October 2014
Dear Parents/Guardians of Team Quadra,
As our school year gradually enters full swing, we would like to take the time to explain to our parents in the Montessori community regarding the changes to our Math program this year:
With help from the Coquitlam Montessori Society, we purchased the Albanesi Math Lab that allows students to work through at their own pace in class. This program consists of 80 levels of Montessori exercise cards placed in sequential order from simple (pre-grade 6 according to ministry standards) to increasingly more complex (beyond grade 8), and facilitates the use of Montessori math materials in the classroom.
In the first two weeks of school, students completed pre-assessments that determine which concepts they have previously mastered as well as concepts that they will need to learn this year. For some students, this means they will work on exercises that are on a higher level than their peers due to having more prior knowledge in those areas; at the same time, students who need more practice on certain lower-level concepts will have the opportunity to solidify their understanding before moving onto more abstract ones. This will be more beneficial to our students’ individual learning than having the whole class working on the same concepts at the same time.
After the pre-assessments, each student will be given an individualized work plan that spans 10 levels consisting of a variety of concepts. Before working on the exercises at a particular level, students who are ready will attend a presentation session where the teacher either teaches the concept and/or shows how to use a specific Montessori material to aid the understanding of the concept. They will then work through the exercises on their own, and checks with the control set to self-correct any errors after each card has been completed.
After all 10 levels within a work plan have been completed, a post-assessment will determine the proficiency level and give a description of areas that have been mastered. A pre-assessment for the following 10 levels will be given, and the process will repeat itself. It should be noted that most concepts will be revisited at a higher level and presented in a more abstract manner.
Because of the way the program is run, parents may notice the lack of “Math homework” that accompanied students in the past. Just like other subject areas, students are encouraged to use class time as well as independent work blocks to work on their exercises. However, under circumstances in which students are struggling greatly, extra practices may be suggested and be worked on at home.
We hope that this will give a better understanding of our new AlbanesiMath program here on Team Quadra. If there are any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Sincerely,
Team Quadra