Bridges Math: A New Curriculum for Elementary Students

This school year, BHS adopted Bridges in Mathematics as the new elementary math program. This program is designed to help students build a deep understanding of mathematical concepts through a hands-on, interactive approach to learning. With a strong emphasis on problem-solving, visual models, and real-world connections, Bridges engages students and fosters mathematical fluency and critical thinking. 

The program has three key components: Problems & Investigations, WorkPlaces, and Number Corner. 

Problems & Investigations is the daily in-depth, hands-on lesson. Each unit includes a set of investigations, which are rich, problem-solving tasks that allow students to apply their knowledge and develop critical thinking skills. They are designed to challenge students, encourage creative problem-solving, and promote collaboration with peers. Within a unit, several different methods are taught on how to solve the same problem so that students can eventually choose the strategy they like best. Lone Pine student, Adrian Panos (grade 3) confirmed, “I love learning new strategies to do multiplication. Also, we play math games where we have to figure out if we need to round up or round down.”

WorkPlaces are interactive math centers or “games” that support and extend the learning they have done in Problems & Investigations. WorkPlaces help strengthen fluency in foundational math concepts, allowing students to build confidence and proficiency through repetition and active engagement while practicing interpersonal skills with their peers by playing fun math games together.Teachers are witnessing growth in student confidence, while some students are professing excitement over math. For example, Eastover’s Aidan Ancevski (grade 1) said, “We get a new calendar every month. We count by 5’s and 10’s. We count the days we are in school. We think about shapes and find patterns. During WorkPlaces, I like to play the math games. They are so fun and I feel so good!”

Number Corners has a daily 15-20 minute routine executed over a period of time. For instance, weighing a carrot that dehydrates more and more over 30 days, and graphing the changes. This reinforces and extends students’ understanding of number concepts. Students are asked to look for patterns and engage in mental math exercises that strengthen their number sense and practice their academic language. Number Corner exercises are unique and not necessarily related to the current Problems & Investigations unit of study. Teachers are amazed at the patterns students are finding, and students are having fun too. “Math is great. You are learning and having fun. Number corners have a lot of calendars and shapes and different patterns. I like trying to figure out the patterns,” said Way student, Maggie Stupka (grade 2).

BHS math teacher leader, Siobhan Donovan, who has been integral in this new rollout, shared, “We are already seeing the excitement from our students about their math learning this year! Many have expressed enthusiasm for the hands-on, interactive activities, and it’s been inspiring to hear their eagerness to dive into new math challenges. We look forward to continuing this journey of exploration and mathematical discovery with our students!”