Vermont Business MagazinePublisher Brigantine Media, based in StJohnsbury has just released a complete program for teaching math using a popular household toy – LEGO bricks. Teachers and school districts across the country are now adopting Brick Math, this innovative, hands-on program. The program's website iswww.BrickMath.com.Janis Raye of Brigantine Media is the editor of the K – 5 Brick Math program, a series of six teaching guides and six student editions for learning math.
Raye says, "We're thrilled that we now have a complete hands-on math program for kindergarten to fifth grade. It's been two years in development, and now that teachers and administrators are incorporating it into school curriculum, they are delighted with the results."
The Brick Math program uses LEGO bricks to teach the six basic elementary math subjects: Counting and Cardinality, Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division, and Fractions. Brick sets designed specially for the program, for either one or two students, are now also available. All the Teaching guides contain color illustrations that show every step of the instructional method. The Learning books (Student Editions) include activities that students complete along with the teacher, plus additional problems for practice. Counting, Addition, and Subtraction Student Editions also include assessments for each chapter and a chart to track each student’s progress.
DrShirley Disseler, author of the Brick Math books, is the nation’s foremost expert on learning math with bricks. Her new system of hands-on learning using LEGO bricks makes mathematics come alive for students. Disseler notes, “Recent testing we’ve done with the Brick Math program has resulted in students showing nine-to-ten-point improvements in their standardized math test scores.”
Disseler is Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Elementary and Middle Grades Education at High Point University. A consultant to LEGO Education, she is the trainer for the High Point University Teacher Academy for LEGO Education.
Modeling math with LEGO bricks allows the brain to utilize both creative and logical processes together, which studies show to be the preferred learning format. The methods work in the school setting as well as for homeschool instruction. Plus, kids love building with LEGO bricks, so they have fun while they learn!
Source: ST. JOHNSBURY, Vermont—Brigantine Media. Brick Math, brickmath.com