The math program at Lower School is designed to help children approach math with confidence and enthusiasm. Students learn to address problem solving flexibly and creatively, drawing on a foundation of necessary math skills. They are encouraged to experiment with a range of problem-solving strategies, to become comfortable taking risks, and to be open to different approaches.

Students from pre-kindergarten through 4th grade have a variety of math experiences in their homerooms. They receive direct instruction, work independently and in cooperative groups, play math games, and use manipulative materials. Teachers introduce developmentally appropriate topics in keeping with standards from the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.

As students extend their thinking from hands-on projects to abstract reasoning, they learn to use concrete, pictorial, verbal, and symbolic models for problem solving. Real-life problems and data provide opportunities for the students to analyze, organize, develop strategies, estimate, and calculate. Math themes are also integrated into other areas of the Lower School curriculum. The creative and analytical approaches stressed in the math program produce ways of thinking that have value for all types of learning.