Mental Math Fluency Challenge at Jack Abrams School

The first round of winners of the Jack Abrams STEM Magnet School’s Mental Math Fluency Challenge using Math Fact Lab was recently announced. Math Fact Lab is a strategy-based online program designed to help students develop math-fact fluency through reasoning—not just repetition and memorization.

Experts believe that true fact fluency promotes deep understanding that is efficient, flexible and accurate; it allows students to explain their thinking and use what they know in different ways.

“Our school-wide challenge encourages every class to compete to show the most growth (levels mastered) in Math Fact Lab,” Principal Donna Moro said. “The winning class is determined by who has the most Level Lifters during the given time period. Our first winners are the class that has accumulated the most Level Lifters so far this year.”

That class is none other than teacher Lauren Caggiano’s sixth graders “and we will be walking out to their song on Friday,” Ms. Moro said.

The individual winners for sixth grade were Anderson Royce, with the most Level Lifters and Erin Reed, with the most active minutes. In fifth grade, Harry Ortiz Moz had the most active minutes and Jacob Gomez Morales had the most Level Lifters.

Fourth grade featured very stiff competition, which resulted in ties in both categories and we ended up with ties in both categories. Khani Miller and Bradley Courtemanche tied for the most active minutes, and Maryelena Acosta Fuentes and Hudson Storck tied for the most Levels Lifted.

“After we name a winner, everyone will start with a clean slate making it possible for any class to win at any time,” Ms. Moro said. “We will select a new winner every week or two, depending on days off or busy weeks at school. Additionally, each month there will be individual winners in each grade.”

Winners receive certificates, a spotlight on the bulletin board outside the library, and a shout-out before the walk-out song. Individual winners are the students with the most Level Lifters and the students with the most active minutes spent building their fluency.

“We love how hard everyone is working to build their brains and look forward to seeing who the next winners will be,” Ms. Moro said.