How to Get Started with Brick Math

You’re an elementary school teacher who loves LEGO® bricks, and you’ve always wanted to use them to teach math. Finally, there’s a program to do it — Brick Math: Teaching Math Using LEGO® Bricks!
 
Test out Brick Math with one Teacher Edition of any subject and one Student Edition of that subject. Use your own LEGO® bricks for now; the specific bricks you’ll need are listed at the beginning of each chapter and the whole list of bricks needed for the program is in each book's Appendix. Work through a few chapters with a student one-on-one. You’ll quickly see how easy Brick Math is to teach, and how much students enjoy learning this way. The two books will set you back less than $25, and the small investment will earn great rewards for you and your students.
 
Another great way to start with Brick Math is to choose one subject and introduce it in a small group setting. For example, maybe you have some fourth graders who haven’t really ever understood fractions. Here’s all you need to start working with four students at a time: one Teacher Edition of Basic Fractions Using LEGO® Bricks, two brick sets (each set can be shared between two students), and (optional) four companion Student Editions of Basic Fractions Using LEGO® Bricks. This will cost less than $175. If your PTA offers small grants to teachers, this is the perfect use for that money!
 
Here’s how you teach with any subject in Brick Math:

• You follow the lessons in the Teacher Edition. Choose any chapter in the book to start. Begin by taking students through the Part 1: Show Them How section of the chapter. Build the brick models, show them to your students, and ask students questions as directed. Be sure to use the math vocabulary for each lesson.
• Have your students build the same models themselves so they are manipulating the bricks as you are guiding them.
• Then have students draw their models and answer the questions in their companion Student Editions.
• ​Once students have mastered the modeling processes from Part 1, move to the Part 2: Show What You Know section of the chapter. This time, you’ll ask students to complete each of the problems, first by modeling with bricks and then by drawing their models in the companion Student Editions.
• ​Check that students are building their models correctly and that they understand the concepts behind the models before you move on to the next lesson. And to help you make sure your students are on target, each chapter of the Student Editions include an Assessment and a chart to track each student's progress.

 
And here are some tips that author Dr. Shirley Disseler says will help when you’re first introducing Brick Math to your students:

• Before starting, have a conversation with the students about using bricks as a learning tool rather than a toy.
• Teach students the language of bricks (baseplate, stud, 1x1, 1x2, etc.).
• Assign brick sets to specific students by number and always give the same students the same sets. This helps keep students from taking home or misplacing bricks. If they know they will always have to work with the same brick set, they are more likely to be careful with their set.
• Do not teach with bricks—or any manipulative—every day. Students also need to think through the math processes without a physical model.
• To keep bricks clean, put them in a hosiery bag and wash on the top rack of the dishwasher. Let them air dry.
• To keep bricks from sliding off desks, use foam shelf liner cut into rectangular sections or large meat trays (you can often get these free from a local supermarket).
• Active learning breeds active learners! Students will be motivated and engaged in math when they are using bricks. It will not be quiet in your classroom, but it will be full of chatter about math!

​Check the Brick Math website for videos that will help you get started teaching with Brick Math. The site, www.brickmath.com, has lots of info about how to teach math using LEGO® bricks!

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