is built around these abilities. This can often hinder a student’s capacity to learn and
develop. What if students could be taught math in an environment where learning was
fueled by curiosity, and curiosity was nurtured by class discussion? Rather than
bombarding students with graphs and formulas, students should be able to discover
mathematical concepts for themselves and come to their own conclusions regarding
their significance.
Many studies have been conducted showing that students learn best when they
learn the meaning and understanding behind mathematical concepts through
collaboration with their peers. Rather than teaching math in a competitive academic
environment, students can discover math by sharing their ideas and solving problems as
a group. One program that has been implemented in many schools throughout the
United States, including Silver Creek, is the Interactive Mathematics Program. This
program serves as an alternative to topic-specific math and it is meant to introduce
mathematical concepts to students in an approachable way, while still challenging their
thinking. The philosophy behind this program is the idea that math can be discovered; it
doesn’t always have to be taught. While there is no evidence from standardized testing
that students in IMP classes perform better, the problem-solving skills of IMP students
are higher than in students taking topic-specific math courses. IMP students are also
more likely to take math classes as they pursue higher education.
Another program that is used worldwide at
the grade-school level is called Jump Math. This
program fosters the idea that math is intuitive in
every person and in order to learn math, students
must feel comfortable in their learning environment.
When teaching, there is always a gap between what
students know and what they need to know. If the
gap is too wide, then students will get frustrated and
give up easily. If the gap is too narrow then students
will not be pushed and lose motivation. The goal of
Jump Math is to present students with the right-sized gap between their current
knowledge and their end-goal so that students make progress while at the same time
building confidence in their mathematical abilities. The founder of Jump, John
Mighton, uses the analogy of rock climbing to describe math; there are numerous ways
to find your way to the top and you have to decide for yourself the strategies you use to
get there. However, it is impossible to reach a goal without help. The Jump program
labels this method of teaching “guided discovery.” Students taking Jump math have
performed better on standardized tests and feel more confident about their math ability.
Another alternative approach to teaching math that has been around for much
longer than many others is the Montessori teaching philosophy. This method of teaching