Focus on Mathematics
The Mathematics Program at Aurora School has for a long time been grounded in solid constructivist teaching practices partnered with special attention to children's cognitive development. Many innovative mathematics lessons have been taught in Aurora classrooms.
Mathematics instruction continues to be a highlighted program for Aurora School, and as such, has been a focus during staff development days for the last two years. All teachers are now working with the Bay Area Math Project (BAMP) from the University of California, Berkeley, which provides instructional strategies and mathematics expertise at all grade levels.
Teachers organize their curriculum and make decisions about the order in which they will teach specific mathematical concepts and skills. For example, they use literature to complement their mathematics program. Picture books help to engage students, make mathematical connections, pose problems, and set the stage for concept and skills development.
From the kindergarten to the fifth grade, students are asked to write about mathematics as part of their classroom activities. They compose mathematical stories and problems, and are regularly asked to communicate their mathematical thinking through words, numbers, pictures, and charts.
Aurora's teachers also strengthen their own mathematical knowledge with their peer community, where they share and articulate their own mathematical thinking, ask questions, learn and practice using mathematical terms or just explore interesting concepts in math.