Research suggests that using virtual manipulatives can help students develop a richer understanding of concepts, even more than using physical tools, and can be particularly useful for students with language difficulties. (Read the DreamBox blog on using virtual manipulatives to teach early numeracy.)

The DreamBox open number line tool

Open Number Line: Developing Number Sense™
The interactive open number line is the most recent DreamBox Teacher Tool we’re offering to teachers for free! Teachers can use the open number line virtual manipulative within a variety of instructional contexts.

With it, you can support the development of number sense and computational fluency. For example:

• Envision numbers as the magnitude of distances on a line, as equivalent quantities, and by their proximity to landmark numbers.
• Explore operations (addition, subtraction, etc.) to support the development of various efficient strategies for computational fluency.

Since it is not attached to a specific type of problem, teachers can use it to solve a range of problems and represent students’ strategies. The virtual open number line can be used to explore mathematical ideas including counting, skip counting, addition and subtraction, and modeling situations.

For ideas on using DreamBox Learning’s open number line tool with stand-alone activities or as a supplement to an existing math curriculum, visit www.dreambox.com/teachertools/open_number_line. DreamBox also provides resources to support the professional development of teachers as they learn to incorporate the virtual manipulatives in the classroom: tutorials and suggestions for using the tools in lessons.

The Teachers of Mathematics conference was well attended by K-12 teachers and, for the primary grades in particular, by math intervention teachers who work with kindergarten, first grade, second grade, and third grade students in Kentucky. One of DreamBox Learning’s Board Certified teachers presented two sessions at the conference. The first presentation was on Best Practices for Incorporating DreamBox Learning K-2 Math Into the Classroom and the second presentation was on Using Virtual Manipulatives to Teach Early Numeracy. We loved hearing directly from teachers how they were incorporating DreamBox into their classes.

Here are a few of the great tips we heard from teachers on how they are using DreamBox in their classrooms:

• Before starting students on DreamBox, teachers are using the DreamBox sample lessons and tutorials as a group to introduce the DreamBox virtual manipulatives and math concepts, as well as to get the class excited about the program. (By the way, any teacher can use our sample lessons for free! Just go to www.dreambox.com/play_samples).
• Math intervention teachers love the ability to ‘share’ the view of their students’ progress with those students’ homeroom teachers. Students are able to play DreamBox while they’re working with the intervention teacher, as well as in their regular classroom during transition times or small group rotations—and the intervention teacher and homeroom teachers can both view student progress reports.
• Teachers love the notifications that DreamBox sends to let them know when a student is struggling with a math concept or lesson.  When teachers see a red flag for a student needs assistance they are sitting down with the student to review the concept.
• Teachers are using our full classroom view of overall progress to see at a glance the range of progress for multiple students through the kindergarten, first grade, and second grade curricula.  They are then pulling groups of students who are at a similar level of progress for small group activities and lessons.
• The Kentucky teachers we met were excited about the new free DreamBox Teacher Tools, which we introduced at the conference.  They were very interested in ideas for how they could use the manipulatives as quick games to get students back in their seats during transition times, as well as how to use the tools and lessons for in depth discussions in class about what strategies different students are using to solve equations.  Any teacher can use the free DreamBox Teacher Tools! Just go to www.dreambox.com/teachertools.

Now we’ve turned our easy-to-use virtual manipulatives into DreamBox Teacher Tools, and made them available for teachers to use free in their classrooms. If you’re a teacher with a broadband connection you can use these virtual tenframes, mathracks, and other innovative tools in large- or small-group instructional settings. With an interactive white board or projector you can help make math lessons come to life for your whole class, or just use them on a computer for smaller groups. And the DreamBox Teacher Tools are all free!

The DreamBox Numbergram™ tool

Quick Images: Identifying Amounts™
The first in the series of Teacher Tools we’ve released are the Quick Images tools, which help students conceptualize numbers as groups and investigate number relationships. For example, students can:
•    Organize and analyze visual images in mathematical ways
•    Understand spatial relationships
•    Describe patterns and shapes using number relationships and mathematical vocabulary
•    Connect visual images to their numeric representation

Using the Quick Images manipulatives are a great way to engage students in communicating their mathematical thinking while offering opportunities for students to subitize and conceptualize numbers. The ideas here can be used as stand-alone activities, as a supplement to an existing math curriculum, or incorporated into a professional development program for teachers.

