Mathematics
In mathematics, a strong emphasis is placed on the mastery of the basics: addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Over the years, we have found that most students that have difficulty in math have a poor command of the basic facts. Some primary teachers do not devote sufficient time to the basic facts because they find them boring and therefore their students are not comfortable and fluent with math because they are very slow at computing and must rely on their ten fingers to do even the very basic processes of addition and subtraction. A dynamic and resourceful primary grade teacher will introduce many math game activities to make the basic facts interesting and to devote sufficient time with all students until they have mastered these vital keys to success in math.
Student's computation involves whole numbers, fractions, and decimals. Stress is laid on word problems and reasoning through ratios, percentages, proportions, geometry, and math word games. Cuisenaire rods, geoboards, and other manipulative materials are used to introduce and reinforce various math concepts. Frequent use of our computers and the many computer math games are an integral part of the math program.
At Wayland Academy, the math program is personalized as much as possible so that each student is working at a pace that is adjusted to the child's strengths and weaknesses while at the same time being both stimulating and challenging. Children proceed at their own pace under the guidance of the math teachers and are not slowed down or unnecessarily accelerated by other members of the group or class. If a student needs more attention or personalized help on a certain concept, he or she doesn't experience the fear or anxiety that arises when one feels concerned about falling behind the class. In addition, students are tested on a continued basis with teacher-made tests which include a brief review of all important math processes and concepts and not just those learned recently. This continuous testing helps to inform the teacher whether each individual is proceeding at an appropriate pace that is tailored to the student's ability.
At all times, the math program incorporates real life math situations, so that children are made aware of the need for math in many areas of everyday life: measuring in cooking, sewing, and building; counting change, figuring prices and taxes on items purchased, figuring discounts for items on sale, balancing checking accounts, etc.
In the upper class (grades 5 and 6), a unit on the stock market is included in the curriculum. The unit begins with the students receiving some background information on the how's and why's of the stock market and how it came about. The students are then given a sum of play money to purchase stocks. They are encouraged to think about products they or their family may use to help in making choices on what stock to buy. They learn to read the stock pages in the newspaper and how to interpret the performance of their stocks. At an agreed upon time, they sell their stocks and figure their profits and losses. During the course of the unit, a stock broker is invited to speak to the class to make the unit more interesting and realistic.