactive study units. 

When exploring new math concepts, students use physical objects (like blocks, counters, or even chestnuts!) to build and model problems - learning through movement and action. This allows them to use all of their senses to grasp the concepts of value, operation, and measurement in tangible ways. Once students master problem-solving using concrete materials, they use drawings or visual representations to bridge the gap between concrete and abstract concepts, often inventing their own innovative equations and methods. Finally, students model the mathematical concept at a symbolic (abstract) level, using numbers, notation, and mathematical symbols to represent problems and solutions. 

The opportunity to build problem-solving skills concretely and invent self-derived equations gives our students exceptionally strong algebraic reasoning skills at every grade level and sets them up for greater success when learning standard algorithms and abstract concepts. Our approach ensures that every student experiences the joy of discovery and the thrill of understanding math meaningfully.