The Quick Images tools include 3 different math manipulatives:

• The Numbergram™ uses dot arrangements similar to those on standard dice, familiar to many children, to encourage thinking about patterns in number relationships and support the development of spatial relationships.
• The mathrack uses 1, 2, or 10 wires with 5 red beads and 5 white beads on each wire, to help students see the quantities of 5 and 10 as a whole, supporting the use of 5s, 10s, and doubles as anchors for mathematical thinking.
  

  The 10-wire mathrack tool

• The tenframe, a 2 x 5 array on which counters are placed from left to right across the top, and then left to right across the bottom, offers additional visual support for seeing the quantities of 5 and 10 as a whole.

All three of these manipulatives support students in conceptualizing numbers as groups rather than individual objects to be counted, combining numbers to make other numbers, and investigating relationships between numbers. These relationships form the basis for efficient computation and flexible, quick recall of math facts. Click here to learn more about Quick Images: Identifying Amounts™.

DreamBox resources support professional development
When teachers access DreamBox Teacher Tools at www.dreambox.com/teachertools, they’ll also find tutorials on the manipulatives and ideas for using the tools in classroom lessons. And we provide resources that support the professional development of teachers as they learn to incorporate the virtual manipulatives, in order to support students’ mathematical learning.

After you try the DreamBox Teacher Tools, please tell us what you think and how you’re using them!

Many educators agree that “manipulatives” are among the best math teacher resources to help students visualize a concept in more concrete terms, and to link new ideas to prior knowledge. Now, with wide internet adoption, virtual manipulatives can support math learning both in and outside the classroom. Virtual manipulatives are interactive web-based representations of their physical counterparts that not only give teachers the ability to demonstrate a concept, but give students a way to manipulate the objects to construct mathematical knowledge.

A DreamBox mathrack lesson

DreamBox developed a unique set of virtual manipulatives

At DreamBox, our teachers worked closely with our software developers to create virtual manipulatives based on classroom experiences. The DreamBox virtual manipulatives, innovative tools around which all DreamBox lessons are built, were developed based on tools that have been shown by research to be most effective in teaching a concept. They help students better understand core math concepts and give them plenty of opportunities to build knowledge through direct hands-on experience. In this way, students are directly engaged in the problem-solving process, allowing them to explore new strategies, replay lessons, and reset and self-correct where necessary.

The DreamBox curriculum is aligned with the Focal Points for each grade set by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. For DreamBox Learning K-2 Math, we developed a number of different virtual manipulatives, each uniquely suited to teach the key Number and Operations Focal Points and Algebra Focal Points for each grade level. For example:

A Snap Blocks™ lesson

• The tenframe, mathrack, and Numbergram™ tools support students in conceptualizing numbers as groups rather than individual objects to be counted, combining numbers to make other numbers, and investigating relationships between numbers. These relationships form the basis for efficient computation and flexible, quick recall of math facts.
• The Snap Blocks™ tool provides a visual representation of numbers, which students can use to compare the relationship between quantities. The tool supports students to develop efficient strategies and provide an important foundation for early algebra.
• The open number line tool can be used to support a number of mathematical ideas including counting, addition and subtraction, modeling situations, and representing student strategies.

A DreamBox open number line lesson

Research supports virtual manipulatives as beneficial elementary teacher resources

Research on the use of manipulatives provides insight into the benefits of using them to support math learning. Using virtual manipulatives can help students develop a richer understanding of concepts – even more so than using physical manipulatives (Moyer, Niezgoda, & Stanley, 2005).

Virtual manipulatives can be especially advantageous for students with language difficulties, who sometimes find it difficult to explain what they’re learning in math. Virtual manipulatives can help them clarify and demonstrate their thinking to others.

Virtual manipulatives have also been shown to support math learning for students with disabilities. Like using physical manipulatives, virtual tools need to be integrated into the curriculum. When they are, they can provide guided exploration, helping students really grasp math concepts and demonstrate learning.

In it a mathematics professor questions the assumption that after algebra and geometry students should take calculus. He specifically questions high school course sequences where calculus is presented as the final course in the sequence and all college-bound students are encouraged to take it. Instead he thinks we should strive to have all students complete a comprehensive statistics course before graduating high school.

