At Alpine, we make math fun!

With toddlers and preschoolers, we love to work on money, time, and measurement because the children can hold the coins, move the hands on the little clocks, and manipulate the rulers and scales. At this age, the more hands-on, the better!

People often ask if we work on “real math." The answer is yes, we find many creative ways to work on addition, subtraction, etc... For example, we may use calendars to practice "every other day" (counting by two's), or we may use clocks to practice counting backwards (subtracting by one's). The older the children get, the more complex the activities.

In Kindergarten, we use a math book with structured lessons.

We use the Math in Focus books, moving from chapter to chapter through number sense, addition, subtraction, story problems, and other Kindergarten math skills. Math in Focus is part of the Singapore math series, which emphasizes hands-on practice, thinking on your own, problem-solving, and understanding why math works.

Integrating math with other activities is key.

Using math during lessons on reading, Spanish, science and art helps children understand the value of understanding math.