 There are a number of recent research studies that assess the effects of online and hybrid learning during the past three pandemic-affected school years. The studies show that math scores have dropped considerably during this time, even more than reading. According to an Education Week article, students are 12 weeks behind where they should be in math – about four months, or one-third of a typical 36-week school year.  There is a lot of federal funding available for academic intervention and support to help kids catch up. Many experts recommend a multi-pronged approach to helping students get back on track: tutoring, after-school programs, summer school, and/or lengthening the school year.  Brick Math is a very effective curriculum for math intervention and support in grades K – 6. The program teaches basic math by modeling with LEGO bricks, so the process is tactile, easy to understand, and fun! Brick Math is designed to work in different settings: whole-class, small group, and one-on-one. It is simple to adopt in any of the support approaches a school chooses, as a tutoring curriculum, or part of an after-school or summer program.  Recommendations also include the need for schools to implement their intervention strategies as soon as possible, and the funding timeline will help reinforce a speedy plan: schools have only two years to spend the money allocated to help students catch up. That's another plus for Brick Math -- the brick modeling techniques are easy for teachers to learn. There are only a few materials needed: a lesson book for the teacher, a student workbook for each student, and a brick set for every one or two students using the program. As schools try to get back to "normal" this year, the Brick Math curriculum can help bring your students back where they should be in math.  Brick Math is a K-6 math curriculum that uses LEGO® bricks to model 11 different math subjects: Counting, Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division, Basic Fractions, Basic Measurement, Fraction Multiplication, Fraction Division, Advanced Measurement and Geometry, and Decimals. It works for homeschooling, math intervention, enrichment, and as a whole-school program. Materials are simple and affordable.
If you teach math or have a student at home who is learning K - 6th grade math, check brickmath.com. The website includes videos for both teacher training and direct instruction of students. You can learn more about how Brick Math improves students' math test scores and hear what people who are using Brick Math have to say about the program.
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 We get lots of questions from parents who want to try Brick Math with their children, either for homeschooling or as a fun supplement at home. They often ask how to determine where their child should start, what books to purchase, and what bricks to use. Here's a guide to getting started with Brick Math: Brick Math basics: Brick Math is based on teaching individual math subjects. The series starts with Counting and Cardinality, and works its way up to Advanced Measurement and Geometry. There are 11 subjects available that track the typical K - 6 curriculum. You can view all of them here: https://www.brickmathseries.com/products.html To get a sample lesson of any subject, click on the subject, click on any version of the book, then click "Download Sample Lesson" or "Look Inside!"  Determining what subjects to start with: If your child has already starting learning with another math curriculum, determine what he/she has mastered and move on from there. For example, the typical K-2nd grade curriculum includes Counting, Addition, and Subtraction, plus part of Basic Measurement (telling time). If your child has mastered those, move to the subjects that are typically in the 3rd-4th grade curriculum: Multiplication, Division, and Basic Fractions, plus most of Basic Measurement. Teacher and Student Editions: We suggest you buy the Teacher and Student Edition of each subject. You will use the Teacher Edition to guide your child through the lessons, and your child will use the Student Edition to draw their brick models, answer questions, and complete chapter assessments, so you will feel confident that they are ready to move on. Each child learning with Brick Math needs their own Student Edition. Print books or PDFs: Either version will work, but you will need to print out all the pages of the Student books for your child to write in. The books average about 80 pages in length. The books are in full color so the illustrations of the brick models are easy to understand. This is more important for the Teacher books, which include illustrations of the brick models you will make as teacher, and of the models you can expect your child to make. Since many people don’t have easy access to a color printer, or find color printing much more expensive, the print book may be a less expensive alternative to a PDF if you plan to print out most of the pages.  Bricks needed: You can use your own LEGO bricks if you have plenty of them, or you can buy our Brick Set, which includes all the bricks needed for the entire Brick Math program. Every chapter has a list of all the bricks you need for that chapter, and there is a suggested brick inventory for the whole program in each book and on our website at https://www.brickmathseries.com/uploads/7/1/0/2/7102647/brickinventory.pdf. More resources: The Brick Math website includes lots of videos to help you get comfortable with the program and see the Brick Math method being taught by the author of the series.
https://www.brickmathseries.com/videos.html For additional information, check the website section for parents/homeschool: https://www.brickmathseries.com/for-parentshomeschool.html  Many homeschool families are using Brick Math: Teaching Math Using LEGO® Bricks for the math curriculum for their children ages 5 – 12, or in grades K – 6. We recently gave a short virtual presentation about Brick Math to interested parents associated with the Heartwood Charter School, a public charter school for independent study in California. Watch the video to see how Brick Math works for homeschool families. If you homeschool your child and are looking for math curriculum, this video presentation about Brick Math shows you the materials, explains how you can get started, and gives a short demonstration of a lesson. You can check the website for more information about how Brick Math can work for you and your child. Please feel free to contact us if you have more questions about Brick Math as a homeschooling math curriculum.