I think he’s on to something. Statistics is more broadly applicable than calculus. In college, majors that require calculus (hard sciences, math, engineering, econ) also require a course in statistics. But majors that require statistics (psychology, sociology, education, nursing, etc) don’t usually require calculus. Outside of college statistics are everywhere from presidential approval ratings, to commercials, to standardized test scores.

In addition, I feel statistics is a lot more approachable in calculus. By high school most students have heard poll numbers on the news, they’ve talked about averages in reference to their grades, and have likely gambled a bit with friends. Teenagers are interested in concepts of popularity, ranking and differences between groups. All of these real life experiences can be related to stats and used to make the course both practical and fun. I wonder how many more students would do 3 or 4 years of high school math if it wasn’t all about “getting ready for calculus” and instead was learning about gambling, polling, and other things that were applicable to day to day life as an adult.

“Led by the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers, the states, including Maryland and Virginia, are aiming to define a framework of content and skills that meet an overarching goal. When students get their high school diplomas, the coalition says, they should be ready to tackle college or a job. The benchmarks would be “internationally competitive.”

Once the organizers of the effort agree to a proposal, each state would decide individually whether to adopt it. …

[U.S Education Secretary Arne] Duncan and others also said that even the highest goals lose their punch if there’s not an accurate way to gauge whether students measure up. That means revamping state tests — a cumbersome and expensive process. So far, the states have committed only to working to develop the standards.”

Does the assessment portion of this plan strike anyone else as being “too little, too late”? Darn it, if only there were a way to accurately assess a student’s knowledge and understanding at a very fine grained level that actually integrated with what and how they learned while they learned it! Then assessment would be neither cumbersome nor expensive. And the students might just be taught – and when necessary, retaught – what they needed to know when they needed to know it.

The DreamBox Learning K-2 Approach

Those of you familiar with DreamBox Learning K-2 Math know that our approach is to continually assess each student and individually adapt how we then present not just portions of the curriculum or individual lessons, but individual questions within those lessons. While DreamBox is based upon existing national standards, it teaches each student as an individual with their own strengths and weaknesses. In other words we continually assess then teach. Which is what good teachers have been doing for hundreds – perhaps thousands – of years.

Children aren’t screws or widgets. Each one is uniquely different and may require specifically individualized teaching. While the debate about national standards goes on, let’s not forget that no matter which “standard” you adopt, if you consider assessment as an afterthought rather than an integral part of teaching, then you are forcing some students to continually play catch up. As I wrote in a recent blog (Sometimes Things Just Don’t Compute…): If you don’t know a student is having a problem, how can you address it in a timely manner?

The success with which DreamBox Learning addresses students with widely varying skill levels has reinforced for me a variation of that old Chicago saying: If you want to provide a successfully individualized learning experience for a student,  “assess early and assess often”!

Let’s hope our politicians can be taught that as well.

The genesis of how DreamBox does assessment, and one of the reasons I am with the company, occurred over 30 years ago when one of my relatives was diagnosed with a learning disability.

This surprised us and shocked his teachers, who considered him to be in the upper middle to top third of the class for math. His test scores consistently supported this. In many areas he was significantly ahead of his peers. Yet a detailed examination with an expert showed that for him division just didn’t compute. Put another way, his brain simply wasn’t “wired for division”.

What does this mean? Well, you could ask him something like “If there are four children and each one has three oranges, how many oranges are there in total?” and you’d get the correct answer every time. If you instead asked “If I have twelve oranges and am going to give an equal number to each of four children, how many does each child get?” you might just as easily get an answer like “seven?” or “six” as “three”.

How had all the very good teachers at a very good school missed this through most of primary school? As it turns out, for a lot of years you can do pretty well at math tests if you get close to 100% of all the questions correct that don’t involve division. Or if the teacher only removes a few points for the “one little mistake” you made in the division part of a problem. Or if you have developed strategies to compensate that often approximate the correct answer, without understanding what you were doing.

The simple fact was that no-one over the years tracked the specific type of problems that caused difficulties for this student. And – this being a traditional “English” school – most teachers were more interested with how many answers were correct than how those answers were obtained.

