Mathematics is a subject highly prized at St. Theresa Catholic School. Such esteem seems common place, but our appreciation for the discipline is hardly the common pedestrian interest far too often expressed by educators. Math is not valuable primarily because it helps us engineer great projects; math is first and foremost a transcendental discipline, and its primary value is that its very existence points to eternal verities.
Given the highly abstract and conceptual nature of Mathematics, we intend to teach the subject in a conceptual as opposed to a formulaic manner. We use the Singapore Math Series (K- 8th grade) because we believe that the program will foster real mathematical thinking. We are also attracted to Singapore Math because of the strong curricular connection the series makes between concepts and manipulatives. In short, the best way for children to grasp concepts is to allow them to grasp things; the Singapore curriculum is built on that important educational insight.