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.
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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.
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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. ​

During the pandemic, the math skills of many elementary school students have dropped significantly. In the coming school year, educators are faced with the challenge of helping students both regain skills and learn new material.
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The latest thinking on how to help students who have lost math skills during the COVID year is to accelerate instruction rather than hold back. Guidance from the US Department of Education is to move ahead with grade-level math instruction, but include new strategies for learning where students show deficits. 

Brick Math is the perfect solution for teachers and schools looking for a way to help students whose math skills have faltered in the past year. The K – 6th grade program uses LEGO bricks to model math, an innovative approach that helps students quickly learn mathematic basics that range from Counting through Advanced Geometry. Since the program is modular, it can be brought in to address specific learning deficits a student may have. For example, if a teacher finds that a student missed out on learning decimals last year, the Brick Math program of instruction for Decimals will help that student move back up to grade level work quickly.

​Here’s how Brick Math can help a student who has lost math skills over the past year:
1. Determine what area of math the student is having trouble with (for example, understanding decimals).
2. Bring in the Brick Math subject area as needed (in the example, use the methods in the Decimals Teacher and Student books). The program focuses on helping the student quickly understand and master the topic.
3. Now the student is ready to rejoin the whole class in grade-level math.

​​It’s great to see that schools are in gear again, assessing new curriculum for the 2021-22 school year, and deciding to use Brick Math with their students! Schools in Tennessee, South Carolina, California, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina have recently added Brick Math to their K - 6 math curriculum.

Administrators and teachers tell us why they have chosen Brick Math: Teaching Math Using LEGO® Bricks for the upcoming school year:

   Reason # 4 – It’s fun! Who wouldn’t enjoy learning math when LEGO® bricks are involved?

Brick Math is ready to help schools with a program that can accelerate students’ math skills. If your students have fallen behind in math, please visit BrickMath.com to find out more about how Brick Math can help your students recover from math learning losses over the past year. The website includes training videos, testing results, research findings, and much more.

​We’re putting the 2020-2021 school year in the rear-view mirror and looking ahead to new resources for students as they go back to in-person learning. Students will need something extra to regain the math skills they’ve lost in the past school year. That’s why the 2021-2022 school year is “The Year of Brick Math”!

​There’s never been a better time for Brick Math: Teaching Math Using LEGO Bricks. The innovative K – 6 math curriculum utilizes kid-friendly LEGO bricks to model math with direct, hands-on techniques that are easy to teach and fun to learn. The method is as far from Zoom screens and worksheets as it could be. The lessons are engaging and effective.

Many students have lost significant ground in math during the past year. And parents are very concerned about their children’s lack of academic progress.

The Brick Math program can help strengthen students’ math skills. Any or all of the 11 different K – 6 math subjects can be added to an existing math program to help struggling students.  Thousands of schools, teachers, and parents use Brick Math in various ways: as a complete math curriculum, for instruction in specific content areas, for remediation, in small-groups, or working one-on-one. Brick Math school programs can include professional development, coaching, and individual support for teachers. 

It’s been a tough year for schools and students, especially for math instruction. Many students have lost substantial math skills during this past school year because virtual learning is a poor substitute for in-class, hands-on learning. Research shows the deficits are far greater for math than for reading. 
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But there is a solution. Brick Math: Teaching Math Using LEGO Bricks is a program used by thousands of schools around the country to help K – 6 students catch up in math skills they desperately need. Brick Math has programs for schools to jump-start the math curriculum with specific, hands-on instruction in 11 math subjects. This proven program engages students with LEGO-compatible bricks to help students quickly gain back what they've lost and move ahead in their math skills. Brick Math programs can include professional development, coaching, and individual support for teachers. 

​We’re calling the 2021-2022 school year “The Year of Brick Math,” because it’s the perfect curriculum to help K – 6 students rebuild their lost math skills. Brick Math uses LEGO bricks to model the math, which results in higher engagement with the lessons and deeper understanding of the math.

