Issue link: http://latinschool.uberflip.com/i/1077063
does each person get?"), but the lessons are structured in much the same way. Fourth grade teacher Amanda Schirmacher thinks the beauty of Singapore Math is that the lessons empower students to be able to express themselves. "I love that this is more about kids articulating their thinking out loud," she said. "There are moments when I can step back and just listen to the conversations." Daley Chan, the math lab teacher who sees every SK–4 student once per six-day cycle for math enrichment projects, echoes Schirmacher's view. "A teacher told me after a month of using Singapore Math that she noticed she spoke the least amount in math class in her 15 years of teaching. And she said this with excitement because this meant the students were talking more," he said. Schirmacher noted that her students love sharing their methods, which she can project on a screen after taking a picture of the method with her tablet. "They are getting more comfortable with their speaking and presentation skills," she said. "It enables them to be confident in sharing their thinking," a skill that will serve them well as they enter middle and high school. "The earlier you find your voice, the better," she said. The math journals (above) also help build vital communication skills where the students are learning the language of math, perhaps comparing two methods or summarizing the lesson in their own words, becoming a kind of student-authored textbook. The journals also offer a way for students to reflect on the task, noting if it was too easy or hard, or who in class solved the task in the most efficient way. The drilling of math facts is not part of the curriculum, though it is still the goal for students to become fluent in them. "This is less about rote memorization [of math facts] like when we were kids," Schirmacher said. "We are building incredible number sense with these students. It is amazing to see." Singapore Math benefits students because our kids are becoming adept problem solvers. It'll be exciting to see how this impacts them as they make their way into higher-level math." J U L I E B R O O K S , D I R E C T O R O F T H E L O W E R S C H O O L LATIN MAGAZINE » WINTER 2019 25