Sprinting through math at School 4

Mastery of math facts is one of the most pieces of an elementary student’s education — and getting the students to understand the basics can be half the fun. One technique Oceanside teachers are using is called sprints, which asks students to solve as many problems as possible in one minute. When the time is up, the teacher reads back the answers, and students respond to all of the ones they’ve solved correctly. Sprints can be done with whatever concepts students are learning, and in this particular class, run by Ilyse Silverstein, the topic was order of operations.

“Sprints are really fun,” said Sophie Stakhov, a student in the class. “You’re challenging yourself to get as many questions right as you can in a short time, and each time you do it, you try to improve your score.”

Another way of working on mastering math is to perform a physical activity along with reciting facts. Silverstein had her students stand up and punch forward with alternating arms as they recalled facts aloud. “Getting them out of their seats and moving gets them energized,” she said, “and it helps with recall.”