DreamBox Learning Personalizes Online Math Education

So when we started working on what became DreamBox math I wanted to develop a system that would analyze each action the student took as they made it and respond accordingly, adapting automatically to provide the structured support each student needs as they need it. I also wanted a system that could provide specific feedback to parents and teachers identifying not only areas of strength but also weakness. It didn’t take long to realize that a system that adapts like this would work for all ages and skill levels.

DreamBox Learning K-2 Math is our first small step towards this goal and by all accounts is helping children across the spectrum learn math. Though specifically designed for home use, this version is already in use in over 800 schools and is proving particularly valuable for teachers of remedial math.

No child should struggle with math because a learning problem goes undiagnosed and unaddressed. However, recent studies (such as that by the Education Trust that detail how some teachers “are just one chapter ahead of their students”) show that in some communities this is unfortunately not only possible, but likely.

So I am personally looking forward to working on a more school-oriented version of DreamBox, and to the day when DreamBox math is a valuable tool in every teacher’s toolbox for ensuring each of their students is successful at math, no matter what difficulties they may face.

Oh, and how did things turn out for my relative? Things were tough for him for a while. Eventually he became a spreadsheet guru and has created inventory and financial management systems for corporations in the U.S. and overseas.

Great Teachers Inspire Kids And Show Them Learning Can Be Fun

Great teachers bring out talents, unlock doors, and inspire us to do our very best. In honor of Teacher Appreciation Week, we celebrate just a representative few of the teachers who inspire us from the past and present.

