My launch grant explored various math programs to use as a
supplement to our first grade Think Math curriculum. I was looking for a program that was easy to
manage, had an at-home component, and was fun for the students. I explored several programs including IXL, Symphony
Math Adapted Mind Math, and Splash Math.
This was the first program I
explored. It was easy to use and navigate
as a teacher. The graphics and quality
to the activities were not great. Kids
found it boring since the activities are basic math sheets that look like
worksheets they would complete in class.
This
program provides targeted instruction as well as benchmarks for students to
meet. It is similar to Lexia (phonics
program we use) and has an at-home component.
The program was geared towards students who are high-risk math
students. Would look into purchasing
singe subscriptions, if available, for students who were in need of targeted
math support.
This program provided a
free month trial, which I explored as an individual. There were many categories of math topics to
choose from which correlates well with our Think Math curriculum. The games were fun and there were activities
for the different levels so it is appealing to kids. There is also the opportunity to choose from
different levels so it meets the needs of all students from those who need
support to those who need extension work.
I came across this program later in the year and wasn’t able to get all
the information , but I plan to look into this program for future use in the
classroom and at home.
This program
was the best that I looked at as far as accessibility for teachers to navigate
and track student progress. I could set
up a class list and monitor kids work at various levels both at home and in
school. It provides categories for
students to select which topic they would like to work on and the topics align
with the Think Math curriculum we use.
Under each topic there are various levels, for example, under addition,
students can do math facts to ten or work on addition problems using two digit
numbers. The games are fun and the students
reported that they enjoyed the games for practice. There is opportunity for students to move to
the different sections with ease while playing so they have a variety during
their time in the program. The student
reports the teacher can access are clear and provide accurate information about
student progress within each section along with information about whether they
have mastered the skill or need additional practice.
I piloted Splash Math in my classroom for several weeks,
having the children use the app during morning choice time. The positives were that it was fun to play,
easy to use, and covered a wide range of topics, which matched well with our
Think Math curriculum. The one negative
was the difficulty using the program on an ipad with just a trial
subscription. Moving forward I would
like to explore more about Splash Math versus Adapted Mind Math to see which
would better suit the needs of first graders at BB&N. I will also consider the cost of each program
versus the quality of the program and the purpose for the use of the program. I plan to continue this work into next year
with help from Jen to pilot programs and compare positives and negatives of the
programs being considered.
Rachel Stevens
