Video: Local Teacher Receives Math Grant, Teaches Math in Fun Way

[syndicaster id=’5498568′]

WEST POINT, Miss. (WCBI) – One local teacher is making math fun for her students. West Point elementary teacher, Kimberly Blair, was awarded a 12 month grant that totals more than $1,600 dollars.The grant provides an online gaming system that teaches students math principles through playing the fun games.

Third grade students in Ms. Kimberly Blair’s class are learning math in a new way at South Side Elementary.

“It’s kind of like playing a Wii game that is very interactive with you, it’s almost like a Nintendo game, the kids start out really small with basic math facts like addition and subtraction and the better they get, the higher they move up,” said third grade teacher, Kimberly Blair.

Blair was awarded the Reflex Math Fact Fluency Grant, which helps students develop skills in basic math such as addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.

It’s been two weeks since the class got the online game system and Blair says she can already see results.

“I can tell a difference on their multiplication facts, when you know your addition facts, you can do multiplication, so they’ve done excellent,” said Blair.

“What math skill have you improved on the most?”
“Addition,” said third grader, Javeon Love.
“And why?”
“Because I’m really good at it,” said Love.

The third graders say these online programs are very different from learning math in a book.

“Well because you’re playing a game and then you’re learning at the same time and it just makes it real fun,” said third grader, Sydnee Johnson.

“I’ve been learning that you can do anything with math, even play games with math,” said third grader, Parker Cohen.

The class visits the computer lab at least three times a week to practice their math skills.

” I would rather play a game to do math, like Reflex, because it’s really fun because you don’t even think that you’re doing math,” said third grader, Kenndey Cantrell.

The class will continue using the online learning games through next December.

This was Blair’s first grant to apply for and she says she is now motivated to continue applying for educational grants.