The Mathematics Program at Timber Lane

Timber Lane teachers use the Fairfax County program of Studies and the Virginia Standards of Learning objectives to teach mathematics. Silver Burdett Ginn is our textbook series and was selected by the staff, based upon criteria such as appropriateness for our students, support materials for teachers, parent involvement resources, and assessment options.

Angela Stevens is Timber Lane's math resource teacher. She works in classrooms, grades K-6. Both are Title I math resource teachers and experienced classroom teachers. In grades K-1, a math resource teacher works in every classroom on a rotating basis. Weekly planning by the classroom teacher and the math resource teacher promotes the use of effective instructional strategies and maximum use of resources, with the overall goal of meeting the needs of all students and generating a positive attitude toward the learning of mathematics.

Grades 2-6 math instruction occurs through Math Academy. Based upon pretests and student needs for each math topic, groups are established for instruction. Classroom teachers, a math resource teacher, and special education teachers plan together. Students continue in the assigned group until the next math topic, unless teachers feel a student's needs would be better served in a different group. Classroom teachers also rotate groups at the end of each chapter. The math resource teacher maintains a database of pretest and posttest scores. These scores are analyzed frequently for information to improve instruction and to help students improve their achievement in mathematics. Here's an example of a lesson.

Timber Lane has a fabulous math lab! It houses thousands of math materials arranged by categories such as counting, place value, geometry, measurement, fractions and decimals, probability, games, and professional books. Teachers can check out materials for use in their classrooms and can schedule use of the math lab itself for large and small groups. The math lab is also where you will find Ms. Stevens if she is not in classrooms.