Rhetoric, the crown jewel of Classical Education, was praised in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, with no or little emphasis placed on mathematics. Yet with each passing century and decade, classical circles have begun to recognize and praise the true value of students' understanding regarding the depth and complexity of mathematics. Many math programs teach the procedures of mathematics, but very few, if any, have understood that mathematics is its own language, and therefore its basic concepts must be understood at the earliest levels—just as any other language program.
As TRA continues to grow and improve, the administration conducted an evaluation with the elementary teachers and, as a result, changed the elementary mathematics program this summer in grades K-5 (we will add Grade 6 for the 25/26 school year). When contacted, many Classical Christian schools throughout the nation consistently praised one mathematics program above any others.
This robust new program, think!Mathematics, will continue to allow TRA to meet the needs of all students while retaining a high level of academic rigor. It is a Singapore-based program that is similar to our former Math in Focus program, however, this program more intentionally immerses students in math study with the underlying philosophy that mathematics is a language that must be understood in its own right. The program is structured so that every student is met exactly where they are in their level of understanding while also challenging them to keep building their understanding of the language of mathematics.
Each day’s lesson is structured to take around 60 minutes and includes five key components: explore, structure, journal, reflect, and practice. It differs from Math in Focus by including an anchor task, journaling, one lesson a day, one lesson spiraling, variation from lesson to lesson (within a unit), and a deeper understanding rather than surface-level learning. It also includes an amazing digital teacher toolkit and provides them with more ongoing training and support. This program also helps keep parents more accurately informed of what their children are learning in class each day.
Teachers have received training on this new program and are excited about the opportunity to teach math in this way. Further opportunities for professional development will also be available throughout the upcoming school year. We will also have a Family Math Game Night on Wednesday, November 6th from 6pm-7pm to help parents better understand this new program (more info to follow).
Please see the diagram below that captures the overall philosophy of the program. Thank you for continuing to partner with us as we seek curriculum solutions that align more closely with our education model and better support our mission to educate the next generation of Christian leaders well. As always, please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns.
In Christ,
Mike Picciottoli
Head of School
