Today's classroom teachers are helping students develop both a proficiency in basic skills and an understanding of the foundations of mathematics. Children are working to think like mathematicians - to make sense of math and make full use of what they know. They are seeing how different concepts relate, learning that there is more than one way to solve a problem, and understanding why different strategies work and when to apply them.

Becoming a mathematical thinker involves:

• Seeing math as understandable, meaningful, and useful
• Becoming skillful in the use of mathematics
• Knowing different strategies to solve a variety of complex problems
• Applying problem-solving abilities in situations outside of school
• Communicating mathematical ideas in ways that make sense