Heather Latter
Teachers at St. Francis School here are incorporating a new program into their lesson plan as a way to engage and motivate students in mathematics.
“Mathletics,” an online learning resource, has been labelled as the next generation in learning—helping students enjoy math and achieve outstanding results.
“Anything different in math is good for the students because they are so used to using textbooks day in and day out,” noted Derek Jones, who teaches Grades 7 and 8 at St. Francis.
The mission of the program is “to engage every student every day with a personalized, responsive, intelligent, and challenging learning resource that inspires a delight in mathematics and an innate drive to better results.”
Developed in Australia, “Mathletics” is used around the world by schools in New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Europe, Canada, the U.S., South Africa, China, and other Asian countries, and is one of the world’s most used mathematics website.
The courses contain essential material for school students in Canada, which can be customized for each individual.
“Students will also be able to log onto the site from home to continue their learning,” Jones said, adding parents even can sign up for free weekly e-mail progress reports.
The website helps to drive student success through automated assessment tools, randomized and adaptive curriculum activities, and a help centre.
Used by more than 10,000 schools and over 3.5 million students, “Mathletics” covers all aspects of mathematics.
It contains more than 1,000 learning activities for students aged five-18, though it will be just Grades 6-8 students who will begin the program at St. Francis.
“‘Mathletics’ responds to your child’s individual strengths and weaknesses,” the website noted.
“Students instantly know if they are on the right track and they can improve at their own pace.”
One other engaging feature of the website is the “Live Mathletics,” where students can challenge each other in real-time games of speed and skill.
“They’ll be able to compete with other classes from all over the world,” Jones explained.
“Kids are always motivated when they are competing and we have a lot of competitive students,” he reasoned.
“Mathletics” is a program St. Francis teachers think will really help their students to achieve their very best.
Jones said it will be included in the school’s focus on literacy and numeracy this year.
“We’re hoping to see some good results,” he added, noting those students who had a sneak peek at the “Mathletics” site showed plenty of interest and enthusiasm.
They planned to begin using the website in the classroom this week.
