Math Circles
What are Math Circles?
Just as Grace Community School Reading Circles are small group and one-on-one literacy periods, Math Circles are small group and one-on-one math instruction sessions. These Math Circles occur several times during the school day, and they’re led by a trained Grace Community School teacher using materials and activities from the College Can Begin at 2 Curriculum.
Connected with Grace Community School’s high academic standards, Math Circles take place every day in our classrooms starting with kids even as young as two years old. Kids progress through the varying math levels at their own pace, and they’re always challenged to reach the next level as their abilities increase.
Contrary to what you might think, Math Circles aren’t just for math geniuses. The goal of this program is for every child at Grace Community School not only to meet grade-level expectations but to surpass them! And we believe that all children can learn math.
Where Do Math Circles Fit in the Day?
Time for one-on-one, small group instruction is built into our daily classroom schedules so that kids won’t have to struggle to catch up or fall behind. Grace Community School students are well equipped with strong problem-solving skills thanks to the practice they receive during Math Circles.
What are Math Circles?
Just as Grace Community School Reading Circles are small group and one-on-one literacy periods, Math Circles are small group and one-on-one math instruction sessions. These Math Circles occur several times during the school day, and they’re led by a trained Grace Community School teacher using materials and activities from the College Can Begin at 2 Curriculum.
Connected with Grace Community School’s high academic standards, Math Circles take place every day in our classrooms starting with kids even as young as two years old. Kids progress through the varying math levels at their own pace, and they’re always challenged to reach the next level as their abilities increase.
A child counting math manipulatives
Contrary to what you might think, Math Circles aren’t just for math geniuses. The goal of this program is for every child at Grace Community School not only to meet grade-level expectations but to surpass them! And we believe that all children can learn math.
Where Do Math Circles Fit in the Day?
Time for one-on-one, small group instruction is built into our daily classroom schedules so that kids won’t have to struggle to catch up or fall behind. Grace Community School students are well equipped with strong problem-solving skills thanks to the practice they receive during Math Circles.
What Do Math Circles Look Like?
Math Circle instruction takes place in small groups of four to six children. Sessions also include one-on-one interaction with the teacher. The topics covered depend on the math level of the student. Early numeracy has many benefits, including improved calculation skills, improved number sense, improved abilities to understand mathematical concepts and relationships, and much more. Math Circles are fun! We use hands-on, interactive activities as well as flashcards and other teaching aids. These activities are designed to be child-centered. Each curriculum theme week has math activities that go along with the week’s theme – for example, searching for and counting dinosaur figures during Dinosaur Week or looking for and identifying shapes that appear in a picture during Fairy Tales Week.
The Math Circle Levels
Math Circles really get going with our three-year-old, four-year-old, and preschool classrooms, and continue on into kindergarten. Children can progress through the levels as quickly or as gradually as they need to. Rather than being forced to go on when they’re not ready, students can work on review and consolidation in preparation for the next level until they have mastered the skills and knowledge needed.
Preschool-Level Math Circle Groups
- Basic Shapes (Circle, Triangle, Square, Rectangle, Oval)
- 2-Element Patterns
- 3-Element Patterns
- Counting 1’s Family (0-9)
- Counting 10’s Family (10-19)
- Counting 20’s Family (20-29)
- Counting 30’s Family (30-39)
- Counting 40’s Family (40-49)
- 1-10 Object Sets
- 11-20 Object Sets
- 21-30 Object Sets
- 1st to 5th Ordinal Numbers
- 6th to 10th Ordinal Numbers
- Advanced Shapes (Trapezoid, Rhombus, Sphere, Cube, Cone, Cylinder, Pyramid)
Kindergarten-Level Math Circle Groups*
- Counting the 50’s - 90's Family (50-59)
- Pennies and Counting to 1 Dollar
- Dimes and Counting by 10’s to 100
- Nickels and Counting by 5’s to 100
- Quarters and Counting by 25’s to 100
- Before and After 1’s Family (0-9)
- Before and After 10’s - 90's Family (10-19; 90-100 etc.)
- Addition 1’s - 10's Family
- Subtraction 1’s - 10's Family
- Telling Time to O’Clocks
- Telling Time to 30 Minutes
- Telling Time to 15 Minutes
- Telling Time to 5 Minutes
- Telling Time to 1 Minute
Math Learning Achievement Certificates
You’ll always know when your child has passed a Math Circle level because he or she will bring home a colorful learning achievement certificate to display proudly on the refrigerator or in a scrapbook. The certificates even have little flashcards, shapes, or numbers so your child can show you what they’ve learned and practice at home!
Preparing Your Child For Success
Along with phonics, math is one of the most important academic subjects a child can learn. That’s why our teachers begin Math Circles at the earliest age possible, allowing children to get a strong academic foundation – and reap the rewards later in life! Grace Community School’s programs offer a “whole life” approach to education. From the day your child begins school with us, Math Circles and all our curriculum activities help instill a love of learning that will benefit him or her for years to come.
Grace Community School’s Math Circles is one more reason why our students are so successful in academics! If you’re looking for more information about our learning programs or anything else we offer, check out our information for parents, or just call any of our Southwest Florida daycare locations!