 In the Brick Math program, students use LEGO bricks to learn elementary and middle school math. The bricks are also known as manipulatives—items that the students actually touch and move to model the math. How do manipulatives work in teaching math? There are three major ways that manipulatives help students learn:  1. Manipulatives make math concrete. When you read math problems in a textbook, you are asked to envision abstract concepts—subtracting 5 from 7, or multiplying 10 by 3, for example. But using manipulatives to model a concept makes the math concrete and real. In our examples, use 7 bricks to model the number 7, then remove 5 of those bricks to see clearly that 2 are left. Or make 3 groups of 10 bricks each to model multiplication, to clearly show the solution as 30. Students “get” the math when they can see it!  2. Manipulatives are tools to solve math problems. Engineers and scientists approach new problems by building models and testing their solutions. Manipulatives work the same way for math problems. When given a math problem, students use bricks to work through the problem. Different solutions can be tested and compared.  3. Manipulatives make math fun. Doesn’t the idea of doing math with LEGO bricks seem like a lot more fun than memorizing multiplication facts or doing long division with pencil and paper? Students and teachers across the globe agree! Teacher Sally Gray told us: "Instead of indoor recess with puzzles and games, my class begged to continue working on multiplication with Brick Math!" Using the beloved LEGO bricks as math manipulatives in a complete curriculum of K-6th grade math helps students build deep and lasting math ability. Brick Math is a K-6 math curriculum that uses LEGO® bricks to model 11 different math subjects: Counting, Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division, Basic Fractions, Basic Measurement, Fraction Multiplication, Fraction Division, Advanced Measurement and Geometry, and Decimals. It works for homeschooling, math intervention, enrichment, and as a whole-school program. Materials are simple and affordable.
If you teach math or have a student at home who is learning K - 6th grade math, check brickmath.com. The website includes videos for both teacher training and direct instruction of students. You can learn more about how Brick Math improves students' math test scores and hear what people who are using Brick Math have to say about the program.  Studies show that up to 30 percent of people report moderate to high levels of math anxiety, according to author Malia Wollan in an article that appeared on March 27, 2022 in the New York Times. Children as young as 6 can show signs of anxiety about math. Many adults (parent and teachers) make the mistake of telling children they are bad (or good) at math, which can increase the child’s apprehension about math.  One of the reasons students become anxious about math is that math is taught in a high-pressure situation, often by teachers who are uneasy about their own math skills. The Brick Math program can help reduce students’ math anxiety. Students “see” the math by building models with LEGO® or LEGO-compatible bricks. They engage with the math by drawing solutions to math problems and by explaining the process they used in writing or orally. In this program, students use a wide variety of sensory skills that reinforce how to solve math problems.  Addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and fractions come alive to students when they learn with LEGO® bricks. The New York Times article recommends, “When you work on calculations with children, try to do so with curiosity, playfulness and a sense of adventure.” When math becomes fun, the student’s anxiety level decreases. That’s the power of Brick Math. Brick Math is a K-6 math curriculum that uses LEGO® bricks to model 11 different math subjects: Counting, Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division, Basic Fractions, Basic Measurement, Fraction Multiplication, Fraction Division, Advanced Measurement and Geometry, and Decimals. It works for homeschooling, math intervention, enrichment, and as a whole-school program. Materials are simple and affordable.
