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Benton Hall Academy
Public K-5 School
Little Falls School District
Little Falls, NY
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Second Grade
Classroom Study
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Pre and Post-Tests
Program Evaluation Tools
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90 minutes over two days
Program Timeline
Study Focus: Kinesthetic strategies for introducing multiplication
This short program introduced multiplication by 3s to 16 second grade students. The focus of this study was to determine the effectiveness of the Math & Movement program when it was incorporated into Benton Hall Academy’s math curriculum.
On the pre-test, many of the second grade students did not know any multiplication by 3s. The students practiced skip counting and solving problems using the Skip Counting by 3s Mat. The teachers commented that the students learned how to use the floor mat as a tool to consistently determine the correct answer.
On the post-tests, 56% of the students had nearly all 32 multiplication by 3s problems answered correctly. Many teachers commented about their students’ transformation from indifference to enthusiasm towards math practice. They noticed an increase in students’ self-confidence, focus, and determination, even for struggling students.
After using Math & Movement strategies for multiplication by 3s, the class average score went from 15% to 81% correct – a difference of 66 points and a 440% increase!
Challenges
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Many of the students did not know any multiplication by 3s before the program.
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One student was previously identified as a struggling student and had challenges focusing without breaks.
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Math & Movement strategies were only incorporated for a short amount of time - 90 minutes over two days.
Solution
Results
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On the post-tests, which were completed after the program, 56% of the students had nearly all 32 multiplication by 3s problems answered correctly.
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The class increased their average score from 15% on the pre-test to 81% on the post-test. This is a difference of 66 points and an amazing increase of 440%!
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Three students who scored 0% on the pre-test went on to score 100% on the post-test! These students went from knowing no multiplication to mastering multiplication by 3s in just 90 minutes using Math & Movement.
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Three other students who each scored 22%, 9%, and 3% on their pre-tests went on to score 100% on their post-tests. Another student, who scored 0% on their pre-test, finished the program with a 97% on their post-test.
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Teachers observed that Math & Movement activities increased student focus and determination in completing the math problems.
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Teachers also commented that their students' attitudes towards math changed from indifference to enthusiasm.
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One student, who was identified as a struggling student, became absorbed in solving the multiplication problems using the mat. He worked independently with great focus for the alloted time period, without support from his teacher. According to his teacher, this student usually requested regular movement breaks in the classroom and had challenges staying focused without breaks.
Individual Student Scores
No Data Found
The absence of a gray pre-test bar indicates a score of 0%.