If you give a student the choice between math or recess, the odds suggest that you’ll soon be heading outside to play. “Math is such an important skill for our kids to master,” acknowledged Mettawee math plus teacher Kimberly Donaldson. “If making numbers fun gets more of our students engaged, then let the games begin.”
Hence the origin of “Math Night” at the Mettawee Community School (MCS). On a windy, rainy Thursday April evening prior to Spring Break, families circulated through the school gymnasium stopping at stations, each manned by teachers who served as educational “croupiers” instructing the players on the rules of various math games.”
“The turnout was fantastic!” said MCS Principal Brooke DeBonis. “Nearly 40% of our families showed up for a voluntary event and at the end of the night, people were not ready to leave.”
Prior to the start of the current academic year, Mettawee made improved math performance a major objective for the school. The stated goal was 60% of all students demonstrating grade level numerical learning in math by the end of the school year. That would place Mettawee above both national and Vermont averages.
During the 2021-22 school year the Bennington Rutland Supervisory Union (BRSU) assembled a team of educators to review the math curriculum’s effectiveness. The committee quickly agreed that they were not seeing the results they wanted and the current resource had significant shortcomings. After a yearlong review of options, the committee selected a new math curriculum called Reveal Math, to use at all six of its schools, including Mettawee. Reveal Math is a core math program built on the latest academic research with a focus on positive classroom experience to encourage exploration, conversation, and reflection.
“Reveal Math encourages teacher collaboration vertically in the school and horizontally across the BRSU,” said Donaldson. “At Mettawee we decided to introduce an element of fun to the math program to encourage participation.”
Some of the favorite games include: Tens Go Fish, One Product, and 20 Dice - where kids roll 20 dice and quickly race to add up the numbers. These games and more were introduced to a receptive audience at Math Night.
“This program is spot on.” said one father who also happens to be an engineer. “It’s so important to get kids engaged with math and if it takes a few games, I’m all for it.”
So let’s recap. A new BRSU math program based on the latest academic research, a collaborative teaching environment, the introduction of numerical games to encourage increased student engagement with math, parent involvement to extend learning into the home, a goal for school wide improved math performance. and a community celebration to reinforce that math can be fun.
If you sum it all up: Math plus fun at Mettawee equals learning.
(Photo above: A father and son think strategically in a math game of “Connect 4 to 10” at Mettawee Math Night.)
Fifth grade students at Mettawee draw cards in a game of “Race to 1,000.”
Mettawee math teacher Kim Donaldson and her family solve for the unknown in a game of “Salute.”
Students use a tape measure and stuffed animals to learn how to measure a dog.
At a Social Emotional Wellness Table students work with tools to develop a comfortable math mindset.