Students at Maryvale Academy study math every day and follow a program that uses a “concrete-pictorial-abstract” learning progression.
Concepts are introduced through hands-on experiences with manipulatives and illustrations. Students visualize the concept and represent it pictorially through models, which serve as “mental images” of the concept. When they have enough context to understand what they mean, they use abstract numbers and symbols. This progression facilitates mastery of important concepts and lays the foundation for the abstract thinking skills required in higher-level mathematics. Memorization of mathematical facts, as well as development of mental math and problem-solving skills are also emphasized.
