Concrete - Pictorial - Abstract

Each new mathematical concept is introduced using concrete materials and pictorial representations before moving to recording the mathematics in an abstract way.

This process allows students to spend time "seeing" the math which will help them later visualize as they apply the mathematical concepts to new situations.  We want students to understand what is happening mathematically and why before they dive into applying an algorithm or formula to a problem.  One of the most important questions that teachers are asking students in our math classrooms is "how do you know?"