Crane Country Day School Established 1928

Crane School Blog: Focus on Learning

Featuring articles written by Crane Staffulty

For more information about Crane Country Day School, please contact admission@craneschool.org.

Finding Mathematical Meaning in Your Everyday World
Alexa Hughes

Motivating optimal performance in math begins with explaining to students the importance and relevance of having a strong mathematical foundation.  If students do not understand why math is important to their overall development and future, many will consider their math classes nothing more than a class they need to earn an A in, or a class that requires them to do an hour of homework each evening. “Why,” many students wonder, “do I have to take math when I have little interest in it and what they teach me will be of no use to me in my future career?”

Math is not just for those who aspire to become mathematicians.  Math is crucial to the development of all young minds.  All forms of mathematics challenge students to think critically and logically.  While solving problems is a measure of whether students are following proper sequencing, the thought process, rather than the ultimate answer, exercises and trains young minds to think logically.

 

Such is our mission at Crane. Beyond stressing the conceptual benefits of math, we strive to make our math classes relevant, fun and engaging.  Whenever possible, we link math to current events and activities.  When students see how math connects to the world around them, a sense of relevance and acceptance tends to follow.  

 

 

Consider these suggestions to support mathematical thinking, comfort, and success: 

  • Preschool - Start by having children notice quantity amounts to help with number sense. This can be done when out on a walk, or at home during snack time.  Questions might include, “Which side of the street has more houses” or “Which pile has fewer goldfish?” Follow up by asking how the answer was reached. Having early-in-life conversations help pre-school children notice quantities and numbers in their everyday life. 
     
  • Elementary School - Play games and add a little math twist to them! Board games, cards and dice are excellent tools.  Ask questions like, “How many spaces away is the next red square,” or “What is the chance you draw a king out of the deck of cards?”  With dice have kids roll and then add or multiply the total; then see who can get to 50 the fastest.
     
  • Middle School - Use math to help children develop useful life skills. Have them calculate the tip on a restaurant bill or estimate how much it will cost to fill up your car with gas (assuming they know the price/gallon and how many gallons the car holds.  Make it fun! Offer a special treat for the one who guesses the total bill, to the closest dollar, while shopping. 

In the words of the famous Indian mathematician, Shakuntala Devi,  “Without mathematics, there’s nothing you can do. Everything around you is mathematics. Everything around you is numbers.” We best serve our children if we repeatedly remind them of this and, in so doing, engage them in fun exercises and challenges which will orient their minds toward mathematical thinking on a daily basis. 

Alexa Hughes
Upper School Math Teacher & Eighth Grade Dean

Most Recent Posts

Experiencing Learning Through Our Children's Eyes

One school day afternoon during the onset of the pandemic, my seventh grade son joyfully announced that we would be building a bird shelter or feeder. It was part of a project for his science class with Mr. Yates, he said, and he quickly began investigating his options. While I’d like to say we accomplished our plan to build a box for the elusive Great Horned Owl that sometimes hoots nearby, we eventually traded this lofty goal for a purchased hummingbird feeder.  The two of us constructed a makeshift stand from some wood pieces we foraged from our shed, and prominently placed it visibly outside our living room.

2020-21-GillisSara-Joy

I have always loved spending time outside. Growing up, this looked like summers spent hiking and camping in Vermont and years spent playing outdoor sports no matter the season (Hello, winters in upstate New York!). I had never heard of “experiential education.” For me, school and learning took place inside a classroom, and play was outside.  

The Value of Choice

Many people in our Crane School community have heard of Q.E.D., our seventh grade capstone project that occurs each spring semester. Last year was the 20th year of this amazing program, but what IS it?

From Farm to Table and the Lessons Within

Gardening has been a part of the Crane experience for decades. Whether planting a butterfly garden to attract Monarchs or researching which variety of apples would grow best on our campus, students have always been a part of “growing” at Crane.