I don’t know about your students, but mine always loved puzzles and games. The more I could bring games them into activities — especially during math — the better! So at ISTE this year I was excited to hear about a special new set of math puzzles from ST Math®. They have released these short math lessons into their ST Math program to help deepen learning through individual practice and whole-class discussion.
If you haven’t heard of ST Math before the ST stands for spatial-temporal. This program uses a visual instructional program to help students build a deeper conceptual understanding of math. Through problem-solving that is personalized for students, kids in PreK through eighth grade can explore new math concepts.
Math Puzzles for Kids
Although ST Math has been around for some time, they just announced the ST Math Chats feature which brings whole-class discussion of math puzzles to their program. These new math puzzles will be available to anyone using ST Math as an open beta in the upcoming school year.
The video below provides an overview of ST Math Chats and helps you picture how it looks in the classroom. The combination of gameplay, discussion, and application makes this a great option to explore.
How does ST Math Chats work?
The new math puzzles for students goes by the name ST Math Chats. These lessons take 25 to 30 minutes and use one-to-one or two-to-one technology. In ST Math Chats, there is a unique play-discuss-apply model. First, students play an ST Math game; then they take part in a whole-class discussion. The final piece asks students to apply their new learning as they solve a conclusion problem.
Right now ST Math Chats are set up for students in third, fourth, and fifth grade. Teachers can decide which math puzzles they want to share with students. The puzzles are aligned to standards and designed for easy sharing with students. Teachers can use the ST Math Chats as a way to introduce new math concepts to students or dive deeper into a topic students have already begun to explore. Additionally, teachers can incorporate these math games into a review activity.
At the ISTE conference in Philadelphia, I had the chance to meet with representatives from MIND Research Institute — the brains behind ST Math. One of the things that stood out to me about the new math puzzle feature in ST Math is how it promotes discussion. More than just a math game for students to play, ST Math Chats encourages conversations in the math classroom around the gameplay students engage in during class time.
ST Math Programs for Schools
Standards-aligned for students in PreK-8, ST Math has resources specific for different grade level bands. There is an early learning, elementary, and middle school program as well as resources for homeschool students. In addition to the traditional ST Math program, ST Math Fluency focuses on helping students develop their automaticity of addition and multiplication.
If you’re on the hunt for math puzzles for the upcoming school year or looking for a comprehensive math program, check out ST Math and the new ST Math Chats! Learn more by heading over to their website.