OSD Happenings: The importance of mathematics

By Dr. Dennis Carter
Monday, September 8, 2008 11:24 AM PDT

Reading, writing and arithmetic are still the foundations of education. In the past several years, Ontario School District has made great strides in organizing an effective and successful model for teaching literacy skills. Now, taking what we’ve learned, we’re applying similar strategies to enhance the way we teach math.

In 2007, the district received a one-time supplemental grant to be used in restructuring our math programs. We started the process by having a premier math professional, Linda Foreman, president of the Teachers Development Group, visit our district in the spring of 2008. She reviewed our programs and made recommendations for professional development. 

Over the summer we sent 35 teachers to a week-long class on best practices in math education. 

“The feedback from this workshop was great,” noted Melissa Williams, district school improvement director. “Our teachers are excited about implementing the concepts presented during this training in their classrooms this year.”   These teachers will now take leadership roles at each of their schools to lend support and mentor others. In addition, our October Staff Development Day will be dedicated to technology and math, and during the year, new math curriculum will be chosen for implementation next fall.

We’re excited about the changes and emphasis on math in our district.  Families can help support the initiative too:

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• Visit your children’s schools. Meet with your children’s teachers to see if your children are actively involved in math. Find out how you can help your children to better understand math problems.

• Help children see that mathematics is very much a part of everyday life. From statistics in sports to the sale price of clothing, from the calories in food to the amount of gas needed to travel, math is important to us every day. Help your children make these connections.

• Point out that many jobs require mathematics. Scientists, doctors, plant managers, computer programmers, electricians and teachers all need a strong foundation in math. Help your children see that math skills lead to many exciting career opportunities.

• Stimulate your children’s interest in technology. Encourage your children to use calculators and computers to further their learning.

• Play games that help children develop decision making and mental math skills. There are many games available (such as board games) that involve patterns and probability. Try counting games and games that keep score.

Positive attitudes about math from teachers and parents are vital to encouraging children to become better mathematicians.

We look forward to monitoring student achievement and measuring the impact our math initiative has on student achievement. For more information about Ontario School District visit: www.ontario.k12.or.us.

Dr. Dennis Carter is the Ontario School District superintendent. He can be reached at (541) 889-5374.