We are always celebrating at Rockdale Intermediate. One of the things we celebrate is a math fluency program created by the company Formative Loop. We have nicknamed this program, “Tiger Math.”
Dr. Kelsey Nickel from Northwest University said in a 2021 study sponsored by the Department of Education, “Being able to know basic math facts, both fluently and accurately, is the foundation of mathematical education.” This is what we are trying to accomplish at RIS with our “Tiger Math'' program, building a foundation of mathematical education. Our conclusion, it is working.
You may be asking, “How does this program work?” Each day, students are given a paper that has basic math problems on it. This can go from basic addition and subtraction to fractions to expanded form. Students are given five minutes to complete this “quiz.”
If they complete all of the problems correctly, they move on to the next quiz. If they do not, they are given the exact same paper to take home as homework. This gives them another opportunity to practice. They will then come back the next day and take the same quiz again.
Hopefully, they are able to get enough practice from seeing these problems three times they can move on to the next skill. If not, we will repeat the process. If the student continues to struggle, we will pull them for some one-on-one interventions to get them to the next level. With over 180 skills for each grade level, students will have an opportunity to practice every day of the school year.
At the beginning of the year, we sat down with grade level teachers and came up with certain levels, kind of like checkpoints, that students needed to achieve. During this time, the 2021 Olympics were going on so we adopted an Olympic theme. We have a Bronze, Silver, Gold and Champion level based on the amount of skills the student has mastered. Once they reach a level, we take their picture and post it on a display for the entire school to see.
We even have bronze, silver and gold medals for them to wear. When they reach the championship level, we take their picture with a trophy. We will also announce the students' names during the morning announcements so we can recognize their hard work.
I love watching our students when they walk by the displays. They are so proud to see their picture and the smile on their faces is priceless. I also love to hear when students tell me “I can’t wait to get my picture up there.” Just as important, I love when students tell me “Mr. Sumpter, I passed my quiz and I am moving on to the next level.” It is awesome to see kids so excited about math.
On Feb. 9, RIS will have early release for Parent/ Teacher conferences. You will soon be getting a letter and times to sign up to have these valuable meetings. When you are on campus for your Parent/ Teacher conference, stop by and celebrate with us all the remarkable accomplishments our students are making in building a foundation of mathematical education.
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