LYNN, MA—Recently, when Christine Kennedy, a teacher at Lynn Woods Elementary, offered her class the opportunity to choose an activity during some rare free time, "At least half of them said they wanted to play First In Math."
The principal of her school, Ellen Fritz, was not surprised by the students' choice. First In Math has taken over "like a craze."
This is the second year the school has used the program and many students are familiar enough with it to play on their own.
“Last year we really immersed ourselves into this program because we wanted our MCAS (Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System) scores to improve. This year we jumped to a Level 1 and I credit First in Math, in part, along with our great and dedicated teachers, for bringing up the math scores.
Initially, Fritz embraced a proven FIM strategy that includes offering praise and recognition as rewards, along with her own incentives such as ice cream parties, additional computer time and lunch from a sandwich shop up the street. This year she says students are more self-motivated because they enjoy the program.
Devin, a fifth-grader, is the school's highest-ranked player, with 2,451 stickers. An accomplished student, Devin says FIM makes him even better and answers now come to him quickly. When students engage in FIM they are immersed in repetition and ongoing practice. “I’m getting multiplication tables faster. You have to keep trying to get the right answer.”
Fritz points out that the program has also generated healthy competition among the Lynn Public School District's elementary schools, and she tracks her school’s ranking against other schools in the nation and state as well as in her own back yard. "I can tap a few computer keys and see the national or state FIM statistics." Lynn Woods is ranked third among all grades in Massachusetts.
“First In Math is another avenue for learning,” says Fritz. "It’s this generation, this is what they know, technology. It makes sense to give students what they know."