If you teach math or have a student at home who is learning K - 6th grade math, check brickmath.com. The website includes videos for both teacher training and direct instruction of students. You can learn more about how Brick Math improves students' math test scores and hear what people who are using Brick Math have to say about the program.  Brick Math is used by schools around the country to help students improve their math skills. Students learn math through a three-part process: creating models of the math with LEGO®-compatible bricks, then drawing those models, and finally, writing and verbalizing how the models work. This process helps students really understand math and quickly build confidence in their math abilities. Teachers and parents are curious about how Brick Math works. Here are the answers to seven of the most frequently asked questions about Brick Math:  1. What grade levels work for Brick Math? Counting and Cardinality, Addition, and Subtraction are geared for students in kindergarten to 2nd grade. Multiplication, Division, Basic Fractions, and Basic Measurement are generally taught in grades 3 – 5. Fraction Multiplication, Fraction Division, Decimals, and Advanced Measurement and Geometry are most often part of the curriculum in grades 4 - 6. We are in the process of extending Brick Math through the middle school curriculum with the subjects Data and Statistics, Ratios and Proportions, and Pre-Algebra. These will be available for the 2022-2023 school year. Of course, lessons in all the books can be used in different grade levels, depending on your students. 2. Does Brick Math improve test scores? There have been several studies of the effectiveness of Brick Math as a teaching tool. For grades K - 2, Brick Math has been shown to improve students' test scores by an average of 4 points. For grades 3 - 5, studies found average test score increases of 7 - 9 points from pre-test to post-test after teaching with Brick Math methods. Further, studies show students’ increase in engagement and excitement about math, as well as increases in conceptual understanding of the content. Click here to learn more about Brick Math studies  3. Is Brick Math a stand-alone math curriculum or a supplement to curriculum? Both. Some schools have adopted Brick Math as their elementary math curriculum, and others are using Brick Math to supplement their current textbook materials. The program provides differentiation for learners at a variety of levels. Accommodations and modifications for different types of learners are provided with the program. Click here to learn more about the differentiation capabilities of Brick Math 4. Is Brick Math aligned with curriculum standards? Yes. Brick Math’s research-based math lessons are designed to help introduce foundational concepts and build mastery through hands-on engagement. The Brick Math curriculum is aligned to the Principles, Standards and Expectations of the National Council of the Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM). A vertical K-6 progression highlighting alignment is included with the Teacher Edition. Click here to learn more about Brick Math curriculum alignment  5. Does Brick Math include lesson plans? Yes. The Teacher Edition guides the teacher through the lessons clearly and in sequence. The Student Edition gives each student a workbook for drawing brick models and explaining thinking in writing. In addition, the Student Edition includes extra problems, activities, and an assessment for each chapter. The teaching methods can be used by teachers and parents without any special training. Click here for sample Brick Math lesson plans  6. Is professional development available for the Brick Math program? Yes. Although no special training is required, professional development is available for schools that would like it when implementing the program. Schools can order Brick Math materials and professional development as a package or separately. Contact us if you are interested in arranging for a custom package with professional development.  7. How do I order Brick Math?
Books and brick sets can be purchased online direct from the publisher, Brigantine Media. The paperback books are also available on Amazon, and Kindle versions of each book are available on Amazon Kindle. PDF versions are also available on the website Teachers Pay Teachers. For schools ordering the Brick Math program in quantity, with or without professional development, discounts and free shipping are available by ordering online.  Update on learning deficits in the past year: student math achievement has declined 9 to 11 percentile points because of the COVID pandemic. According to a recently published study from the Center for School and Student Progress, student achievement in math was far lower than a typical year, as measured at the start of the current school year (2021-22).  Brick Math is the solution to the problem of declining math achievement. The program is the perfect way to jump-start math education. Brick Math teaches K – 8th grade math using LEGO® bricks. Students model the math with bricks and develop deep understanding, not simply rote memorization.  The Brick Math method has been shown to increase students’ math scores significantly. Here’s how it works: First, the student models a math problem with bricks. Next, the student draws the model to begin transferring the knowledge from concrete to abstract. Finally, the student explains their solution in words. This three-step process is what makes Brick Math so powerful and builds students’ true understanding of the underlying math. …Plus, it’s fun to learn with LEGO® bricks!  Brick Math is a K-6 math curriculum that uses LEGO® bricks to model 11 different math subjects: Counting, Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division, Basic Fractions, Basic Measurement, Fraction Multiplication, Fraction Division, Advanced Measurement and Geometry, and Decimals. It works well for homeschooling, math intervention, enrichment, and as a whole-school program. Materials are simple and affordable.
