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 The Brick Math FREE Lesson of the Month for September 2023 is about Mixed Numbers and is taken from Basic Fractions Using LEGO® Bricks. The concept of a mixed number (a whole number and a fractional part) can be difficult for students to grasp, but modeling with bricks makes it so easy to learn. To get the September 2023 Brick Math Lesson of the Month, "Mixed Numbers," plus a new lesson each month, click here. Each Lesson of the Month includes the Teacher Lesson Guide as well as the Student Workbook Pages that correspond to the lesson.  The lesson on mixed numbers first shows that a whole number can be divided into equal parts, and then shows how one more of that fractional part is added to the whole to make the mixed number. It's a very effective way to teach the concept of mixed numbers. It also shows the power of the Brick Math program, which makes math concepts visual and tactile so all students can learn them.  Brick Math is a K-8 math curriculum that uses LEGO® bricks to model 13 different math subjects: Counting, Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division, Basic Fractions, Basic Measurement, Fraction Multiplication, Fraction Division, Advanced Measurement and Geometry, Decimals, Data and Statistics, and Pre-Algebra. Data and Statistics and Pre-Algebra expand the Brick Math curriculum to include grades 7 - 8. Brick Math works in many applications: for homeschooling, math intervention, enrichment, and as a whole-school program. Materials are simple and affordable. If you are a math teacher or a parent with a student at home who is learning K-8th 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 think teachers are among the most generous people on earth. Not only do teachers give of their time and talents during the school day, they volunteer as coaches and club leaders after school and on weekends, just because they love kids and want to help. Most teachers we know also dip into their own pockets to buy items for their classrooms; in fact, research shows that teachers spend about $500 a year of their own money on supplies and curriculum that they know their students need and their school won’t buy.  There’s a better way to find that extra money for your students: apply for a grant. There are many opportunities for funding curriculum. One of the most common questions we receive from teachers is, “How can I find the funds to purchase Brick Math for my classroom?” If you want to bring Brick Math to your classroom or school, we suggest several possible sources of funding that other teachers have used: • Title 1 Grants: These grants are available from the federal government based on school populations of low income students. We have seen a big uptick in schools ordering the Brick Math curriculum using Title 1 funds. Many schools tell us they plan to use Brick Math for intervention, to help struggling students learn basic K-8 math. Since Title 1 funds are intended to be supplementary to state and local funding, schools often use them to purchase additional curriculum to help students when more traditional methods haven’t worked. Brick Math is perfect for that purpose. • Teacher discretionary funds: In many schools, teachers receive a stipend to pay for classroom amenities and/or curriculum. Many teachers have purchased Brick Math with their discretionary funds to test the program in their own classrooms. • PTA funding – Often, Parent-Teacher groups offer money to fund new programs that teachers want their students to try. Check with your school’s PTA or PTO to see if they can help purchase Brick Math for your classroom or school. • Third-party grant programs: Generous non-profit foundations offer grants to fund curriculum like Brick Math. Many focus on STEM-related curriculum materials, and their awards range from a few hundred dollars to $50,000 or more. Look at smaller individual grants if you’re trying to fund Brick Math for your classroom, and check out larger grant programs if your school wants to bring in Brick Math on a larger scale.  Thousands of schools around the world utilize Brick Math to help students “see” the math in the K-8 curriculum by modeling with LEGO®-compatible bricks. The 13 math subjects in Brick Math range from Counting to Pre-Algebra.
Brick Math is a different approach to teaching math; the lessons utilize LEGO® bricks as manipulatives, and students model the math as they learn. For students whose learning style is hands-on, Brick Math is the research-based teaching solution that teachers and schools have been looking for. And what’s more fun than learning with LEGO® bricks?! |