We, at Mt. Carmel Elementary, see the importance of guiding our students to become problem solvers.  Not just in math, but in life.  We take for grantide, that as adults, we have the ability to try something else when our initial attempt does not work.  We want our students to become independent thinkers.  When they FAIL at a task, it is just their First Attempt In Learning. 

Math is more than addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.  Children can benefit greatly from the 21st century skills and the ability to make their own decisions.  This makes math more than just a rote procedure, it can make it an adventure.  Children are detectives searching for an answer, instead of trying to remember what they were told to do.

Knowing what each operation means is the first step to being a successful problem solver.  Understanding these key concepts can help students at any age.