1. Anne Sullivan – Annie Sullivan taught Helen Keller to read, write, and feel – a remarkable achievement considering Keller was blind and deaf, and Sullivan herself was blind. Sullivan taught Keller words by signing them into her palm. The first word Keller learned was “doll.” Quotable Quote: “My heart is singing for joy this morning! A miracle has happened! The light of understanding has shone upon my little pupil’s mind, and behold, all things are changed!”
2. Jacques Barzun – Barzun was a French-born Historian and American teacher. He obtained his Ph.D. from Columbia and taught history there for over two decades. For years, he ran Columbia’s renowned Great Books course along with literary critic Lionel Trilling. Barzun wrote the controversial book Teacher in America and received the Teacher Award of the Society of Columbia Graduates in absentia. Quotable Quote: “Teaching is not a lost art, but the regard for it is a lost tradition.”
3. Jaime Escalante – You’ve probably seen movies about idealistic teachers who reach troubled inner city youths to the surprise of their principal and peers. For a real-life tale of a teaching hero, look no further than Bolivia-born math teacher, Escalante. He had spectacular success teaching advanced mathematics to troubled youth in Los Angeles, becoming the inspiration for the movie Stand and Deliver. Escalante began teaching at Garfield High School in East Los Angeles in the 1970’s. In the beginning, Escalante was a principal’s worst nightmare. He showed up late, left early, and failed to raise funds for Advanced Placement tests. But his bad habits changed when he started teaching his first calculus class in 1979. The class started with five students, two of whom passed the Advanced Placement test. By 1981, class size increased to 15 students, 14 of whom passed. In 1987 and at the peak of his program, 73 students passed the A.P. calculus exam. His many awards include the Presidential Medal for Excellence in Education. Quotable Quote: “…Teaching is touching life.”
4. Dr. Randy Pausch - Dr. Pausch was an associate professor of computer science at Carnegie Mellon University, the founder of the Alice software project, co-founder of CMU’s Entertainment Technology Center, and the author of many books. Pausch taught his students to never give up and to never fear failure. He gave a First Penguin award each year to the “biggest failure” in class because he thought “failing spectacularly” should be celebrated. The award is called First Penguin because First Penguins jump in before everyone else and risk that the water might be too cold. Dr. Pausch won a number of awards for his achievements in computing education. After he was diagnosed with cancer, Pausch gave an inspirational lecture entitled “Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams“, also known as “The Last Lecture.” Pausch died in 2008. Quotable Quote: “Better to fail spectacularly than do something mediocre.”
5. Rafe Esquith - No matter where you teach, getting kids to actively participate in their own education is an accomplishment. But in a neighborhood ridden with gun violence, vandalism, and drugs, it’s miraculous. Rafe Esquith, the author of There are No Shortcuts and Teach Like Your Hair’s on Fire, got his fifth graders to show up voluntarily at 6:30 each morning – two full hours before the rest of the school! Esquith teachers at Hobart Boulevard Elementary School in Los Angeles (the second-largest elementary school in the U.S.) and his students consistently score at the top 5% to 10% of the country in standardized tests. Teaching awards include the Walt Disney American Teacher Award for National Teacher of the Year and Parents magazine’s national As You Grow Award, among others. He has set up a fund to give his award money to his school and his students. Esquith also founded the Hobart Shakespeareans – young students who have performed Shakespeare’s works all over L.A. and in London. Quotable Quote: “Never use fear as a shortcut for education.”
6. LouAnne Johnson - She’s a writer, teacher, and former Marine. Johnson believes in encouraging students, not condemning or threatening. Her method really works. She has seen phenomenal success with her students, including higher self-esteem, G.P.As, and class retention. She’s not afraid to speak out about problems in the school system and eagerly shares the secrets to her success. The “Queen of Education” (one of her book titles) has authored several books, including My Posse Don’t Do Homework, which was later adapted in the film Dangerous Minds, The Girls in the Back of the Class, Teaching Outside the Box, and School is Not a Four-Letter Word. Quotable Quote: “In exactly one week, I’d watch “my kids” walk across that stage…a diploma in one hand and a piece of my heart in the other.”
7. Joe Louis Clark - The former principal of Paterson, New Jersey’s Eastside High School, Joe Clark used unconventional (and controversial) disciplinary methods to grapple with troubled youth. After two years of Joe as principal, the once turbulent school was declared a model institution by the New Jersey Governor. Clark is the subject of the film Lean on Me and was once featured on the cover of Time Magazine wielding a baseball bat. The headline reads: “If tough love is your thing, you can find a lot to love about Joe Clark.” Quotable Quote: “…every day, pride in self and school must be reinforced. Every day, the value of academics must be demonstrated.”
8. Ron Clark – Ron Clark worked with disadvantaged students in rural North Carolina and Harlem, New York City. Clark’s innovative, quirky teaching methods and his talent for turning textbooks into rap songs earned him many accolades, including the 2001 Disney Teacher of the Year award. He created the 55 Classroom Rules and founded The Ron Clark Academy, a non-profit school in Atlanta that gives low-income students a chance to travel internationally and offers training workshops for other teachers. His students created a song, “Vote However You Like,” and were invited to perform at the 2009 Inauguration of President Obama. Quotable Quote: “When responding to any adult, you must answer by saying “Yes ma’am” or “No sir.”
9. Erin Gruwell – Gruwell taught at Wilson High School in Long Beach, California. Her first semester got off to a bad start, but Gruwell never gave up. She broke down barriers and prejudices throughout her teaching career. She encouraged every student to keep a journal, related Romeo and Juliet to a gang war, and helped students make movies about their lives. Gruwell bought books out of her own pocket and took her classroom to see Schindler’s List. In 1995, she gave each student a bag a books and made a toast for change. The 2007 film Freedom Writers is based on Erin Gruwell’s teaching triumphs. In the spring, all 150 of Gruwell’s Freedom Writers went on to graduate, shocking administrators who had thought they were destined to drop out. Quotable Quote: “It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that if you tell kids they’re stupid – directly or indirectly – sooner or later they start to believe it.”
10. Confucius - We could not write about great teachers without mention of Confucius. As a philosopher and educator, Confucius imparted wisdom that rings through the ages. He greatly emphasized study and believed in the power of education. Confucius spent his last years teaching. Quotable Quote: “Real knowledge is to know the extent of one’s ignorance.”
11. (actually – 11-13!) DreamBox Teachers – This list would be incomplete without crediting the other amazing, experienced teachers on our team: Beth, Laura, and Mickelle. Together, we’re the brains behind our math game’s robust curriculum. In fact Lou Gray, our CEO, says “DreamBox Teachers are Start-up Warriors” (read his post)!

Beth

Laura

Mickelle

Our list includes recognized teachers, but every day excellent unknown educators are making all the difference in students’ lives. We thank them all for giving their students the tools to make their dreams realities.

Please comment below and thank a teacher who helped shape your success. It could be an extraordinary educator from your own academic career or your child’s favorite teacher.

DreamBox Learning’s Teacher Appreciation Offer

Because we sincerely appreciate the hard work of teachers, we’re offering qualified teachers a free DreamBox subscription for their classroom. The offer ends June 30, 2009, so if you’re a teacher sign up for a free DreamBox Math Classroom subscription so your whole class can play our online math game. Your kids will thank you!