​Here’s why Brick Math works to bring students' math skills back to where they need to be:

• Modular Components:
The program is modular, so it can be brought in at whatever level students need to make up for the math they didn’t learn this past year. The K - 6 curriculum is divided into 11 different subject areas, starting with Counting and Cardinality in the earliest grades, and moving through Advanced Geometry and Measurement in grades 5 - 6.

• No Screens Necessary!​
The hands-on nature of Brick Math is just right for screen-exhausted students. They build models of the math with their own set of bricks as they learn, and they utilize pencil and paper to draw the models and explain their thinking process.

• Easy to Get Started​
Teaching techniques are easy to learn and straightforward. Professional development for implementation and periodic coaching of staff throughout the year are available to ensure that teachers are comfortable teaching with Brick Math.  

• Proven Results​
Research shows that students who learn with Brick Math improve their test scores dramatically. Learning math with LEGO bricks is a proven method that gets powerful results.

Brick Math is the curriculum solution for schools that need to help students rebuild the math skills they have lost in the past year. Visit www.brickmath.com or call 802-751-8802 for more information.

It’s an exciting time for American schools. Tomorrow President Biden will sign the COVID relief bill, which allocates $128 billion for state and local education.
Twenty percent of those funds must address learning loss by students who have struggled to learn in virtual or hybrid settings. According to research, students have fallen far behind in math since March 2020, with much more severe learning losses in math than in reading.

​There are five key ways that a math curriculum can help students who have fallen behind in math:

​1. Students have fallen behind in math at different rates and in different subjects. Brick Math is a modular program that allows students to catch up in any of 11 specific K-6 math areas (Counting and Cardinality through Advanced Measurement and Geometry).
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2. As students move back to full-time classroom learning, teachers can now take advantage of teaching methods that work well in the classroom setting. Brick Math works especially well in a classroom environment because it is hands-on. Students build models of the math with LEGO bricks, and teachers can quickly scan the room to make sure students are correctly learning the concepts.

3. K – 6 math is often taught using small groups of students whose math skills are at the same level. Brick Math works well in small groups because teachers can target specific areas of learning needs and help students with quick adjustments.

​​4. Students learn math best through a variety of methods. With Brick Math, students think through problems under the guidance of the teacher. Then they build models of the math with bricks. They then draw their models and explain the math concept in writing. These steps help solidify students’ learning.

​5. Research shows that kids learn more when they are engaged and stay longer on the task. With Brick Math, students have fun while they learn, so their level of engagement is high. Many teachers report that students ask for “more Brick Math,” even when it’s time to move on to another subject!

Brick Math is ready to help schools with a program that can accelerate students’ math skills. If your students have fallen behind in math, please visit BrickMath.com to find out more about how Brick Math can help your students recover from math learning losses over the past year. The website includes training videos, testing results, research findings, and much more.

       

Many elementary schools are planning for a combination of in-school and online learning for the upcoming school year. But studies show that students have missed about half the math they should have learned this spring. It’s important that the math instructional methods for the fall carry through from the classroom to the home.
 
Steven Blackburn, writing for District Administration, talks about two key needs for learning math: the use of manipulatives, and the ability for students to share their thinking with teachers and peers. He quotes Trena Wilkerson, president of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM): “Making math meaningful involves providing tasks and opportunities that allow students to engage in ways that make sense in their world to build upon whatever understanding they have at that moment to do meaningful work.”
 
That’s how Brick Math works. Students build models with a familiar and fun manipulative, LEGO® bricks. Then they share their thinking about the math, both orally and in writing. Wilkerson is clear about the need for communication in math instruction: “There needs to be an open dialogue in learning just to ensure students are engaging with the mathematical principles and making sense of it in their world.”
 
Schools can use the Brick Math curriculum and brick sets on site at school and also send brick sets and student workbooks home for students’ use there. Even students without Internet access can discuss their Brick Math work with teachers via phone or text.
 
