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published: Friday, October 30, 2009
As easy as 1, 2, 3
As easy as 1, 2, 3
Making math friendly and fun
ROXANNE BROWN
Staff Writer
GROVELAND --
On most days at Groveland Elementary School, students and teachers can be seen dancing, singing, clapping and chanting.
No, they are not rehearsing for a school musical or goofing off. They are learning math with the help of a newly implemented program called "The Math Party."
"It's out-of-the-box thinking for the teachers," said Groveland Elementary's kindergarten lead teacher Noris Aguayo. "But why not? Rather than pencil and paper, you're incorporating movement and music with math concepts. It's fun, the students really get into it and they are learning at the same time."
Aguayo's son attended Clermont Elementary School, where he was introduced to The Math Party. Clermont Elementary's teachers started using the program in their curriculum last year to improve math scores.
Aguayo said he son liked math, but it was not his best subject.
Now in middle school, her son still uses the songs to get him through certain math problems, she said.
This year, Aguayo approached Groveland Elementary Principal Dale Delpit with the idea of buying the program for their school.
Last month, Math Party founder Stephanie Pasley visited with Groveland Elementary teachers, students and parents and taught them how to use her program.
This month, the students are on their way to better understanding math, a subject most people would never think of as the most entertaining.
"I can see it on their faces," Aguayo said. "They're really enjoying it."
During her visit to Groveland Elementary, Pasley talked about how she taught in Broward County for years and, when it came to multiplication and division, her students froze up.
"One day I was at the board and I was repeating steps and it kind of turned into a song," Pasley said. "That night I went home with that on my mind and when I stepped into class the next day, I came in with a different approach.
"If I disguise learning, they (students) don't realize they're learning. It's about stepping out of the box and doing something the students can relate to."
Aguayo agrees and said the idea is to get children to love something that seems intimidating and making it fun.
Ja'Brayan Coleman, 5, said her favorite part of math is dancing. Ja'Brayan called math fun, her favorite subject.
Second-grade teacher Frank Gomez said at first he was unsure the students would like the program.
But the music, dancing and songs are making a difference. While previously they may have had difficulty understanding certain concepts, they now are able to put the ideas together with songs, and they understand, Gomez said.
Delpit said the benefits do not end at improving math. The program encourages exercise and movement.
Gomez said he also believes the program improves self- esteem.
He said shyer students shed their inhibitions.
"I think the real lesson from all this is that if we make a lesson engaging at their (students') level, then the desire to learn is there," Delpit said.