Yesterday we introduced the DreamBox Math Classroom program, which allows pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, first and second grade teachers to use DreamBox in their classrooms. As part of our commitment to supporting teachers and making excellent math education accessible to all children, DreamBox is offering any pre-K to 2nd grade teacher at a public, private, or independent school free use of DreamBox K-2 Math in school through the end of this school year (June 30, 2009).

In the past two days we have had over 150 new teachers sign up on DreamBox and create classroom subscriptions adding over 1000 students! Teachers are finding that DreamBox is an incredibly effective way to teach 4-8 year olds math in a fun way.

Why DreamBox is the Online Math Learning Game for Your Child!

Our amazing team worked hard to create a classroom version of DreamBox Learning K-2 Math, because the game allows every kindergarten, first, and second grade student to progress through hundreds of online math lesson games at their own pace! When they begin to play, each child is assessed and started at just the right place in the curriculum, and gets different lessons, hints, level of difficulty, and much more. Teachers have an online Teacher Dashboard where he or she can view individual student progress and completed lessons in the DreamBox math curriculum.

Every teacher is given a personal internet address for their classroom that they can pull up on school computers and have up to 32 students in their class playing DreamBox math games at the same time. Teachers are also able to play sample kindergarten, first grade and second grade math lessons with their classrooms by bringing them up on any interactive white board.

And teachers can invite parents to try DreamBox at home so students can play DreamBox and learn serious math after school, on weekends and over the summer, in addition to the time spent at school, and have one record of their academic progress and game play.

If you know a teacher who would like to use DreamBox in their classroom, please tell them about the free DreamBox Math Classroom subscription! Teachers can sign up for a DreamBox teacher account, preview and evaluate our curriculum, and apply for a free classroom subscription, good through June 30, 2009, at www.dreambox.com/teachers.

Early on we learned that our curriculum is challenging. Appropriately challenging, but nonetheless challenging. This made it difficult for new users that weren’t as familiar with computer games, weren’t comfortable using computers for learning, and weren’t confident when using virtual manipulatives for solving problems. There was too much new learning taking place at once. What should we do?

How Can Users Get the Most Out Of DreamBox Online Math Learning?

We, the Academic Team at DreamBox, experimented with the starting place of our curriculum and looked at some general patterns in user data. We found that a majority of new users failed the early lessons and our dynamic sequencing was taking them to lessons in a previous grade-level. This bothered us. As teachers we wanted our students to experience success with math early in the product use. Would it be better if we started kids off with easy math games and gradually increased the difficulty? The answer: Yes! By starting with curriculum one grade-level earlier in the sequencing, the new user experienced success with math and this compensated for frustrations that naturally occurred due to using a new learning medium.

But isn’t starting users one grade-level behind inefficient? With most products, this would be the case, but not so with ours. Our GuideRight™ Technology allows us to skip over large chunks of the curriculum when the student demonstrates that the math is easy. Our unique sequencing allows a child to work in two grade levels of the curriculum at once.

After a few successful kindergarten games, users are presented with our early first-grade curriculum. If they aren’t, it means they weren’t ready for it. This may not be the perfect solution for all kids, but it turns out that it works successfully for the majority of our kindergarten to 3rd grade students. However, as always, we’re anxious to hear from the parents of our little DreamBox users: how is this working for your children?

