The goal of the lower school math curriculum is to motivate and challenge students to see the power and value of numbers. In classrooms, students will have the opportunity to investigate, question, reason, verify, apply, and enjoy mathematics. While an understanding of basic math concepts and an ability to compute accurately in a reasonable amount of time are important, logical thinking and an appreciation for the relationship between practical life experiences and math are stressed. Students will work with numbers in a wide variety of ways, developing a deep understanding of how a number can be composed and decomposed, and then learn to use that information to become flexible and efficient problem solvers. Along with memorization of facts and procedural steps, a firm foundation in numeracy contributes significantly to student success in mathematics, numerically and symbolically, and leads to problem-solving that is intuitive, creative, flexible, and efficient.