Mathematical Habits of Mind are the ways that mathematicians approach and think about problems. Developing mathematical thinkers is at the core of our approach.

Our curriculum consists of problems set in real world contexts. Our students learn to use math as a tool and way of understanding our world.

How many M&M’s are in the pyramid?

This fourth grader’s approach was to add up the M&M’s in each layer to find the total. Sh entered the problem by using her multiplication fact fluency to easily find the square number products of the first 12 layers. As she recorded her thinking, she noticed the emerging pattern (in blue) of the differences between the square products. She was able to find the products for the last seven layers by applying the general rules that she had discovered.