The goals for the math program at Jubilee are an extension of the mission for the school. They involve building on the resources children already have: curiosity, creativity, the desire to make sense of the world, reasoning and logic and the ability to apply knowledge in diverse areas to the learning of new concepts. Our approach is based on respect for the working of children’s minds; respect for their capacity for grasping complex concepts through experience and intuition; respect for their innate curiosity and desire to learn; respect for their individuality of thought, abilities and ways of learning; and respect for their life experiences and cultures. Often in education the discovery method of learning is set against the explicit teaching of skills. At Jubilee there is a balance of both methods. Students are exposed to new concepts in problem solving situations, and are allowed to explore and come up with their own strategies. By the time they are taught a skill, they have built an intuitive understanding of the concept through exploration and individual insights. Explicit teaching of skills comes after a background of discovery.