Whether in our new virtual classrooms or in real life, students need to learn along with the teacher, using a model to explain and describe the math. Dr. Shirley Disseler, author of the Brick Math curriculum, recently found that most parents of elementary students don’t feel qualified to work with their child in the area of math (23% of 250 respondents). In contrast, 65% felt they could help their child with reading tasks. For math, students need to see the teacher, hear the teacher, and work alongside the teacher whether online or in person.
 
No matter how it is delivered, instruction must provide student engagement that is rooted in manipulative and hands-on work that is not solely worksheet and app based. Brick Math is a curriculum that helps students learn K-6 math in any learning environment.

What do you do when you want to try an innovative curriculum like Brick Math, but your school doesn’t have the budget for it? Look for a grant!
 
A number of orders for Brick Math curriculum and materials have been funded from grants. Many foundations that fund grants for educational programs, materials, and professional development target STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering, and math).
 
Here’s a list of some grants you can apply for if you’re interested in funding for Brick Math:

• Donors Choose https://www.donorschoose.org/teachers
• NCTM https://www.nctm.org/Grants/
• NCTM Emerging Teacher-Leaders in Elementary School Mathematics Grants https://www.nctm.org/Grants-and-Awards/grants/Emerging-Teacher-Leaders-in-Elementary-School-Mathematics-Grants/
• NCTM Improving Students' Understanding of Geometry Grants 
  www.nctm.org/uploadedFiles/Grants_and_Awards/grants/Improving%20Students'%20Understanding%20of%20Geometry%20Grants%20(Pre-K-8).pdf
• NEA Foundation for Learning Grant https://www.neafoundation.org/for-educators/
• NEA California Casualty $2,500 Giveaway https://secure.mycalcas.com/academicaward
• Toshiba Teacher Grant TAF http://www.toshiba.com/taf/k5.jsp

 
And each state has its own grants; for example, this one in North Carolina:
Bright Ideas Educational Grants http://www.ncbrightideas.com/Home.aspx
Find grants in your state at this site: https://grantsalert.com/grants/
 
We’ll be happy to help you figure out what you need for your classroom or school when you’re writing your grant for Brick Math. Just contact neil@brickmathseries.com or call 802-751-8802.

Hi, Texas and California! Welcome to Brick Math!

The Brick Math phenomenon is spreading across the country. Brick Math is the exciting new program for teaching a complete K-6 curriculum using LEGO® bricks. School districts around the country are setting Brick Math up as an approved vendor.

Brick Math has recently become an approved vendor for the North East Independent School District in San Antonio, Texas, which also extends to the Judson, Northside, and San Antonio Independent School Districts. In the Houston area, Brick Math was approved as a vendor for the Aldine Independent School District, which also extends to more than 40 school districts in the Central Texas Purchasing Alliance (CTPA). Brick Math was also approved as a vendor for the Klein Independent School District in Klein, Texas, which is in the Houston area as well.

In California, we’ve recently become an approved vendor of the Compass Charter Schools, which provide online and home study school services for kids in that state, often serving child actors, athletes, and students from military families.

When a school or district wants to buy Brick Math, sometimes we need to become an approved vendor. This happens in a couple of ways:

• Through a formal RFP process when a district asks vendors to submit their product for approval. Usually the district’s purchasing department handles the proposals, and the district Board of Education makes the final approvals. After that, any school in the district or whole purchasing unit can purchase Brick Math.
• By the school or district asking us directly for our tax ID number so they can put us on their approved list. Usually this happens when the school has already decided to buy Brick Math, and this is a very simple process that takes about a minute.

If your school wants to purchase Brick Math but we aren’t part of your school or district’s approved vendor network yet, it’s easy for us to become part of that list. Just contact neil@brickmathseries.com and he’ll make that happen so your school can get started with Brick Math!

Brick Math is an approved vendor in a number of school districts in North Carolina, New Jersey, and South Carolina. We might already be approved in your district, too. If you're not sure, contact neil@brickmathseries.com to find out. We look forward to being approved as a vendor by many more school districts to help more students improve their math skills through Brick Math.