The Lorien Wood Reader

A Holistic and Integral Presentation

The temptation of using a textbook is to jut from one mathematical axiom to the next, with little-to-no explanation of why one is engaging in such problem-solving, how it applies to the greater mathematical goal, what skills are being used and built upon, or why a topic is important. This would not only be improper but destructive; a student would not only digress in his ability to see mathematics as a holistic subject but he would quickly lose his joy for learning. Mathematics is a holistic and culminating subject —what we learn in Form 1 is a foundation built upon even in Form 5 and beyond. It is essential that students are taught not only the how but also the why behind instruction and practice if we expect them to reason in math and all other subjects. Mathematics is a study that operates in tandem with other studies— oiling the analytical engine of mathematicians and historians alike. Lorien Wood students are led in this belief, learning math as a language rather than an arduous obstacle course of ones and zeros. Whenever an instructor is able, they should strive to incorporate historical, artistic, and scientific connections to further enrich a student’s understanding. Mathematics is not solely an instruction of hard skills but a lens with which we see the world— and it is in the mastering of this lense that students find purpose in their education. 

The Joy of Analysis

There are instances where answers must be freely given to students and moments where leading a student to the answer is appropriate. For the most part, however, a student learns the how from being shepherded in the way they should think. In addition to the aforementioned factors, an essential aspect of learning mathematics is a child’s ability to discover the answer on their own. Analyzing in math is truly an art that may be learned through practice and should be applied to all other subjects. This often looks like an instructor illustrating a concept, giving students opportunities to demonstrate the topic with the instructor’s observation, and then, individual work to practice the concept in question. Though catchy phrases can at times help students remember certain actions, an instructor’s demonstration should reveal the why behind the concept and should illustrate step-by-step problem-solving. With this technique, students learn to break down impossible problems into achievable steps. In the words of Gottfried Leibniz, they come to understand,“[w]hen a truth is necessary, the reason for it can be found by analysis, that is, by resolving it into simpler ideas and truths until the primary ones are reached.” The student then experiences the satisfaction of coming to a conclusion on their own and pulling on their cumulative knowledge to do so.