What is Integrated Math?
Many parents will be surprised to find that the “traditional” way we understand math education – the progression of Algebra to Geometry to Pre-Calculus to Statistics – is not how math is taught in most of the world. There has been a growing movement in the U.S. to re-imagine math education and as it turns out, the results are rather classical.
What is Integrated Math?
Integrated math is an approach to teaching mathematics designed to provide a more holistic understanding of math. In “traditional” math, students study separate courses in a linear sequence. Integrated Math covers the same content as the “traditional” pathway but blends the various branches of mathematics (algebra, geometry, statistics, and calculus) into a cohesive and interconnected curriculum.
A Focus on Connections
The classical approach to education leverages interdisciplinary study which results in a comprehensive understanding of subject matters and the valuable skill of making connections between past events and current information. In the same way, an integrated math approach takes math learning out of unhelpful silos and teaches students how to bridge connections between topics. This “spiraling” of concepts aids the continued practice of mathematical skills and helps embed them in long-term memory.
Real-Life Applications
This approach is designed to help students see the relevance of math in various contexts which can help students see the relevance of math to the world around them. In real-world applications, math topics are not neatly segmented, so our student’s learning experience prepares them well for critical thinking and practical application.
Outcomes
A study published in the Journal for Research in Mathematics Education tracked students over three years and found that those who were being taught with an integrated math curriculum “were significantly advantaged over students who studied from a subject-specific curriculum.”
After three years of Integrated Math, students will have mastered the concepts presented in a traditional three-year pathway, however, they will have strengthened problem-solving and reasoning skills because this approach explores the relationships among algebraic, geometric, and statistical concepts. Through the Integrated Math curriculum, students are challenged to solve “math tasks” rather than simply focusing on mastering algorithms.
SCCS students will have the opportunity to participate in “traditional” fourth-year courses such as Calculus or Advanced Statistics after completing Integrated Math 1, 2, and 3.