Healthy Community Initiative

During a lesson about multiples early in the school year, fourth graders in Tiffany Ryan’s class stand in a circle and take turns counting aloud to 100—ZERO, one, two, THREE, four, five, SIX, seven, eight, NINE—while one student marks the multiples of three with a green dot on a number line.

Ryan then asks the class to compare the green dots with previously drawn blue dots that mark multiples of two. “Are you seeing any patterns?”

Later, when students return to their seats, Ryan invites them to solve a number problem that involves doubling, using one of four models they’ve already learned: number line, ratio table, array, or area model. “Pick the one that makes the most sense to you.”

This year, the district’s K–5 teachers are using Bridges in Mathematics, a curriculum implemented after a successful pilot that received high marks from teachers. It’s designed to help all students build problem-solving skills as they advance to higher levels of math.