If you teach math or have a student at home who is learning K - 6th grade math, check brickmath.com. The website includes videos for both teacher training and direct instruction of students. You can learn more about how Brick Math improves students' math test scores and hear what people who are using Brick Math have to say about the program.  Brick Math is the leading math manipulative program for K-8 students, no matter the students’ experience or previous understanding of math. Brick Math is so successful because it incorporates several key teaching strategies proven by research to help students achieve success. Today we’ll explain the first teaching strategy: Transferring knowledge learned from concrete to abstract. Math is abstract. A number is actually a concept – not really a thing in the physical world. Students need to learn what the idea of “1” means before they can begin to do anything with numbers like count, add, or subtract. A concrete tool like a LEGO® brick is a physical representation of the concept of the number. One stud on a brick represents the number 1, for example. The Brick Math methodology starts with students using LEGO® bricks to make models of the numbers and the math problems. Students say they can “see” the math when they model with the bricks. Here’s an example of modeling the sum 4 + 3 with bricks:  Students touch the bricks, feel the studs on the bricks, and can count each stud to understand what 4 means, what 3 means, and then, what 7 means. The next step in the Brick Math method helps students begin to transfer that new knowledge from concrete to more abstract. Students draw the model they have just built. Using another tactile sense, students move away from the physical bricks by creating a drawing of the bricks.  The final step that cements the learning is using words and numbers to explain the model they have just built and drawn. Students write or tell why the model describes the math problem, and they write the math sentence that the model is showing. In our example, they would write “4 + 3 = 7” and explain in words that the model shows four studs on one brick and three studs on another brick, and when they are brought together, seven studs in all. This last step of explaining the problem in words reinforces the concept. This three-step teaching method is very effective in building deep, true understanding of the math. The physical representation with bricks helps students learn what the math means, and the steps that transfer the learning from concrete to abstract ensure that students really comprehend the math. Brick Math is a K-6 math curriculum that uses LEGO® bricks to model 11 different math subjects: Counting, Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division, Basic Fractions, Basic Measurement, Fraction Multiplication, Fraction Division, Advanced Measurement and Geometry, and Decimals. It works well for homeschooling, math intervention, enrichment, and as a whole-school program. Materials are simple and affordable. If you teach math or have a student at home who is learning K - 6th grade math, check brickmath.com. The website includes videos for both teacher training and direct instruction of students. You can learn more about how Brick Math improves students' math test scores and hear what people who are using Brick Math have to say about the program.  We're going back to basics for this month's FREE Brick Math Lesson of the Month -- way back! Taken from Counting and Cardinality Using LEGO Bricks, this month's lesson is titled "What Is a Number?" To get the December 2021 Lesson of the Month on numbers, plus a new lesson each month, click here. You'll also find a quick video of the lesson that demonstrates building the math models with bricks.  The lesson uses 1x1 bricks to show what numbers really mean. Counting each brick gives students the opportunity to use an important learning skill: one-to-one correspondence. This lesson also serves to introduce some of the Brick Math methods that are used throughout all the Brick Math subjects. It's a great one to try with your youngest learners!  Brick Math is a K-6 math curriculum that uses LEGO® bricks to model 11 different math subjects: Counting, Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division, Basic Fractions, Basic Measurement, Fraction Multiplication, Fraction Division, Advanced Measurement and Geometry, and Decimals. It works well for homeschooling, math intervention, enrichment, and as a whole-school program. Materials are simple and affordable.
If you teach math or have a student at home who is learning K - 6th grade math, check brickmath.com. The website includes videos for both teacher training and direct instruction of students. You can learn more about how Brick Math improves students' math test scores and hear what people who are using Brick Math have to say about the program.  It’s not too early to begin thinking about summer school. As parents and educators are painfully aware, math comprehension has suffered during the pandemic. Schools are planning summer school programs to help students catch up on math skills. At Brick Math, we're hearing from lots of schools who want to use Brick Math in their upcoming summer school programs.  Brick Math, the program that teaches math using LEGO bricks, is a great supplemental curriculum that allows educators to laser-focus on specific student needs. Because it is subject-based, Brick Math can be used in small groups or even individually to create a custom curriculum. And because the same Brick Math brick set is used for all the subject areas of the Brick Math curriculum, students can make progress in several math subjects during the summer.  Brick Math is also expanding its offerings for the upcoming summer session: • All the Teacher and Student Editions will be available in Spanish by summer 2022 • The Brick Math curriculum will be extended through K – 8th grade with three new books: Data and Statistics, Ratio and Proportions, and Pre-Algebra Please contact us at www.BrickMath.com for more information about how Brick Math can help your students this summer.
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