Show Your Child that Learning Math can be Fun

• Answer a question with a question. Child: “What am I supposed to do here?” Parent: “What do you think you should do here?” or “Is there anything here that will give you help?” When your child is able to answer a question on her own, let her know. “Wow! I’m impressed. Did you know you already knew the answer?” (Note: In DreamBox, we provide different levels of instructions in most games. Click Help once to receive a quick recap of the instructions. Click Help again and you’ll receive more detailed, explicit directions. Teach your child about this feature.)
• Latency – wait for your child to respond. Often we (parents and teachers) start answering our own questions before a child has had an adequate amount of think time. Give your child the think time she needs. If you don’t, your child learns that by waiting a little while, you’ll answer the question and provide more help, whether she needs it or not. When teaching, I taught myself to wait for over a minute for some responses. This feels like an incredible amount of time, but it’s the amount of time that some kids need to consider a problem and respond to it.
• Don’t hover. Are you a “helicopter” parent? Do you swoop in and rescue your child at the first sign of a struggle? If this sounds like you, put some distance between your child and her struggles. I’d also suggest reading one of the books in the Love & Logic series.
• Be present, but not attentive. Some kids are comforted just knowing a helping hand is available. Sit nearby with a book. Eventually walk away for 2 minutes, then 5. Whenever I introduce a new computer game to my daughter, I’m always nearby for the initial experience. As she gets familiar with the game, I decrease my attention and proximity to her.
• Don’t be present. Some kids are willing to experiment more and make mistakes when a parent or sibling isn’t around. Basically, they don’t want to make mistakes in front of anyone. Let them. Provide earphones so you don’t hear every wrong answer.
• Model behavior by sharing your struggles. Let your child know that you have to solve hard problems too. Talk about this. Let her know how good it feels when you’ve finally completed a difficult task through hard work and perseverance. Also, let her know when you almost gave up but didn’t.
• Limit the time spent on one activity. Some kids have a hard time self-regulating how much is too much. They start to break down when an activity has lasted too hard. Stop the activity and refocus your child’s attention.
• Think out loud. This isn’t to say you shouldn’t help your child. Of course you should. Just make sure you’re giving the right kind of help. Try to verbally express what you’re thinking as you help your child. Share even the smallest details. Two fabulous books are this are Comprehending Math: Adapting Reading Strategies to Teach Mathematics, K-6 by Arthur Hyde and Strategies That Work: Teaching Comprehension for Understanding and Engagement by Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis.

Have you figured out that this isn’t just a problem in math? It’s a problem that must be addressed in every subject, including social time. Use these same strategies to help your child solve problems with a playmate, when reading a new book or putting together a new Lego set.

My role at DreamBox is to work with hundreds of teachers, who are finding that DreamBox is an incredibly effective way to teach 4-8 year olds math in a fun way. The benefit of teaching children with DreamBox is that the program is able to leverage the latest technological innovations to create an online math learning product. Our kindergarten, 1st grade, and 2nd grade math games that adapt lessons based on each child’s knowledge and adjusts pacing on an individual basis.

Why DreamBox Online Learning Games?

With no exaggeration I can tell you that teachers are lining up to get DreamBox into their classrooms because it works! Independent effectiveness studies have shown that student test scores have increased by 19% after 2 weeks playing DreamBox.

I love working with teachers and hearing how excited they are about DreamBox. Here are a couple of recent emails I’ve gotten from teachers who are using the program (and you can read many more here):

“I use DreamBox as a regular part of my kindergarten curriculum. I rely on DreamBox to keep my advanced math students interested and challenged. It’s also a great program for my students who are not as advanced in the classroom because the program is auditory and visual and will repeat lessons and concepts as needed. As a teacher I love that DreamBox is really teaching mathematical thinking. I also love that students can play DreamBox at home in addition to the classroom — the parents of my students often ask me what they can do at home to supplement what their children are learning at school. DreamBox is a great way for students to practice and reinforce math at home. ”
— Marie Hewitt, kindergarten teacher, Norman Rockwell Elementary

“I was really interested in using DreamBox Learning K-2 Math with my first grade class because of its ability to adapt to each individual student’s level. This program challenges each child whether they need remediation or need more advanced work. DreamBox is focused on the critical foundational math my students must learn such as the ability to add and subtract fluently. I also liked how the DreamBox program immediately offers tips and lessons on how to solve a problem if a student doesn’t answer a problem correctly.”
— Lisa Niva, 1st grade teacher, Wade King Elementary

ABCnews.com just wrote a story on DreamBox today and I personally think it’s a great example of a video game and technology that is helping students learn rather than a waste of ’screen time’.

Perhaps not all video games are created equal!

So I attacked Candy Land differently. I put aside the traditional cards with one or two colors indicating if one should move 1 red space or 2 yellow spaces, and introduced a squishy yellow die with dots representing the numbers 1 to 6. Elle thought the die was fun. Little did she know she was practicing the early math skill of recognizing dot patterns (or quick images) up to 6.

