2. Focus on Understanding This year’s students will be learning the Mathematics Florida Standards (MAFS). One of the most important things about the new standards is that students need to DEEPLY understand math concepts.

3. Critical Areas The MAFS have Critical Areas for each grade level, these are the main focus of math instruction. For Kindergarten, these are:  Representing and comparing whole numbers, initially with sets of objects  Describing shapes and space  Using grade-level appropriate mathematical practices

5. Report Card The most important standards for Kindergarten are evaluated on the report card: *Represents numbers to 20 and compares numbers to 10 *Joins and separates sets Identifies and makes patterns Compares objects by length and weight Classifies objects into categories *Describes 2-D and 3-D shapes and position *Uses grade-level appropriate mathematical practices *Denotes critical Power Standard for the grade level.

6. Investigations To help build a deep understanding, we will be spending the majority of our time working with Investigations in Number, Data, and Space.

7. Investigations in Class In school, students: investigate problems work in collaborative groups use various strategies communicate thinking orally and in writing play educational games

8. Investigations at Home At home, students may be asked to: practice an activity from class play a game from class collect some information to be used in class

9. Helping at Home You can help your child by: reading all of the Family Letters that are sent home helping your child find a place at home to keep game materials and directions that are sent home playing the games together that are sent home keeping a positive attitude about math

10. Parent Resources Visit the District website’s Elementary Math page for more information about the Kindergarten standards, our math program, and how you can assist your child: http://www.collier.k12.fl.us/math/mcE.htm Visit the Investigations website for games and activities to play online: http://investigations.terc.edu/families/doing_math /games_index/