KTS students use the Saxon Mathematics series as their core text.  Saxon’s innovative, instructional approach breaks complex concepts into simpler increments, recognizing that smaller pieces of information are easier to teach and easier to learn.  The instruction, practice and assessment of those increments are systematically distributed across a grade level. Continual practice means that fundamental skills and concepts are reviewed throughout the year and become part of the students’ long term learning.  The distributed approach ensures that students gain and retain critical thinking concepts and use them in real-world situations. This helps students develop a deeper understanding of concepts and how to apply them.

Text book lessons are supplemented with additional resources. Students develop higher-order thinking skills while solving various logic problems and Mensa™ puzzles. Speed and accuracy in arithmetic are developed in mental math quizzes and class games.

Assignments

Each math class students will receive an assignment, most often a series of practice and problem set questions that accompany the lesson in their text book. Assignments are completed in the student’s math notebook and checked when due for completion. Class time is given to work on assignments and unfinished work is completed for homework. As a general rule, students should not spend much more than 20 minutes on their math assignment each evening.

Evaluation and Assessment

Tests (20 questions) or quizzes (approximately 10 questions) are given each regular school week to assess and evaluate student progress. Each test is cumulative, composed of questions that relate to the students’ overall understanding. Once their assessment is graded, students will complete all corrections, showing accurate solutions for each questions.

Topics of Study

Grade 6 topics include:

Number Sense

Place value to thousandths; comparing and ordering fractional amounts with unlike denominators; adding and subtracting decimal amounts to thousandths;  multiplying and dividing decimal numbers to thousandths by one-digit whole numbers; applying order of operations in expressions with brackets, fractions,  and mixed numbers; relating simple fractions,decimals,and percents; converting improper fractions and mixed numbers; addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division of fractions, mixed numbers, and decimals; factors and divisibility; prime factorization; arithmetic with integers; scientific notation.

Problem Solving

Word problems about sums, differences, equal groups, fraction of a group, mixed measures, ratio, missing numbers in average, and rates.

Algebra

Exploring variables and equations; solving for missing numbers in addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, decimals; solving for missing numbers in proportions; describing pattern rules in words; calculating any term when given the term number; and solving equations with fractions and decimals.

Geometry and Measurement

Estimation, measurement and calculation of perimeter using metric and imperial systems; classification and comparison of polygons; types of angles; circles; rectangular coordinates; perimeter and area of irregular polygons; volume; arithmetic with mixed measures; conversion of units of length, area, and liquid measures.

Data Management and Probability

Word problems about information from frequency tables, pictographs, bar, line, and pie graphs; average; creating graphs and tables; identifying trends in data; selecting appropriate graphical representations; interpreting pie charts; using continuous line graphs and mean to compare sets of data; frequency tables; stem-and-leaf plots.

National Mathematics Contests

Pythagoras, Mathematics Contest Centre

Grade 7 topics include:

Number Sense

Representing and ordering decimals,fractions, and integers; representing squares and square roots; dividing whole numbers by simple fractions and decimals; adding and subtracting simple fractions and integers; multiplying and dividing decimal numbers to thousandths by one-digit whole numbers; applying order of operations in expressions with brackets; relating fractions, decimals, and percents; multiplying and dividing fractions and integers; multiplying and dividing decimals by powers of ten; applying order of operations in expressions with brackets and exponents, scientific notation.

Problem Solving

Problems involving whole-number percents and unit rates, multi-step problems involving whole numbers and decimals, problems involving percents to one decimal place, and problems involving rates, changing rates, and proportions.

Algebra

Representing linear growing patterns; representing patterns algebraically; modelling real-life relationships involving constant rates graphically and algebraically; translating phrases; using algebraic expressions; finding the term in a pattern algebraically when given any term number; solving linear equations using concrete materials or inspection and guess and check; algebraic expressions with fractions and decimals; addition-subtraction and division-multiplication rules; evaluation of two-step equations; missing numbers in proportions.

Geometry and Measurement

Parallel, perpendicular, and intersecting lines; sorting and classifying triangles and quadrilaterals by geometric properties; constructing angle bisectors and perpendicular bisectors; investigating relationships among congruent shapes; relating enlarging and reducing to similar shapes; comparing similar and congruent shapes; performing and describing dilatations; developing the area relationship for a trapezoid; developing and applying the formula for the volume of a prism; determining and applying surface-area relationships for prisms; converting between metric units, including converting between square centimetres and square metres.

Data Management and Probability

Collection and organization of  categorical, discrete, and continuous data; displaying data in relative frequency tables and circle graphs; identifying bias in data; relating changes in data to changes in central tendency; making inferences based on data; investigating real-world applications of probability; determining the theoretical probability of two independent events; word problems about missing numbers in average, percent and overall average

National Mathematics Contests

Euler , Mathematics Contest Centre, Gauss, CEMC University of Waterloo

Grade 8 topics include:

Number Sense

Operations with exponents; manipulating expressions and solving equations, order of operations with fractions, mixed numbers and integers, multiple symbols of inclusion; negative exponents; simplification of radical expressions; multiplication of radicals; division of polynomials;  and solving rational equations; numerical and polynomial expressions, evaluation of first-degree equations.

Problem Solving

Word problems about percent, overall average, right triangles, and consecutive integers, word problems about averages, fractional parts, ratio, area, surface area and volume.

Algebra

Evaluation of complex algebraic equations; factoring quadratic equations, difference of squares theorem; algebraic word problems; the distributive property, adding like terms; solving linear equations, the slope-intercept method of graphing, domain and range of functions, graphs of non-linear functions, simplifying expressions, solving linear equations, simplifying expressions; sums and products of polynomials; solving simultaneous equations by substitution and by elimination.

Geometry and Measurement

Conversions of units of length, area and volume; surface area and volume of right solids, geometric properties and relationships involving two-dimensional shapes, and apply the results to solving problems. Investigating the relationship between the equation of a relation and the shape of its graph; graphs of linear equations; angle theory; investigating and applying geometric relationships; the slope-intercept method of graphing; domain and range of functions; graphs of non-linear functions; horizontal and vertical shifts of quadratic functions.

Data Management and Probability

Collection and organization of categorical, discrete, or continuous primary data and secondary data, choosing an appropriate type of graph to represent a set of data,; stem and leaf plots; measures of central tendency and word problems about  probability with and without replacement and weighted average.

National Mathematics Contests

Lagrange, Mathematics Contest Centre, Gauss, CEMC University of Waterloo