Try this with your own child. It’s truly surprising how quickly they roll and say, “five” or “four” without counting each dot on the die. With every roll, she also had to move that many spaces. This isn’t so easy for a 3-year old that doesn’t quite have one-to-one tagging down. She counts as she moves, but she doesn’t always move exactly one space for each number counted. So, when appropriate, I’d help her move or point to each space as we counted together. On my turns (when she wasn’t moving my piece for me), I’d model making my piece jump one space for each number counted. Elle absolutely loved playing the game this way, and I loved turning this into an opportunity to watch and learn from her. As a teacher, I was challenged to keep the experience light-hearted yet below her frustration level. As a mom, I just had fun teasing and laughing along with Elle.

The Challenges of Math Education for Your Child: Making Learning Fun

Other variations for using Candy Land with 3-6 year olds: I know Elle won’t be entertained by this forever, and I’ll want to challenge her more as she grows. Here are some twists I’ll use in the future. (Am I actually looking forward to playing more Candy Land?):

• Change the die used. Use a die with numerals 1-6; or better yet, 1-10, 1-12 or 1-20. As a teacher, I have a collection of these. Dice are cheap. Make the investment.
• Rotate picking a card with picking a die. The traditional cards make the game move a lot faster, unless you get sent back to the beginning!
• Roll two dice. Start with two dice, each using dot patterns. Then, combine one die with a dot pattern and one using numerals. Finally, use two dice with numerals. This introduces adding to the game.
• Roll two dice. Choose one to move. This adds strategy to this traditional game of chance.
• Pick a card and a die (for a slightly older child). Let your child decide if she should use the card first or the die first. Again, this adds strategy to the game.
• Let your child choose if she wants to use a die or the cards. Then, use the opposite. What happens? Does your child think one choice is better than the other? Why? Is one scarier or riskier? Why?

1. Have students think about a number that they like, maybe their favorite number. They should create a card with this number displayed prominently on it. For primary classrooms, it might be handy to have giant numbers to trace onto red paper. Their writing can go anywhere on the number. Older students will invariably come up with a way to make the number pop out on the front.
2. Students should write a little letter telling why that number is special to him/her. It would help to elaborate on what its uses are, mathematically speaking, and reasons why that number was picked. Students can write all the ways to make that number on the front, with any mathematical expression they can come up with that equals that number.
3. Decorate and discuss. Allow a little time for some fun decorating. Doilies are basic V-day décor, but crayons work great too. It is always important for students to share with others about their work. Save time and have each child share one thing about their number as you staple each valentine up on the bulletin board.

Here’s a Valentine’s Day Math example

(It gets a little cheesy, but this helps the kids to see the fun in it!)

Happy Valentine’s day number 9,
I really like you. You are my favorite number. ‘NINE’ has 4 letters in it just like my name, Beth! I like that you’re 3 x 3, since 3 used to be a favorite number of mine when I was little. Now I’m older, so I’m just as happy with bigger numbers like you. I also like that you look like a 6 upside down. You’re the square root of 81 and you make really cool number patterns on a hundreds chart when you’re multiplied by other numbers. You’re also the largest single digit that I know. Happy Valentine’s Day, number 9!

Sincerely,
Beth

His comments highlight one of our big challenges at DreamBox communicating how different DreamBox is from other products people are familiar with and this seems like a good forum to discuss it! Because we offer a web service instead of a CD or software that downloads to your desktop, DreamBox is able to customize every aspect of the experience to your child’s specific actions in the game and learning needs.

A Math Game that Adapts Dynamically

A CD starts every child at the same point, and they all work through the same lessons in the same sequence, progressing to the next level if they’ve passed them all some children will be successful with this model while others will quickly become either overwhelmed or bored. By contrast, DreamBox places children in the curriculum so they skip the material they already know, begins them where they’re ready to learn, and constantly adjusts everything from the hints and instructional feedback, the pacing and sequence, level of difficulty and more. So each child is always challenged at just the right level, it holds their interest and they can go much further.

Furthermore, learning doesn’t happen in a linear way, and kids really benefit from the opportunity to explore and learn with more self-directed freedom than the typical school curriculum allows. So kids may be in several different parts of the curriculum concurrently and in fact most kids will be learning material from more than 1 grade at any given time. They may be ahead in number sense but still practicing in the computation area of the curriculum. And parents can see this as they follow  what their children are learning in the parent dashboard and through the progress report emails that we send.

So it really is highly individualized learning our customers are buying, a service, not simply a static set of lessons or a piece of software!